NFL Rumors: Minnesota Vikings will not franchise tag Case Keenum
Case Keenum led the Minnesota Vikings to a tremendous season, but he will reportedly enter free agency after the organization decided against the franchise tag.
The Minnesota Vikings have three quarterbacks and no stability. It’s a rare position for an organization to find itself in, but Sam Bradford, Teddy Bridgewater, and Case Keenum have simultaneously become eligible for free agency.
While it was Keenum who led the Vikings to its resounding success during the 2017 NFL regular season, not even he is guaranteed to return in 2018.
Keenum entered the offseason as a candidate to receive the franchise tag. It was far from guaranteed to transpire, but the former Houston Cougars star was eligible to receive the distinction and thus play the 2018 campaign in Minnesota.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Keenum will enter free agency after the Vikings decided against franchise tagging the quarterback.
The #Vikings are not expected to franchise tag QB Case Keenum and he’s slated to hit free agency, per sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking. Barring a change of heart, Minnesota joins the fray for a starting QB… and will make these next few weeks fascinating.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2018
This could have significant ramifications as far as both free agency and the 2018 NFL Draft are concerned.
NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt recently reported that Minnesota shares mutual interest with free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins. That could explain the decision to let Keenum enter free agency, as franchise tagging Keenum would’ve taken the Vikings out of the running for Cousins.
It’s also possible that the Vikings are more inclined to bring back Bradford or Bridgewater, as both flashed potential when healthy in Minnesota.
The other possibility is that the Vikings could be interested in exploring the 2018 NFL Draft as an avenue towards finding a franchise quarterback.
Minnesota will pick at No. 30 in the first round, No. 62 in the second round, and No. 94 in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. All three picks could enable the Vikings to find that elusive presence, with Round 1 providing the most likely opportunity to do so.
In that range, Minnesota could select a player such as Luke Falk, Lamar Jackson, Mason Rudolph, and Mike White. It could also look to trade up for a more high-profile player.
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The question is: Who will the Minnesota Vikings replace Case Keenum with during free agency or the 2018 NFL Draft?