The Vikings’ 3 Extension Candidates You Haven’t Considered
K. Joudry
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By this point, the usual suspects are well established. Danielle Hunter needs a new deal and the T.J. Hockenson trade means the talented TE will get more years. Kirk Cousins can still be extended at any moment and there’s some guy named Justin who seems deserving of a new deal.
For our purposes, the Vikings’ 3 extension candidates are a touch less obvious.
On the margins of the roster are players whom Minnesota will be interested in retaining. Lesser-heralded contributors like Ezra Cleveland and K.J. Osborn have still received some praise. Stepping back even further allows us to consider a trio of players who don’t commonly find themselves in these conversations (if at all).
The Vikings’ 3 Extension Candidates: The Truly Overlooked
1) Blake Brandel, Backup Offensive Tackle
There’s no such thing as having too many quality offensive tackles. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill are the top pair, a reality that won’t be changing. Their recent injuries, though, beckon the leadership to ensure they’re committing to having a strong OT3.
The 6’7″, 315-pound Brandel can hopefully stick around Minnesota for a little while longer.
Expecting Brandel to perfectly replicate the abilities of the starting pair is unreasonable. Instead, the goal is simply to have someone who allows the offense to maintain its identity. He can do that, folks.
When he’s in the the lineup, Kevin O’Connell can continue to call the plays he wants. Brandel will do an admirable job of both protecting Kirk Cousins and opening lanes in the run game. At times, he has even been a jumbo tight end and/or sixth offensive lineman.
His $940,000 cap charge is totally unguaranteed. Unless he gets a new deal, he’ll be a free agent next offseason.
2) Josh Metellus, Backup Safety
Give the man more of a chance on defense. He’s an excellent player.
He got in on 258 defensive snaps last year (easily the most of his career) and delivered 5 PDs to go alongside his interception. The PFF fans will be encouraged to know that the analytics website gave him a robust 85.1 grade for his efforts. Even more encouraging is that he lined up in the slot for 31 snaps.
Josh Metellus can force his way onto the field if he shows himself capable of doing multiple things well. After his three seasons, Metellus has given us ample reason to believe he can do so. The task is now to prove to Brian Flores – the new defensive sheriff – that he can fulfill whatever is needed in the secondary.
Metellus, 25, is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He’ll have a $1,010,000 cap charge, a bargain given what he brings to the table.
3) Troy Dye, Linebacker
Truthfully, the Dye inclusion is the one that strains credulity the most. The long and fast linebacker hasn’t been able to shine on defense with either Mike Zimmer or Ed Donatell. Perhaps Flores finds a way of using him effectively, but the former Oregon Duck has mostly been an afterthought this offseason.
Where he has consistently proven his value is on special teams. A touch small for defense, Dye is a perfect build for special teams. In 2022, the depth LB had 94 snaps in kick coverage, 105 on kick return, 81 in punt coverage, and 64 in punt return. He tossed in a pair of FG/XP snaps for good measure.
Dye’s task throughout the offseason and into the ’23 season is to further prove that he’s a clear-cut best option on special teams. Partnering that importance with defensive competence would mean he has value in retaining, as long as the price is right.
He enters the year with a $1,179,643 cap charge, the final year of his rookie deal.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
