Vikings Linked to 4-Time Pro Bowler
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has signed some big-time free agents this year. In the past two seasons, he finally had the cap space to make some major moves, and if this year’s group of newcomers is as good as last year’s, Skol Nation will have a fun season.
Vikings Linked to 4-Time Pro Bowler
Despite already spending a ton, the club still has some cap space remaining and could add another reinforcement. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz named one final move each team should make, and instead of handing Josh Metellus an extension or finding another corner, he wants edge defender Matthew Judon to become the newest Viking.
Schatz wrote: “The Vikings are set with their starting edge rushers, Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. They have 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner waiting in the wings. And then after that, well … who is Bo Richter? Answer: He’s a second-year undrafted free agent who played 29 defensive snaps last season and is probably currently the No. 4 Edge on the Minnesota depth chart.”
Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel were part of that electric 2024 free agency group that also included Aaron Jones, Blake Cashman, and Sam Darnold. Dallas Turner was drafted in last year’s first round and could be in line for more work this year. However, no team has ever complained about having too many talented pass rushers.
And that’s why Schatz thinks Judon makes sense: “The Vikings could really use a veteran to provide depth and rotate in every so often. Judon had a disappointing 2024 season with just 5.5 sacks for the Falcons, and he seems to be on the decline (he turns 33 in August). Still, he can get after the passer, and some reps as a backup might really rejuvenate his career.”
Minnesota’s OLB Depth Chart
At outside linebacker, the Vikings have seven players under contract.
- Andrew Van Ginkel
- Jonathan Greenard
- Dallas Turner
- Bo Richter
- Gabriel Murphy
- Tyler Batty
- Chaz Chambliss
The two starters are pretty much set in stone, and there’s some buzz around sophomore Turner. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores recently called the trio “three starters.” The expectation is that Turner is the first guy off the bench now that Patrick Jones is off the team, and his snap count is foreseen to take a big jump.
Behind the trio, however, there’s not much experience. Bo Richter was primarily a special-teams player, and Gabriel Murphy missed most of his rookie season injured. Both were undrafted rookies last year.
This year’s UDFAs included Chaz Chambliss, who was productive at Georgia but lacks next-level physical traits, and Tyler Batty, who has generated some hype but is still a long shot to be a reliable pass rusher in his first NFL campaign.
Matthew Judon
Judon will turn 33 in August and is in the final stages of his career. Yet, he could still be a valuable depth piece for the purple squad. He was a Ravens fifth-rounder in 2016, and the Grand Valley State alumnus has also had stints with the Patriots and Falcons.
The defender is a four-time Pro Bowler, making the trip as recently as 2022, and has generated 72 sacks and 410 tackles in his career.
Atlanta needed another pass-rusher ahead of last season, and they acquired Judon via trade during the preseason. He ended up scoring 5.5 sacks. Judon is one of the league’s top free agents, and his price might drop as the year goes on. Still, numerous teams would love to add someone with that resume to their pass-rushing group; there are even a couple in the division, and Judon would be slotted higher on the depth charts in Green Bay and Detroit.
Judon to the Vikings makes sense if they are willing to pay decent money for a third or fourth outside linebacker. It would lead to an electric rotation.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.