5 Mistakes the Vikings Made in the Offseason
The Minnesota Vikings are now 4-5. That is on par with the 8.5-win mark most oddsmakers gave the franchise in the offseason, but it still feels like a massive disappointment. Just last year, the Vikings won 14 games, and the front office spent money to improve the team. Yet, the results have been subpar.
5 Mistakes the Vikings Made in the Offseason
Many of the problems were created in the offseason, though. Here are some of them.
1. Not Signing a Better Backup QB
You will not find any grievances about Sam Darnold’s departure here. Everyone wanted him gone after the final two games of the season, and it’s not ridiculous to go with the tenth-overall pick J.J. McCarthy in his sophomore season.
While it was fine to go with McCarthy, making a fourth-year player who two franchises had been done with his backup was a pretty bad decision. Sam Howell didn’t even make it to the regular season, and Carson Wentz was the best remaining option. Meanwhile, Mac Jones, Joe Flacco, and Jacoby Brissett look like solid starters elsewhere. Daniel Jones preferred Indianapolis, but maybe an improved offer could’ve made a difference.
McCarthy came off a long injury and had zero experience. Whether it was another injury or struggles on the field, the Vikings should’ve been prepared.
2. Naming Jeff Okudah CB3
Entering the offseason, Byron Murphy, Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, and Fabian Moreau were all set to depart in free agency. Murphy was retained, and Moreau was signed to the practice squad prior to Week 1.
Free agent Isaiah Rodgers joined Murphy in the starting lineup, and the Vikings also employed Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlother from a year ago. Jeff Okudah was signed in free agency, but the team ignored the position entirely in the draft.
Everyone in the fan base knew they were another reliable corner short, and putting too much trust into Okudah to figure things out in year six was extremely risky. Through the first nine games, Okudah has either been out with concussions or performed poorly. Suddenly, Moreau is asked to play big snaps in nickel defenses. Trading Blackmon to the Colts was another head-scratcher, especially with McGlothern seemingly in the dog house.
It’s not controversial at all to say the position has been mismanaged.
3. Trading for Adam Thielen
With Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison leading the show, the Vikings have one of the elite receiving duos, automatically putting the WR group in decent shape. Throw in Jalen Nailor, and it’s a stacked group.
Unfortunately, Jefferson missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury, Addison earned a three-game suspension to start the season, and Nailor injured his hand in joint practices. Jefferson’s status was never in doubt, but it was a real possibility that he wouldn’t have a reliable second option on the field with him.
That’s when the Vikings shipped some picks to Carolina for franchise legend Adam Thielen. He has caught seven passes in nine games, and it’s not an overreaction to say that the Vikings could’ve done without him.
4. Picking Tai Felton
Let’s stay at wide receiver. The Vikings had only one pick in the top three rounds until the third-round compensatory pick for Kirk Cousins’ departure was on the clock. They then traded that pick 97 for pick 102 and selected Tai Felton, a wideout out of Maryland.
Felton was productive in college, but his tape quickly revealed that he would need time to develop. So far, he’s been a special teamer. Considering the draft misses in recent years, perhaps drafting a potential immediate contributor would’ve made more sense.
GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah left his fourth draft with starter Donovan Jackson and a bunch of projects. That’s not the infusion of youth the squad needed.
5. Letting Cam Bynum Leave
Think back to last season. The Vikings were winning games with an excellent offense and a fantastic defense. Playmakers consistently showed up on both sides of the ball. When a defender made a play, the entire unit went to the endzone for the weekly celebration, led by the celebration master, Cam Bynum.
The safety was one of the main reasons why the vibes surrounding the 2024 Vikings were one of the best in recent franchise history. But there’s more to him than just the dance moves because he’s a Pro Bowl-caliber safety and has been since Brian Flores took over in 2023.
His contract expired, and he signed a four-year deal in Indianapolis for $60 million. At the time, it felt like a good move to avoid that price tag, but in hindsight, it was a terrible idea. Instead, the Vikings relied on an aging Harrison Smith way past his prime, Swiss Army Knife Joshua Metellus, who hasn’t been nearly as sharp this year as he was in his best season in 2023, and Theo Jackson, who the club re-signed to take over for Bynum.
Combined, Metellus and Jackson make about as much per year as Bynum, and that would’ve been the better move.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.