Vikings Free Agency: Recapping a Busy Day for Minnesota and Their Rivals
Josh Frey
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The legal tampering period of NFL free agency kicked off on Monday, and it was a busy day for virtually every team in the NFL.
Multiple stars were either traded or signed with different teams while others were released by their current squads. In an attempt to simplify the fast and furious headlines from Monday, here is a look at the Vikings free agency news as well as the action all across the NFC North.
Vikings Lose Kirk Cousins, Sign 3 Defenders
The Minnesota Vikings had a particularly busy day on Monday, agreeing to terms with three new defensive pieces that should help them this season. Those three players are Blake Cashman, Jonathan Greenard, and Andrew Van Ginkel.
However, the biggest news of the day revolved around a departure. After six seasons in a Vikings uniform, QB Kirk Cousins is now headed to the Atlanta Falcons after agreeing to a massive four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million in guaranteed money.
Lions Trade for Star CB, Steal Pass Rusher from Vikings
In addition to Cousins leaving the Vikings, pass rusher Marcus Davenport also said goodbye to Minnesota. After one season in which he appeared in just four games, Davenport is headed to the Detroit Lions and reuniting with defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. The former Viking will play on a one-year deal worth upwards of $10.5 million in Detroit.
The Lions didn’t stop there, though. They also made a big trade to acquire a top cornerback to pair alongside Cameron Sutton by sending a 2024 third-round pick (No. 92 overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for Carlton Davis as well as a pair of sixth-round picks in 2024 and 2025.
Davis has spent his first six seasons in Tampa Bay and was a crucial piece of the 2020 team that won the Super Bowl. He’s recorded 73 passes defended along with nine interceptions over his career and should help the Lions greatly in terms of their pass coverage this season.
Bears Make a RB Splash
It was a relatively quiet day for the Chicago Bears in terms of the number of moves that they made, but the one move they did make was a big splash. They agreed to a contract with RB D’Andre Swift that will pay him $24.5 million over the course of the next three seasons. $15.3 million of that money is guaranteed.
Swift, a former second-round pick, spent his first three seasons in Detroit before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick as well as a 2023 seventh-rounder.
With the Eagles this past season, Swift put together 229 carries for 1049 yards and five rushing touchdowns while also adding 39 receptions for 214 yards and another touchdown in the passing game.
Packers Part Ways with Centerpieces, Sign 2 Stars
The Green Bay Packers saw a couple of their main centerpieces from the past few years depart on Monday, saying goodbye to the likes of LT David Bakhtiari, RB Aaron Jones, and S Darnell Savage. Bakhtiari and Jones were released while Savage, a current free agent, signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
However, there was good reason behind these moves because it meant the Packers could bring in a pair of new stars. Green Bay signed RB Josh Jacobs to a four-year deal worth $48 million as well as S Xavier McKinney who will receive $68 million over the next four seasons.
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.