A Missed Opportunity for the Vikings
Yet again, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah proves that he sees things differently from many outside of TCO Performance Center. Does the recent news, though, count as a missed opportunity in Minnesota?
On Sunday, the news emerged that edge rusher Justin Houston will be joining the Carolina Panthers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter offers the news, explaining, “Four-time Pro-Bowl LB Justin Houston reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers, per source.” He then offers a follow-up tweet to clarify some of the financial details: “Compensation update: Panthers gave edge rusher Justin Houston a one-year deal up to $7 million, that includes $6 million guaranteed.”
In all likelihood, the asking price was too much for Minnesota to seriously consider. Not too long ago, the Vikings had some uncertainty about what would transpire with EDGE1 Danielle Hunter. The contract resolution keeps him in town for 2023 but at the cost of bringing the overall cap space down to just north of $10 million.
Houston’s $6 million in guaranteed cash is quite a bit, especially at this stage in the offseason.
Is Justin Houston a Missed Opportunity for Vikings?
Every potential signing involves doing a cost/benefit analysis.
By onboarding Houston at that price, the Panthers are depleting their overall resources by a notable amount. Without the pass rusher in the mix, Carolina sits at roughly $20.5 million in cap space, an amount that will now decrease by roughly a third. Moreover, there’s now one less roster spot available that could have been used for a different player.
Now, there is a distinct benefit to signing Houston. Last season, the 34-year-old pass rusher proved that he still has it. With the Ravens, Houston put together 9.5 sacks, 7 TFLs, 1 INT, 1 PD, and 1 FF, an especially notable assemblage of stats when we remember that he only started a single game while playing just 397 snaps.
The deal in Carolina means the Vikings missed their chance at signing a tremendous EDGE3.
At various points, PurplePTSD has explored the fit between the Vikings and Houston. The belief is that the veteran pass rusher would complement, not replace, Hunter: “The appeal with Houston is not contingent on whether Danielle Hunter stays or goes. On the contrary, keeping Hunter shouldn’t affect whether the Vikings are interested in Houston. Adding a veteran with some pass-rushing sizzle – especially in July – would be a major win for Brian Flores’ crew.”
And, to be sure, I’m far from alone in thinking that Justin Houston would have been a wonderful option to be the team’s EDGE3. Jeff Diamond, the GM of the Minnesota Vikings from 1991-98, similarly thought the fit made sense. Diamond offers some of his rationale: “The Vikings’ pass rush would look much more formidable if Houston — a four-time Pro Bowler — joined Danielle Hunter, Marcus Davenport, D.J. Wonnum, and Patrick Jones as edge rushers/outside linebackers, especially considering the injury history of Hunter and Davenport.”
In the end, the Vikings will move forward without the veteran. Hunter is perched above all other pass rushers in Minnesota, with Marcus Davenport being the only one capable of coming close to #99. Otherwise, the team will be leaning on players like D.J. Wonnum, Patrick Jones II, Luiji Vilain, and Andre Carter II to hit QBs when Sunday hits the calendar.
The Vikings will take on the Panthers in Week 4. Of course, much of the attention will rest on seeing Adam Thielen for the first time in a different uniform. An all-time Vikings great, Thielen is being tasked with helping Bryce Young acclimate to — and quickly compete within — the NFL. Meanwhile, Minnesota is looking to improve at WR by featuring Jordan Addison and K.J. Osborn alongside Justin Jefferson.
Tossing Houston into the mix just makes the game a bit more captivating. He’ll partner with Brian Burns to give Carolina a strong pass-rushing pair.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
