The Vikings’ ill-fated WR swap involved welcoming Adam Thielen back to Minnesota. Before the 2025 season ended, Mr. Thielen had been cut.

So, not a great outcome.

Part of what’s fascinating, though, is that the results of the Carolina trade are now being revealed. Minnesota brought Thielen back alongside a 7th in 2026 and a 5th in 2027. The Panthers got a 5th in 2026 alongside a 4th in 2027. The 7th was used by the Vikings, being sunk into young fella Gavin Gerhardt to compete at center.

The Vikings’ Ill-Fated WR Swap
Bringing in Adam Thielen Connected to Gavin Gerhardt

At this stage, much remains undetermined within that Adam Thielen trade.

Carolina had the 5th in 2026 but moved it out in a separate trade. Minnesota kept the Panthers pick, using it on Gerhardt (as mentioned). But then there’s Minnesota’s upcoming 5th for 2027 alongside Carolina’s 4th in 2027. Each represents the best draft pick that each side acquired; each remains a mystery since the 2027 NFL Draft hasn’t yet arrived.

What is known is the center addition.

Mr. Gerhardt received praise leading into the 2026 NFL Draft but wasn’t considered a top option at center. Consider what Lance Zierlein had to say: “Gerhardt is a 49-game starter with outstanding leadership qualities to go with adequate size and length. He’s going to be more of a positional blocker than a people-mover, with the ability to find landmarks and fight for positioning. He’s aware of protection and makes the most of his length to keep rushers out of his frame. He’s a center-only prospect, which hurts his roster chances, but the tape is good enough to give him a chance.”

Being a hard worker with plenty of starting experience is a good tidbit. Playing center means needing to boast leadership abilities. Before the snap, the center needs to adjust protection to account for the threat being presented by the defense. As a result, the snapper needs to have some formidable mental bandwidth, especially within a complex Kevin O’Connell scheme.

Getting snagged in the 7th means he now has the chance that Zierlein mentions, meaning the onus has shifted to the young lad to prove Minnesota smart for picking him.

Per PFF, Gerhardt was just solid last year. He earned a 67.2 grade, getting a better assessment for his pass blocking (74.3) than his run blocking (64.9). Previous years involved Gerhardt demanding a better grade overall while demonstrating a better balance between his pass and run blocking.

Best guess as of early June is that Blake Brandel is the Week 1 starter at center. Rounding out the competition are Michael Jurgens, Delby Lemieux, and Gavin Gerhardt. In all likelihood, there will be a maximum of one true backup center alongside a third option who contains the flexibility to be a guard.

On a basic level, Gerhardt looks like Ryan Kelly since both stand at 6’4″ while weighing roughly 310 pounds. Kelly, of course, was a high-level athlete who shined throughout his career, so that’s an unfair comparison in a lot of ways. The expectations for Gerhardt involve being solid depth, not a Pro Bowl starter.

The new lineman is 24.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

First 17 seasons, no title. The next two resulted in triumphs. That’s the story of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The side commands one of the strongest fan followings in the IPL, yet every year they would return empty-handed. Not anymore. RCB are now the only team after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to win two back-to-back IPL titles. Needless to say, the mood in the camp was upbeat after the IPL 2026 final win against Gujarat Titans on Sunday.

RCB were awarded Rs 20 crore prize money for the champions’ tag. Bhuvneshwar was hilariously asked by Mr Nags about how the money would be divided. Here’s the reply: “That’s something, we will be very interested to know.” 

Mr Nags is suffering from success

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Post match presentation party gatecrashed! Mr. Nags was our toughest challenge of the season, even on the night of the final. Find out what happened, when he spoke to some special guests. pic.twitter.com/ebnwXvWt0G

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) June 1, 2026

Meanwhile, Bhuvneshwar Kumar said that “the season went well for me” after finishing second in the Purple Cap race of the IPL 2026 tournament. Speaking during the post-match interview after RCB defeated the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2026 final, Bhuvneshwar said, “Yes, of course. I mean, the trophy is the most important thing for us. I would trade that any day. But yes, individually, the season went well for me. There were plans, there were a lot of things before the season, and it went well.”

The veteran seamer also credited teamwork for RCB’s success in the final against the Titans. “I think if you get wickets, your confidence is always up. Coming into a big game like that, if you have performed well in the past, it always helps. But credit goes to each and every one. If he (Hazlewood) didn’t do well, I was there. If I didn’t do well, Rasikh was there. So I think we all had each other’s backs, and that’s what you need in a big game like that,” he added.

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Brock Lesnar tied the score with Oba Femi at Clash in Italy.

The Ruler had defeated The Beast at WrestleMania 42, which pushed Lesnar to retire on the spot. However, he could not stay on the sidelines for long and returned to WWE ahead of Clash in Italy to set up a second match against Femi.

Brock Lesnar was determined to win the match. However, he is a top-tier entertainer and made sure the focus was on him when Oba Femi was entering the arena. He broke character and started doing The Ruler’s strut in the ring, which captured the fans’ attention.

A video shows Lesnar doing the strut, which is completely out-of-character for him.

Gunther spoke highly of Oba Femi after his loss against Brock Lesnar

The Ring General was in Clash in Italy against Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship. However, The American Nightmare dominated and retained the title.

Gunther spoke to the Huge Pop podcast about Oba Femi’s current WWE run.

He claimed that The Ruler is an exciting talent, and he is interested in seeing what Femi does next. He believes Oba Femi has the potential to become a huge name in the company and one of the pillars of the global juggernaut down the line.

“He came in guns blazing. Really good for him. Hasn’t been in the ring with me 20 minutes yet, so let’s see. I feel like down the line, that’s gonna be something that’s very interesting. I think he’s a super exciting talent, and very much looking forward to seeing what he’s gonna do in the next year. I think he’s got the potential to be a big superstar in this company. Be one of the pillars down the line,” said Gunther.

It is likely WWE will set up a rubber match between Brock Lesnar and Gunther at SummerSlam 2026.