Vikings Again Urged to Go After Premier Free Agent
The Minnesota Vikings enter the offseason with some cap space. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has roughly $55 million to re-sign the guys who are set to depart or replace them while also addressing some roster weaknesses.
Vikings Again Urged to Go After Premier Free Agent
On offense, Kevin O’Connell would like an upgraded interior offensive line and perhaps another wideout or running back added to his arsenal of weapons.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores will likely be a more significant beneficiary of the cap space, however, as almost the entire secondary is scheduled to exit the building. Skol Nation has also eyed the acquisition of a game-changer on the defensive line for years.
And Adofo-Mensah could put an end to that. Milton Williams is a player Vikings fans should familiarize themselves with before free agency.
PFF’s Mason Cameron assembled a list of four signings he wants to see this offseason, and he suggested the Vikings should land the Super Bowl champion, luring him away from the Eagles.
Williams was outstanding in the Super Bowl and generated some national buzz. In the 20 games before that, he also played well but was hidden in the shadows of former Georgia Bulldogs and first-rounders Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.
Milton Williams played a crucial role in the Eagles’ Super Bowl run, dominating as the highest-graded pass-rusher (91.4) during the 2024 postseason. That performance pushed his PFF pass-rush grade to 91.7 this past season, overtaking Chris Jones as the NFL’s highest-graded interior pass-rusher over the 2024 campaign.
The Eagles defensive tackle made major strides in 2024, which will undoubtedly earn him a lucrative payday in free agency. He finished with career-high marks in sacks (six), pressures (44), pass-rush win rate (17.7%) and pass-rush productivity rating (8.2) in the regular season.
The defender has grown into one of the premier pass-rushing interior linemen in all of football, something the Vikings haven’t had in a decade.
Williams came into the league as a third-rounder in 2021. He played a rotational role on Philadelphia’s stacked defensive line in all four seasons with the club and registered 11.5 sacks and 132 tackles through 67 games and 19 starts. Williams specializes in getting after the quarterback but can hold his own against the run, too.
Minnesota employs primarily run stuffers on the line, led by solid veteran Harrison Phillips. Jerry Tillery and Jonathan Bullard are scheduled to exit via free agency, leaving the young rotational guys Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Taki Taimani as the next men up.
A real disruptor at the point of attack could be the key to unlocking Brian Flores’ defense, thinks Cameron.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is known for his aggressive blitz package but tends to struggle to find pressure without the blitz, ranking 28th in total pressures (144) without the blitz. Adding Williams to the mix would be an instant injection of energy into Minnesota’s pass rush and would provide a perfect fit at 5-technique in Flores’ scheme.
Williams will turn 26 in April, so he fits the age profile Adofo-Mensah is looking for in his top acquisitions. However, he might be in a position to ask for a huge paycheck.
PFF has predicted him to get a three-year deal worth $21 million per season.
Adofo-Mensah needs to find out if the defender is worth that. Flores would surely appreciate some help.
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