Predicting the Fates of 6 Vikings Free Agents
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings have a great deal of work to do in free agency this offseason.
Not only will they need to find ways to improve their roster by adding playmakers, but they will also need to decide which players that they want to bring back for the 2024 season. Here are some predictions for how things will turn out for six Vikings free agents this offseason.
QB Kirk Cousins
The Vikings’ free agency period really gets started with a decision on Kirk Cousins. The veteran is set to enter his age-36 season and is coming off an Achilles injury. Despite that, there is some belief that he can still garner a pretty hefty contract on the open market.
Minnesota needs to figure out their QB situation for both now and the future, and Cousins can still play a role in that. The Vikings can re-sign the veteran to start for a year or two while also drafting their “QB of the future.” As a result, I’ll predict that Cousins remains in purple for the 2024 season.
WR K.J. Osborn
K.J. Osborn has been a very steady WR3 for the Vikings over the past few years, totaling at least 48 receptions, 500 yards, and 3 TDs in each of the past three seasons. However, how much will the Vikings be willing to pay him to play that role?
There certainly could be a market for Osborn in free agency, considering the demand for steady receiving production. Because of this, the veteran receiver seems likely to leave the Vikings this spring.
WR Brandon Powell
Brandon Powell’s role with the Vikings in 2023 was two-fold. Firstly, he became a very necessary piece of the offense when players like Justin Jefferson and Osborn missed time due to injury, totaling 29 receptions for 324 yards and a touchdown. The receptions and yardage totals were each career-highs for the 28-year-old.
Then, Powell also served as the full-time punt returner in Minnesota this past season. He led the league with 37 returns for a total of 289 yards, averaging 7.8 yards per return. It has been difficult for the Vikings to find a consistent playmaker for that role in recent years, so Powell seems to be a likely candidate to stick around in Minnesota.
LB Jordan Hicks
After signing a two-year deal with the Vikings back in 2022, Jordan Hicks is back on the free agency market. His stint in Minnesota has been a bit of a mixed bag. He struggled in 2022 under Ed Donatell’s defensive scheme, but he saw major improvements in Brian Flores’ system this past season.
The Vikings have a lot of questions at the linebacker position right now. Ivan Pace has been a great success story, but Brian Asamoah has not shown yet that he can take on a starting role for an NFL defense. Hicks should be back in Minnesota for the 2024 season.
OLB Danielle Hunter
Danielle Hunter arguably is the most important free agent for the Vikings to retain this offseason. He is coming off the best season of his NFL career, and Minnesota has very little depth in the pass rushing department to even come close to thinking about replacing his production. The Vikings need to re-sign Hunter, and they’ll get it done.
OLB D.J. Wonnum
D.J. Wonnum quietly has put together a couple very solid seasons during his tenure with the Vikings. The pass rusher recorded eight sacks this past season, taking over the starting role that was initially supposed to belong to Marcus Davenport before he spent almost the entire year dealing with an ankle injury.
Unfortunately, this likely puts him on the radars of many other NFL teams as well heading into March. With limited spending capabilities for all of Minnesota’s free agents, Wonnum is another player that will likely head elsewhere this offseason.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. 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.