As The Vikings’ Offseason Clock Winds Down, The Free Agency Stock Dwindles
K. Joudry
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Can I interest you, the oft-heartbroken, leery-of-believing-again Vikings fan, in veteran corner Ronald Darby? True, he’s a bit older now, but he’s been a strong starter in the past and is a Super Bowl champion.
Darby doesn’t inspire optimism? Well, let’s not forget Marcus Peters. He’s been a turnover machine at CB, an ability that is sure to delight many in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Former GM Jeff Diamond even recommended him in a piece on Vikings Territory that was published during the spring.
And what about a boost for the edge rushers? Danielle Hunter and Marcus Davenport appear to be a formidable pair, but adding someone else couldn’t hurt. Justin Houston, Leonard Floyd, and/or Jadeveon Clowney could certainly function as high-upside options as the team’s EDGE3. Supercharging the team’s pass rushing crew would certainly make life easier for the inexperienced corners.
Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it, pencilling in proven, veteran players? Those of you who have been following the NFL’s transaction page will spot the issue, though: all of the players mentioned up above have already found new homes.
The Vikings’ Offseason Clock and The September 10th Game
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah does have interest in continuing to improve the roster. Of that there can be little doubt.
In a league where actions truly do speak louder than words, the Vikings’ GM has hosted several (fairly) high-profile free agents since training camp got going (iOL Dalton Risner, CB Ronald Darby, and RB Kareem Hunt). So far, no deal has materialized with any of the trio of players. In Darby’s case, no contract can materialize since he’s now employed by a different team.
Meanwhile, the team has made moves on the margins, adding depth at offensive tackle, quarterback, and running back in recent days. From the current vantage point, the signings that have occurred are more about courting practice squad contenders than in finding true candidates for playing time on September Sundays (and onward from there).
Unless something changes, the GM seems quite content to allow the rebuild to take place on defense. Meanwhile, the offense is being tasked with rising to elite as the special teams look to eliminate the major gaffes and mistakes from 2022.
Even with that mandate, couldn’t the Vikings still add someone? Plenty of fans would be thrilled to see a bit more urgency from Adofo-Mensah when it comes to signing free agents.
The issue is one we’ve discussed previously. To a certain extent, the Week 1 contest against the Bucs – which takes place on September 10th – is a bit of a soft deadline. There’s no rule against signing someone after the regular season begins, but wouldn’t it be preferable to onboard talent with some of the offseason left? A bit of an on-ramp before getting onto the highway is a good thing, folks.
The more time passes, the more likely it becomes that the players who are currently available won’t be if/when there’s need in Minnesota. Clearly, that’s a gamble Kwesi is willing to take.
A pair of preseason games are in the books. Coming up next are a pair of joint practices with the Cardinals before the final preseason game of the offseason. Afterwards, Kevin O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah will need to bring their roster down to 53 players. While all the cuts and shuffling are taking place, the Vikings will find themselves in a prime spot to make an addition or two.
Don’t be surprised to see the team shrink to 51 or 52 players. Doing so would point toward an addition(s). The likeliest option would be to agree to a deal with someone who was just cut, but Risner and Hunt can’t be completely counted out. And, of course, the stock trader turned NFL GM may be interested in pulling off another swap ahead of the season.
The team is currently sitting on a bit below $10.5 million in cap space, but that’s a number that can change with the impending cuts and/or signings. The game against the Bucs will take place in 19 days.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap helped with this piece.
