Two Essential Vikings Free Agents Poised for a Return

It’s quite popular for Vikings fans to look at Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s cap space in the upcoming free agency period. The purple squad has roughly $69.6 million in remaining cap space, the sixth-most in the NFL. Of course, landing some new free agents is possible.
Two Essential Vikings Free Agents Poised for a Return

But there’s one problem. Half the roster is scheduled to hit free agency by March, and filling out the team for the 2025 campaign will be expensive. In addition to that, Adofo-Mensah needs to re-sign some of the key free agents, and suddenly, that cap space is gone.
That list surely is headlined by quarterback Sam Darnold, whose performance against the Rams will be a major factor in his asking price and whether the Vikings are interested in continuing the employment.
On the defensive side of the ball, safety Cam Bynum and cornerback Byron Murphy are the top free agents.

One guy, Pioneer Press‘ Charley Walters, thinks they will both return.
It’s clear the Vikings will re-sign cornerback Byron Murphy, who has six interceptions this season, and probably safety Cam Bynum, because it’s unlikely Harrison Smith, who turns 36 next month after 13 seasons, will return.
Murphy arrived in the 2023 offseason and has been the top cornerback in the Twin Cities ever since, as 2022 draft picks Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth haven’t developed the way the franchise intended.
Decent cornerbacks are hard to find, as Vikings fans know after watching the CB room tank the seasons between 2020 and 2023. This year, for the first time since 2019, the duo of Stephon Gilmore and Murphy has actually been reliable.

Murphy signed a contract worth $17.5 million for two years, and he has surely raised his asking price after delivering a Pro Bowl season with six interceptions. PFF lists him as the 23rd cornerback among eligible players, which is also a career-best.
An underrated aspect of his game is his ability to play inside and outside, allowing him to follow wideouts into the slot if defensive coordinator Brian Flores wants him to. Re-signing Murphy is the obvious move, especially with no successors on the roster outside of 2023 third-rounder Mekhi Blackmon, and he is far from a sure thing.
Gilmore and Shaq Griffin are also pending free agents (and not the youngest players), and Evans and Booth have been shipped out of Minnesota. In June, Murphy said in an interview with KSTP’s Darren Wolfson:
“I don’t think I’m going anywhere. That’s my mindset. I want to stay; I love this place. Since I’ve been here since day one, I have fallen in love. I want to go nowhere. I want to stay here for the rest of my career. I love these guys in the locker room and the coaching—everything about this place is great. I’m going to work my ass off to stay here.”

What about Bynum? The safety has been playing well since Flores stepped foot into the building in the 2023 offseason.
He has appeared in all 52 contests in the last three seasons, showing his durability. After a slow 2022 season under Ed Donatell’s watch, he has developed into one of the better safeties in the business.
In the 34 games under Flores, he has registered five interceptions and 233 tackles. More impressive than his numbers is perhaps his list of on-field celebrations. He’s one of the most entertaining players on the team and has turned into a defensive leader for the purple team.
If Harrison Smith is indeed planning to call it a career, keeping Bynum is suddenly a vital move, as switching both safeties in the same offseason might not be the best idea. Bynum will likely also command an annual salary north of $10 million.

Minnesota’s defense has been one of the best in the NFL this year, but it remains to be seen whether the club can transfer that level of play to the 2025 campaign. Coordinator Flores is a head coaching candidate, Bynum and Murphy are free agents, and Smith might retire.
Bynum and Murphy are both 26 years old.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.

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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