Expensive Vikings Free Agent Target Is Reportedly Realistic
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has found some steals in free agency over the years, especially his first significant acquisition in 2022 ‒ Harrison Phillips ‒ and his entire 2024 class around Pro Bowlers Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, and Sam Darnold have been outstanding.
Expensive Vikings Free Agent Target Is Reportedly Realistic
This year, he has around $55 million to spend on new guys. He needs to rebuild the secondary, add a guy or two on the defensive line, find a new running back (or bring back Aaron Jones), and a wingman for J.J. McCarthy in the QB room.
Oh, and then there’s the annual headache Vikings fans experience after the first wave of free agency has passed and the team didn’t address the offensive line. This time, however, there seems to be some sense of urgency.
Following the playoff loss against his former employer, head coach Kevin O’Connell said at the podium: “There’s no question we’ve got to find a way to be able to give a quarterback, especially with players like Justin (Jefferson), Jordan (Addison), T.J. (Hockenson), we’ve got to find a way to solidify just the interior of the pocket. There can be a thousand excuses made, whether it’s losing [Christian Darrisaw], or even midway through the game losing [Brian O’Neill] tonight, but for me, it’s the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we’re going to have to take a long look at.”
Drafting an offensive lineman with the 24th overall pick should be on the table, and so should be the acquisition of one or two interior blockers in free agency.
There are some intriguing candidates available, like Teven Jenkins, Will Fries, or Kevin Zeitler at guard and Drew Dalman at center. But the top price in March, if the Chiefs let him walk, is Patrick Mahomes’ right guard, Trey Smith.
Smith is in the final months of his four-year rookie deal and, therefore, will be an unrestricted free agent in a few weeks unless the Chiefs extend his contract. He will have a bunch of suitors, but the Vikings could be part of that list.
According to Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling, the guard is an option for the Vikes.
When he was asked about the guard on Paul Allen’s KFAN, he responded, “I think they’ll be pretty aggressive for players like that. He’s probably at the top of the guard market, which will be expensive. But I think they are going to make a big priority of going after a guard. And I think they would have a lot of interest in getting a guy like him in here. So I would expect they’d be involved if he makes it to the market, which he might, because the Chiefs have other guys to sign. I think it’s very possible that they get in the mix for him.”
He will undoubtedly be a hot commodity. The four best-paid guards make between $20 million and $21 million annually, and it is realistic to expect him to join that group as well.
Smith being a target would be unusual for the way the Vikings have operated in the past. In the last decade, they have mostly signed a new subpar guard option every year and given the other spot to an underwhelming in-house candidate.
Blake Brandel started the entire season at left guard. His up-and-down play was not good enough to just guarantee him the starting left guard spot for a second straight year. He might be better suited for a versatile backup role because he started his NFL career as a tackle.
His Week 1 counterpart on the right side, Ed Ingram, will be in the final year of his rookie contract. He was benched for Dalton Risner halfway through the season, making it hard to envision a return to the starting unit. Risner is an impending free agent.
Smith’s PFF resume is quite decent.
- 2021: 72.3 (15th/88 eligible guards)
- 2022: 71.5 (12th/77)
- 2023: 72.2 (10/79)
- 2024: 78.8 (14/77)
Ingram is a solid run blocker but struggles in the passing game; Risner is the other way around. Smith, meanwhile, is an elite run blocker and a good pass protector. That’s why he will get paid the big bucks.
The right guard could play his final game with the Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Vikings want to return to the big game after almost five decades, and fixing the offensive line will help.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt