Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports activities.
NFL free company is 12 days away, and the Minnesota Vikings have almost $63 million to spend, oodles in comparison with earlier years.
The Prime 10 Gamers for Vikings to Pursue in Free Company
Minnesota should additionally re-sign some assortment of its 25 inner free-agents, so the funds could shrink shortly except normal supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah restructures present gamers’ contracts.
Per the open market and growing fan-driven sentiment, these are 10 high-profile free brokers to-be that Minnesota can hunt, assuming the gamers’ present groups don’t re-sign them. They’re ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = greatest and most sensible free agent to pursue).
Word: The Vikings gained’t signal all of those gamers.
10. Paulson Adebo (CB)
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Photos.
Adebo will get better from a damaged leg this offseason, driving down his free-agent value for 32 groups.
When he’s wholesome, Adebo is aggressive and productive and will match properly in Brian Flores’ protection. He’s the traditional Kwesi Adofo-Mensah type free company — pay much less for a productive participant with latest harm historical past.
9. Cooper Kupp (WR)If Relevant
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports activities.
Minnesota might improve the WR3 spot this offseason, and whether or not Kupp hits free company or experiences a commerce, he has seemingly performed his final down as a Ram.
This one makes all of the sense on the earth as a result of Kupp and Kevin O’Connell gained a Tremendous Bowl collectively in 2021. Kupp earned Offensive Participant of the Yr that season.
8. Teven Jenkins (OG)
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports activities.
Jenkins, like Adebo above, is one other “injury history” man.
His value will probably be extra reasonably priced than Trey Smith — you’ll see him in a while the checklist — as a result of he doesn’t play full seasons. Jenkins has performed 45 video games in 4 years.
However his 2024 75.4 PFF grade was fairly candy.
7. Talanoa Hufanga (S)
Sergio Estrada-Imagn Photos.
Hufanga performed a down 12 months by his requirements, producing a 57.8 Professional Soccer Focus grade. He often checks in at 70.0 or increased. Regulate his price ticket as a result of it might diminish accordingly.
The person reached a Professional Bowl and earned All-Professional standing not way back (2022), and he’s a San Francisco 49er, the group that gave Adofo-Mensah his first NFL employment.
If Harrison Smith retires and Camryn Bynum leaves in free company, Hufanga would look good in Brian Flores’ protection.
6. Will Fries (OG)
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports activities.
Fries produced a complete breakout season in 2024, logging an 86.9 PFF grade.
The one catch? It was the primary time in 4 seasons that Fries performed higher than mediocre.
Minnesota’s offensive line was uncovered late within the season, and if the group subtracts Dalton Risner and Ed Ingram, Fries is a smart alternative candidate.
5. Trey Smith (OG)
Smith might be the most well-liked free agent amongst Vikings followers. These followers watched as Minnesota allowed 9 sacks throughout its playoff loss within the Wildcard Spherical, probably the most within the historical past of the NFL playoffs. Smith is the most effective guard on the open market if the Chiefs don’t re-up for his providers. He’s a two-time Tremendous Bowl champion and reached his first Professional Bowl this season.
As a comparability, he’s as regular as Brian O’Neill per week-to-week efficiency.
Brace your self, nevertheless — he’ll be spendy. His subsequent deal will seemingly examine in round $20 million per 12 months. The one motive Smith doesn’t prime this checklist is as a result of a dozen different groups may pursue him.
It’s additionally price noting that Smith and his OL teammates had been completely walloped in Tremendous Bowl LIX — lower than splendid for his free company.
4. Jevon Holland (S)
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports activities.
Jevon Holland is a Prime 5 security within the NFL, and he’ll in some way hit free company in three weeks.
Minnesota doesn’t outwardly want any safeties — it has Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, and Josh Metellus. However Smith might realistically retire, and Bynum is a free agent who isn’t assured to return.
Thereafter, in that state of affairs, the Vikings would want a brand new beginning security, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores has ties to Holland from the 2021 Dolphins draft and season.
Holland has talked about his constructive relationship with Flores. He tweeted two years in the past when Flores landed Minnesota’s defensive coordinator job: “Flo was apart of the reason I got drafted making my lifelong dream come true. I got nothing but love for him!”
That’s a candy start line for Vikings free company if Adofo-Mensah is thinking about Holland.
3. D.J. Reed (CB)
Reed informed Go Lengthy‘s Tyler Dunne this in December, “I’m ready to go to free agency, bro. I’m ready to see what’s next for me.”
That appears like a person prepared to go away New York, and Minnesota wants a CB.
Reed routinely produces seasons with PFF scores north of 70.0 and 75.0. Minnesota can afford him, and he must be the first free-agent goal. Above all else, Minnesota should tackle cornerback for the long run this offseason. It’s necessary.
2. Drew Dalman (C)
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports activities.
Garrett Bradbury might turn into a wage cap casualty if the Vikings are critical about upgrading the offensive line’s inside.
Dalman is the most effective middle out there in free company, accounting for a 78.8 PFF grade this season. And he’s not like Bradbury, who focuses on run blocking whereas scuffling with move safety. Dalman does each.
The one disadvantage? A number of groups will pursue Dalman.
Dalman earns close to prime placement on this checklist as a result of it could be fairly incredible to begin the J.J. McCarthy period at quarterback with one of many league’s greatest facilities. Permitting Bradbury or a rookie to deal with the project doesn’t really feel good.
The Vikings must be achieved with the period of going through an imposing defensive sort out (Dexter Lawrence or Kenny Clark, for instance) and simply realizing that Bradbury can be pummeled. Dalman is the reply.
1. Milton Williams (DT)
Tim Heitman-Imagn Photos.
Williams stole headlines within the Tremendous Bowl 15 days in the past, accounting for two sacks and a pair of tackles for loss.
His Eagles completely creamed the in any other case dynastic Chiefs, with Williams growing his incomes energy alongside the best way. Minnesota should strengthen the inside of its defensive position as a substitute of signing gamers like Shamar Stephen, Armon Watts, and Jonathan Bullard time and again.
Williams turned an elite pass-rushing DT in 2024, banking a exceptional 90.4 PFF mark through move rush. That ranked second within the NFL behind Chiefs defensive sort out Chris Jones in 2024.
Minnesota can afford him.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the College of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his every day YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The present options friends, evaluation, and opinion on all issues associated to the purple group, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates again to 1996. Listed responsible pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doorways (the band). He follows the NBA as intently because the NFL.
All statistics supplied by Professional Soccer Reference / Stathead; all contractual data supplied by OverTheCap.com.
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