The NFL’s Free Agents Who Look Like the Best Fits for the Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings will be active in free agency once the ’25 offseason rolls around. The NFL’s free agents include several notable players to monitor.
Earlier in the week, ESPN offered a list of the top 25 free agents going into the 2025 offseason. Not only are there a trio of Vikings included, but so, too, are there players from outside the organization who could make a difference if they get onboarded. Consider the names who make the most sense at this stage.
The NFL’s Free Agents and The Vikings’ FA Plans
Start off with the dollars and cents.
The recent word from Jason Fitzgerald — the proprietor at Over the Cap — is that Minnesota is projected to be in 6th in the NFL for cap space in 2025. Not bad, right? The estimated total in cap space is coming in at $65.1 million, meaning Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will have all kinds of options when it comes to throwing money around.
Who’s going to be on the GM’s wish list? Glad you asked.
Start off with some help at corner. After all, the team’s top three options — Stephon Gilmore, Byron Murphy Jr., and Shaq Griffin — are all scheduled for free agency. Might D.J. Reed make some sense? The smaller corner is a stud.
He comes in at 4th in the ESPN FA list. Consider the word: “Reed is a highly competitive coverage corner with press-man traits and the transition speed to break on the throw. More of a ball disruptor than playmaker, Reed has 37 pass breakups compared to six interceptions over his career. Reed should be viewed as a scheme-versatile corner who would fit in multiple NFL systems.”
Right now, Minnesota is functioning without a true matchup corner who can nullify the other team’s best option. Reed has the capacity to rectify that issue. He has quietly been one of the best corners in the NFL for a little while now.
Now, how about some improvement for the offensive line? Zack Martin, who has been a Cowboy for seemingly forever, is scheduled to be a free agent.
The word: “Martin still has the blend of size (6-foot-4, 315 pounds) and mobility that coaches want at the guard position, but he’s not as springy as he used to be, and he can be attacked on his edges at a higher rate. This season, Martin’s pass block win rate of 94.0% ranks 10th among guards.”
A right side consisting of Brian O’Neill and Zack Martin would be a sight to behold. All of the sudden, Minnesota’s main weakness on offense could turn into one of its foremost strengths.
Let’s cheat a little bit to end things off.
Not included in the official top 25 list is Aaron Jones, instead being tossed down in a list of players with the banner “Others who could get paid.” Minnesota’s RB1 has proven that he still has plenty of burst left in his legs in 2024. Signed to a single-season deal for $7 million, Jones has more than earned his contract and will once again have a shot to sign a (relatively) lucrative deal in the offseason. Should it be with the Vikings?
Retaining Jones would mean holding onto the runner who has made life so much easier for Sam Darnold. Next season, Jones could make life easier for J.J. McCarthy. He is a rugged, balanced runner with excellent vision and soft hands in the passing game. Yes, there’s danger is committing too much to someone who is less than a month away from his 30th birthday, but the dude can still play.
Re-signing Mr. Jones could be one of the best decisions of the ’25 offseason for Minnesota.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
There’s an Aaron Jones Injury Update
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.