The Free Agent EDGE Market Retains Shrinking for Vikings

Feb 6, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Kansas Metropolis Chiefs defensive finish Mike Danna (51) indicators autographs throughout Tremendous Bowl Opening Evening at Footprint Middle. Necessary Credit score: Kirby Lee-Imagn Pictures.

The Minnesota Vikings could or could not want an additional outdoors linebacker; that depends upon the workforce’s early plan for rookie Jake Golday, who, in concept, could possibly be used because the OLB3. But when interim basic supervisor Rob Brzezinski desires a veteran free agent, properly, the market shrank Monday once more because the Buffalo Payments grabbed Mike Danna off the wire.

Yet one more veteran move rusher disappeared. The Vikings’ choices are getting thinner.

Minnesota nonetheless has veteran OLB options to discover, however Danna is off the board.

Minnesota Could Must Transfer Shortly for EDGE Assist

Danna heads to a contender.

Kansas Metropolis Chiefs defensive finish Mike Danna speaks to reporters on Feb. 5, 2025, on the New Orleans Marriott forward of Tremendous Bowl LIX. Danna entered the championship week as certainly one of Kansas Metropolis’s skilled defensive contributors after carving out a dependable rotational function in Steve Spagnuolo’s aggressive entrance over a number of playoff runs. Necessary Credit score: Kirby Lee-Imagn Pictures.

BUF Indicators Danna

Danna has a brand new NFL residence after six seasons in Kansas Metropolis. ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg wrote Monday, “The Bills added a familiar former opponent to the roster, signing outside linebacker Mike Danna to a one-year deal Monday, the team announced. Danna, 28, had played the last six seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, who released him Feb. 23 in a move to create salary cap space ahead of the new league year.”

“During his time with the Chiefs, he faced the Bills in five regular-season games and four postseason matchups. In the AFC Championship Game during the 2024 season, Danna recorded his only sack against Buffalo — a strip sack on Josh Allen that the quarterback recovered.”

Danna joins a Tremendous Bowl contender, whereas the Vikings’ presumptive search for an additional move rusher dwindles.

Danna’s Manufacturing and Resume

Danna entered the enterprise in 2020 as a Fifth-Spherical choose by the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. He’s caught round since. When it comes to longevity, he’s the Vikings’ model of security Josh Metellus if Metellus had signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, for instance, this offseason.

Listed here are his uncooked stats:

2020: 2.5 Sacks | 6 QB Hits | 25 Whole Tackles2021: 3 Sacks | 10 QB Hits | 26 Whole Tackles2022: 5 Sacks | 10 QB Hits | 27 Whole Tackles2023: 6.5 Sacks | 13 QB Hits | 50 Whole Tackles2024: 3.5 Sacks | 8 QB Hits | 41 Whole Tackles2025: 1 Sack | 4 QB Hits | 25 Whole Tackles

And the Professional Soccer Focus skinny:

2020: 63.2 2021: 63.8 2022: 67.4 2023: 62.32024: 59.2 2025: 57.3

Danna is mainly the right man for situational move dashing, maybe the Payments’ model of D.J. Wonnum from Vikings’ squads of yesteryear.

The Payments’ OLBs

Buffalo truly has some unbelievable EDGE depth, onboarding three or 4 respected outdoors linebackers this offseason. They’re severe and are in it to win it in 2026:

Right here’s the present OLB group:

Bradley Chubb

Greg Rousseau

Michael Danna

T.J. Parker

Michael Hoecht

Andre Jones Jr.

Javon Solomon

Cade Denhoff

Parker, a rookie, now has ample time to develop with Danna round because the OLB3.

Kansas Metropolis Chiefs defensive finish Mike Danna runs onto the sphere earlier than a matchup in opposition to the Denver Broncos on Oct. 12, 2023, at GEHA Area at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas Metropolis. Danna continued creating right into a reliable edge defender for the Chiefs, contributing regular stress, rotational depth, and physicality alongside Kansas Metropolis’s defensive entrance. Necessary Credit score: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports activities.

SI.com‘s Alex Brasky on the Danna addition: “While Danna and Solomon may not be roster locks by any means, signing a veteran not named Epenesa or Bosa at this stage is a bit telling, as OnSI’s Randy Gurzi wrote previously, along with highlighting the possibility of Solomon’s ultimate demise.”

“However, if that theory proves incorrect and Bosa and/or Epenesa are welcomed back, that would really spell trouble for Solomon. This is by no means an earth-shattering move, but there are reasons to look more closely at the Bills welcoming a player with Danna’s experience level, which includes Super Bowl experience.”

Buffalo’s protection ranked twentieth per DVOA in 2025.

“If Hoecht cannot return in time for Week 1, that would open an additional roster spot for either Danna or the team’s homegrown pass rusher to hold down at least until Hoecht can return from injury.”

Who’s Left for Vikings?

Upset that Minnesota didn’t rating Danna this week or Dante Fowler Jr. final week? Haven’t any concern; the record of accessible outdoors linebackers stays spectacular. Minnesota may considerably simply signal certainly one of these males as early as now:

Denico Autry

Derek Barnett

Joey Bosa

Jadeveon Clowney

Marcus Davenport

A.J. Epenesa

Leonard Floyd

Cameron Jordan

Von Miller

Haason Reddick

Kyle Van Noy

Kansas Metropolis Chiefs defensive finish Mike Danna celebrates after a highway victory on Sep. 22, 2024, in opposition to the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Danna remained a part of Kansas Metropolis’s deep line of defense rotation, serving to the Chiefs preserve one of many NFL’s extra disruptive pass-rushing models in the course of the 2024 marketing campaign. Necessary Credit score: Brett Davis-Imagn Pictures.

Floyd would possibly take advantage of sense. He gained a Tremendous Bowl with Kevin O’Connell on the 2021 Los Angeles Rams squad. Van Noy, too, has ties to Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores from their days along with the New England Patriots.

Danna will flip 29 in December.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … Extra about Dustin Baker