Minnesota Vikings: 3 HC/QB combos of the future that could fix team
By John Buhler
1. Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady/North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell
So if parting ways with Cousins and Zimmer does not make sense for the Vikings’ 2021 timeline, the best upstart pairing you could look at for 2022 is Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady and giving him a top-five pick in North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell. Brady needs at least one more year in Charlotte, while Howell is not draft-eligible until 2022 anyway.
Brady is best known for being the passing game coordinator for the 2019 LSU Tigers as a 30-year-old. He parlayed that magical season in Baton Rouge to the Panthers’ offensive coordinator gig under first-year head coach Matt Rhule. While the Panthers are rebuilding, they are certainly better than the 2-14 disaster many people thought they would be at the start of the 2020 season.
As for Howell, I can guarantee you he will not be Mitchell Trubisky in the NFL. This is because he will have had three years worth of starts playing for a strong ACC team under the iconic Mack Brown in his second go-around in Chapel Hill. Do not be shocked if the Tar Heels contend for an ACC crown once Lawrence leaves Clemson and it is The D.J. Uiagalelei Show full-time next year.
Next. Let’s try a Dak Prescott for Khalil Mack trade on for size. dark
From a projection standpoint, Howell is a more athletic Baker Mayfield and a less reckless Darnold through two NCAA seasons. Maybe he is a more refined Dak Prescott coming out in the draft or a more polished version of Jameis Winston? Either way, this guy is a bona fide franchise quarterback playing for Brown in Chapel Hill. He could be a 10-year starter if it all goes right in Minneapolis.
Who replaces Cousins and Zimmer as the quarterback and head coach of future Vikings teams?