A Trio of Buy-Low Defenders for the Vikings to Consider in Free Agency
K. Joudry
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Unless there are some excellent moves from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in the coming weeks and months, the Vikings won’t be able to compete in 2024. Part of the strategy must involve hitting on some buy-low defenders.
Last offseason, Minnesota’s GM took this approach when he decided to onboard pass rushers Marcus Davenport and Dean Lowry. Combined, the pair were coming off of a 2022 where they had just a single sack (not a typo). Davenport’s final year in New Orleans resulted in 0.5 sacks; Lowry’s final year in Green Bay resulted in 0.5 sacks.
Would they rebound from these modest seasons by giving the Vikings some more pass-rushing sizzle along the edge and from within the defensive line? Not really.
In fact, the exact opposite happened. True, Davenport was productive in limited opportunities but those opportunities were very limited, participating in just four games and picking up a pair of sacks. Meanwhile, Lowry got involved in nine games but didn’t snag a single sack, QB hit, or tackle for a loss. So, not a great outcome for Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings.
Even still, Minnesota will almost by necessity have to sink some of their limited funds into buy-low candidates. Not every deal can be about reeling in the huge fish. In reality, there can only be one or two of those deals, especially within a context that involves keeping Justin Jefferson happy.
So, with all of that said, consider a trio of buy-low defenders. In each instance, the player would fill a position of need and still has plenty of youth. The combination of low cost, need, and youth make the players intriguing fits in Minnesota. Oh, and a shout out to Brad Spielberger for the contract projections.
A Trio of Buy-Low Defenders for the Vikings in Free Agency
#1 — Josh Uche, Edge Rusher
Question: how far will the Vikings get in 2024 if there isn’t a serious infusion of talent at edge rusher? Answer: not very far.
Enter Josh Uche, the 25-year-old pass rusher who entered the NFL in 2020 as the 60th selection. Over these past four seasons, Uche has been doing work for the New England Patriots, but he’s moving toward free agency and the Patriots are moving ahead under a new coaching staff. Does he take his talent elsewhere?
At 6’3″, 240, Uche is a bit smaller than many edge rushers. He’s coming off of a season where he put up a modest 3 sacks alongside 15 tackles, though we need to remember that he piled up 11.5 sacks in 2022. In other words, he’s capable of elite production against the pass but his most recent work fell short of that standard.
— PFF Contract Estimate: $7.25M for 1 Year —
#2 — Devin White, Linebacker
At this stage, White has been discussed on PurplePTSD a time or two. After all, he’s a 26-year-old defender — today is his birthday — who was chosen 5th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
He stands at 6’0″ and weighs 237 pounds. The undersized linebacker ran a 4.42, meaning he tested a touch faster than Justin Jefferson. When he’s been at his best, White he can be an ultra-aggressive, sideline-to-sideline player who feasts on tackles.
Maybe his best year arrived in 2020. In just 15 games, he put together 140 tackles to go alongside his 9 sacks, 16 QB hits, and 15 tackles for a loss. In the end, White was named as a second-team All Pro. Now, that kind of production hasn’t arrived every season. But, of course, that’s precisely the point: the more modest numbers are why he may now be acquired as a buy-low defender.
Minnesota is moving through a major transition period within their front seven. Has the GM ever shown a desire to take a chance on a super-athletic, highly-selected, still-young player? Keep an eye on White.
— PFF Contract Estimate: $7M for 1 Year —
#3 — Sean Murphy-Bunting
What does Brian Flores want from his defensive backs? Well, a few things, but one of the overarching needs is for players who are capable of offering versatility.
In the past, Murphy-Bunting was a slot specialist but he most recently got tossed into a role where he was mainly a boundary corner. The Titans put the corner out wide for 753 snaps and only 4 in the slot. Back in his rookie season — 2019 — Murphy saw a much different ratio: 343 slot snaps and 295 along the outside. His sophomore season featured an even split of 378 snaps in both the slot and out wide.
The corner’s numbers from his time in Tennessee are neither hugely disastrous nor hugely flattering. He was responsible for picking up 57 tackles, a pair of interceptions, and 8 passes defended, but quarterbacks averaged 14.7 yards per completion into his coverage (a career-worst number). The 63.8% completion rate against him is a step down from allowing just 59.3% and 51.2% of passes from 2021 and then 2022 to be completed against him. Again, buy low.
Shifting over to Minnesota could be precisely what the doctor ordered for the 26-year-old corner and former Super Bowl champion. He could once again operate from within a blitz-heavy defense and within coverages that move him inside and outside.
— PFF Contract Estimate: $4M for 1 Year —
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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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.