2022 Vikings Offseason: A Few Free Agency Pieces to Watch
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings will head into the 2022 offseason with one of the worst salary cap situations in the entire NFL. Per Over the Cap, the Vikings will be around $13 million over the salary cap in terms of effective cap space. That is the fourth lowest amount of cap space ahead of just the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and New Orleans Saints. Due to money being tight, the front office may need to get creative with this 2022 Vikings free agency class.
Much of this money is tied up in QB Kirk Cousins, who carries a dead cap of $45 million with him into 2022. In addition to that money, Danielle Hunter is also set to carry a cap hit of just over $26 million, Adam Thielen nearly $17 million and Eric Kendricks and Harrison Smith will make nearly $13.5 million.
That’s about $115 million tied up in five players, and none of them are named Dalvin Cook or Brian O’Neill. Like I said, the Vikings will have to do some financial acrobatics this offseason, assuming they don’t unload all their star talent for a rebuild. If Minnesota looks to stay competitive next season, here are some targets for the 2022 Vikings free agency chase.
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S Adrian Phillips
Since joining the New England Patriots prior to the 2020 season, Adrian Phillips has developed from a solid backup to a consistent starter at the safety position. He has started 26 of 29 games over the past two seasons, and in 2021, he has already doubled his career-high interception total (from two to four) through 13 games.
Phillips is a former 2014 UDFA who has played his entire career with a chip on his shoulder, and it is starting to pay off. The Vikings have some concerning needs in the secondary, and they will need to revamp that group. The only stable pieces remaining after 2021 (given current contractual statuses) will be CB Cam Dantzler and S Harrison Smith. Even calling Dantzler a consistent piece may be a stretch.
Xavier Woods has had some nice moments at safety this season, but he’s also left Vikings fandom with a lot of headaches. The Vikings could opt for consistency by bringing him back, or they could even elevate Cam Bynum next year, but Phillips looks like surefire improvement.
DT Johnathan Hankins
The Vikings have talent along the interior of the defensive line for 2022 as Michael Pierce and Dalvin Tomlinson are both under contract. However, Sheldon Richardson has been an unexpectedly key piece to Minnesota’s defense, particularly in the pass rush. Since week 12, Richardson has played 76% or more of the Vikings defensive snaps, per Pro-Football-Reference.
The Vikings will likely pursue a contract negotiation with Richardson this offseason, but should they be unsuccessful, Jonathan Hankins could be a likely target. Despite starting every game he’s played, Hankins has certainly taken a step back in 2021 for the Las Vegas Raiders. He will be 30 by the time the 2022 season begins, so his next contract will likely see him in a fill-in role. The Vikings could get younger and potentially cheaper at DT with a Hankins deal.
IOL Dan Feeney
Again, this is not a flashy target by any means. However, Dan Feeney has spent his NFL career as a quality depth piece at the interior offensive line. This year he has not found the field very often for the New York Jets as they try to develop younger pieces, but prior to that, he started 57 consecutive games for the Chargers. He has the versatility to play at either guard or center, similar to Mason Cole who will also hit free agency this offseason. Feeney certainly isn’t a long-term solution to the Vikings o-line, but he can help when needed next season.
Closing Thoughts
None of these options are what you’d consider franchise-changing targets, but the Vikings don’t really find themselves in a position to target those types of players. Nonetheless, all three of the players listed can help provide depth to a team that may find themselves needing to fill holes in 2022.