Who Should I Start? Brett Rypien or Tommy Mellott

Thursday, August 29, 1:14 PM

The Minnesota Vikings signed veteran quarterback Brett Rypien on Thursday and waived Jaren Hall in a corresponding move. It's a mild surprise after Hall seemingly cemented the job as the QB3 behind starter Sam Darnold and backup Nick Mullens with a strong preseason. The 28-year-old Rypien was released earlier this week by the Chicago Bears. He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos, starting three games, before moving to the Los Angeles Rams last year. The Vikings were hit with tough news earlier in training camp with rookie first-rounder J.J. McCarthy (knee) having to miss all of his rookie season. In his four years in the NFL, Rypien has completed 58.3% of his 168 pass attempts for just 950 yards, four touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 games (four starts).

Tuesday, May 6, 1:23 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders selected Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott in the sixth round of this year's NFL draft, but he's expected to play multiple positions in his rookie year, including wide receiver and running back. "Tommy Mellott is Julian Edelman," one general manager said. The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore writes that the Raiders want to transform Mellott into a player that can help them in different ways. As well as working on offense, he could be used on punt and kickoff returns and coverage. Mellott caught the attention of NFL scouts and coaches by posting a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, a 41-inch vertical and a 10-foot, four-inch broad jump at his Pro Day. New offensive coordinator Chip Kelly could get creative with how they use Mellott, but it's unlikely that he'll see enough time on the field to become a fantasy asset in 2025.