We will remember the “Old Trapper” on this week’s installment of the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast, with stories of Bud and a look at his long and laudable legacy with the Vikings. We also examine the massive changes taking place on the current Vikings roster, as another Minnesotan, Adam Thielen, moves on from the Purple. Tune into VT Breakdown podcast for the latest.

The dominos are falling. Longtime middle linebacker Eric Kendricks was released by the Vikings on Monday in a salary cap savings of $9.5 million. It is a difficult pill to swallow for all Vikings fans, as Kendricks has been one of the most productive players on the field during his eight-year career and one of the finest off the field as a former NFL Man of the year nominee. Kendricks has been an excellent member of the Vikings organization, and it is a huge loss for the team.

On the docket this week we will talk about Kirk Cousins contract. There are reports that the Vikings aren’t going to extend him for another one-season contract, which leaves two choices: play out the existing one or extend him for a few more years while they try to find the QB of the future. We will postulate what to expect next. And we shudder in anticipation of the coming Kirkistan battle over the haters. We will even dive into Cousins on the Netflix NFL QB series. Not for the faint of heart.

The snow is piling up this week like salary cap dollars have for the Vikings the past few seasons,  and they need to plow some of that cash out of here. It remains to be seen whose cash is extended, whose gets dumped and whose goes dead. They have a lot of decisions to make as we head into the new NFL year.

So do we here at Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast (well not as much as Kwesi and KOC). Joe Oberle from VikingsTerritory and purplePTSD and Mark Craig from the Star Tribune and startribue.com are here to analyze everything those other two guys do until the start of next season.

The Vikings made news during Super Bowl week by signing Brian Flores to be their next defensive coordinator. As many of the potential DC choices for GM Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah were signed away by other teams, the situation grew a bit desperate and it appeared the Purple might have to settle for the in-house choice, Mike Pettine—not exactly a name to rile up the fanbase.

According to Mark Craig, NFL insider and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com, the defensive line is exactly where the Vikings should begin to rebuild the defense in the offseason.

Everything is fair game for this team, as they figure out how to compete at the next level. And we at the Vikings Territory Breakdown Podcast are here to discuss it. The Star Tribune’s Mark Craig joins VT and purplePTSD writer Joe Oberle as they try to figure out the Vikings' next move and talk about the divisional round games and the last three games of the NFL season. Stop by and check it out.

In 1998, Vikings placekicker Gary Anderson didn’t miss a field all season—until the playoffs. And now in 2022, Kirk Cousins and the Vikings didn’t lose a one-score game all season—until the playoffs. A coincidence? Yes—one has nothing to do with the other unless you think of them in terms of being the way the Vikings' fortunes turn from season to season. If the Vikings are going to win by a certain sword, they will eventually lose by it--and they did so on Sunday in their 31-24 loss to the New York Giants in the Wild Card game at U.S. Bank Stadium.

But no matter. The Vikings finished the season 13-4 and are onto the playoffs, hosting the New York Football Giants in a Wild Card tilt next Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. We saw them a few weeks ago when the Vikings squeaked by the G-Men on a walk-off, 61-yard field goal by Greg Joseph, so there is plenty to preview about this big game. We will have it all for you here on the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast with Joe Oberle from VT and purplePTSD and Mark Craig from the Star Tribune. Tune in and see how everyone around here is pretty happy.