The Thread Connecting the Vikings’ 3 Major Free Agency Deals
In press conferences, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah comes across as being thoughtful and down to earth. He isn’t conceited despite his elite education and fascinating professional background. What’s long been evident, though, is that his kind demeanour doesn’t hinder him from following through on his convictions.
The Vikings’ 3 major deals in free agency underscore that reality.
The proponent of a competitive rebuild, Adofo-Mensah has made controversial decisions aplenty. Sometimes, that has meant moving on from excellent players (Eric Kendricks, Dalvin Cook, Za’Darius Smith, etc.). At other times, that has meant being somewhat inactive. The Vikings, to be sure, could have been more gregarious in free agency and yet opted for a more restrained approach (much to the chagrin of Vikings fans who eschew a patient approach to team building).
Considering his main signings — TE Josh Oliver, EDGE Marcus Davenport, and CB Byron Murphy — demonstrates how the GM is fulfilling his vision for what the Vikings should look like both now and in the future.
The Vikings’ 3 Major Free Agency Deals
Minnesota’s salary cap didn’t appear to be in very good shape going into the offseason, but that was before the GM got out his financial machete. In not too long, Adofo-Mensah slashed salary by cutting, waiving, and (in one instance) trading away some of his still-talented players.
Furthermore, he showed caution while courting talent. The team could have found a way to afford Dalvin Tomlinson and yet they decided to move on with cheaper alternatives.
Nevertheless, we did see Kwesi open up the coffers, spending money to patch up some areas where the Vikings needed reinforcements. Consider the main moves:
| Player | Position | Age | Deal |
| Oliver, Josh | Tight End | 26 | 3 Years, $21M (Void X2) |
| Davenport, Marcus | Edge Rusher | 26 | 1 Year, $13M (Void X4) |
| Murphy, Byron | Corner | 25 | 2 Years, $17.5M (Void X3) |
Agreeing to a major deal with Oliver was a pretty unexpected move. Essentially no one thought the team’s first major free agency signing would go toward tight end since Minnesota already has T.J. Hockenson.
Since the deal, though, both the GM and HC have spoken about their idea for the offense in 2023. Kevin O’Connell plans on being more multiple in his looks. Part of the hope is to run the ball more, an area where someone of Oliver’s size and blocking abilities will help. Wes Phillips sees his TE2 as a significant presence who will help the Vikings to reshape their offense.
Meanwhile, the Vikings’ defense got a boost by bringing Davenport and Murphy into the fold. The former Saint replaces Za’Darius Smith, who is going to be 31 on September 8th. The former Cardinal replaces Patrick Peterson, who just turned 33 on July 11th.
Do you see the point, folks?
Kwesi is layering in young talent to enhance the roster in a manner that allows them to immediately improve while (crucially) allowing them to keep playing strong football for years to come. Or, put differently, the free agency signings feature players young enough to embody the competitive rebuild vision.
There are, of course, some deviations from the norm. Dean Lowry was signed and he’s 29. Jonathan Bullard got brought back even though he’s turning 30 in October.
Exceptions aside, the dominant trend has been to add young talent at important positions, the spots that will be crucial to fulfilling what the offense and defense want to accomplish. If everything goes well in 2023, the Vikings will look to continue featuring Oliver, Murphy, and Davenport as future seasons unfold.
Over the past couple seasons, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has made 16 selections in the draft. His UDFA signings further enhance the roster’s youth. Partnering all of that young talent with some of his trade acquisitions — Jalen Reagor, Ross Blacklock, T.J. Hockenson — and the FA signings we’ve been discussing shows how the GM is slowly bringing his plan to fruition.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
