Vikings Come in Just Outside the Top 10 in ESPN’s Post-FA NFL Power Rankings
Free agency has begun to slow down in recent days, and recently, ESPN released a new list of power rankings with multiple NFL analysts chipping in to contribute their thoughts for the rankings.
In this list, we see the Minnesota Vikings come in just outside the top 10 teams, ranking No. 11 in the post-free agency edition. They moved down two spots from their previous ranking at No. 9.
These power rankings also included the top “under-the-radar” move for each team, and for Minnesota, their listed move was the re-signing of RB Alexander Mattison. Vikings reporter Kevin Seifert got the honor of explaining the ranking, and here is what the analyst had to say regarding Minnesota’s spot as well as the re-signing of Mattison:
“NFL teams don’t like to pay running backs, and the Vikings don’t often give guaranteed money in a second season of a contract, so this deal made knowledgeable observers sit up and take notice. Mattison had a career-low 89 touches behind Dalvin Cook in 2022 and seemed primed to find a new opportunity elsewhere. The Vikings’ decision to pay Mattison not only shows their confidence in him but also indicates a changing of the guard over the next two seasons. At that salary level, there is no way Mattison will be a mere backup in 2023. He’s going to have a major role in the Vikings’ offense, one way or the other.“
If you remember back to last training camp, former Vikings reporter Chris Tomasson reported that Mattison and the Vikings were not close to a contract extension, and that a trade was even possible because the running back desired to prove himself capable of a starting role.
Obviously, no such trade occurred, but at the very least, it seemed like Mattison would be on his way out at the end of the 2022 season to find a starting role. That didn’t happen either with Minnesota re-signing him to a two-year deal a couple weeks ago.
However, as Seifert indicates, this now calls into question the status of another Vikings running back, Dalvin Cook. Cook recorded his fourth consecutive 1000-yard season in 2022, but it was at a less efficient 4.4 yards per carry clip than he had recorded in previous seasons. That combined with his $14.1 million cap hit in 2023 causes doubt surrounding his status with Minnesota moving forward.
In terms of the actual power ranking, the Vikings are now the fifth-ranked team in the NFC, and they fall from the top of the NFC North division down to second. Jumping above them is the Detroit Lions, who have become the new favorites to win the division in 2023 after a strong 2023 campaign, and to this point, a very successful offseason.
With free agency now largely behind us (though a few intriguing candidates remain on the open market for Minnesota), all focus now turns to the NFL Draft. Be sure to bookmark this site and come back as we’ll have all types of draft coverage leading up to the draft’s start on April 27th.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.