Vikings’ Offseason Decision Backfires Dramatically
The Minnesota Vikings had an eventful preseason because they had some cap space to spend. They decided to address the trenches that had haunted the franchise long enough. The two most prominent guys to depart were Sam Darnold and Cam Bynum. But another player would help now.
Vikings’ Offseason Decision Backfires Dramatically
A pair of contributing wideouts departed as well. One was punt returner Brandon Powell, the other Trent Sherfield. The latter was picked up early in free agency by Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos; the former is still available, if they want him to take over for injured returner Rondale Moore.
The fact that Sherfield was picked up immediately, signing a two-year deal for slightly more than $6 million, shows how valued the journeyman is around the league. He is a fantastic special teamer and provides some value as a depth receiver.
He was let go, and the Vikings added former Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Tim Jones, who pretty much had that same job: Catching a handful of passes a year and hunting returners on special teams. He signed a one-year deal for $1.87 million, saving the Vikings some money compared to Sherfield.
The problem? Jones drew a pair of flags on special teams in his Vikings preseason debut, which is a problem for a guy who’s on the roster to be a key special teamer. He didn’t catch a pass on offense that game and seems to be exclusively used on special teams. The Vikings could actually save $1.37 million of that salary if he’s cut, and that’s not unrealistic by any means.
Sherfield, meanwhile, caught three passes for 73 yards and a touchdown in his preseason game with the Broncos. That touchdown was pretty sweet.
Darren Rizzi, Denver’s special teams coach, said about his veteran newcomer: “Every time he’s been a free agent, I’ve evaluated him and tried to get him on my side. I’ve joked around with him when he got here that — finally, we’re together. I was sick of playing against him.”
In his lone season in the Twin Cities, Sherfield caught eight passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. He also made eight tackles. His offensive role was more than just being a depth receiver; he also helped the team as a blocker. Rizzi added that item to his skill description.
“He’s a guy that’s a proven commodity. He’s excellent, excellent last year in the coverage aspect, he’s always been a good blocker on offense, and in the return game he brings an added toughness.”
The Vikings saved pocket change (there are some incentives that could add another million to Sherfield’s bill), but ended up with a player who might not be around in September, and lost a player who is highly regarded by his new employer.
Sherfield was an unsung hero for the purple squad in 2024. He never lit up the stat sheet, but he was reliable when asked to make a play on offense or special teams.
The Vikings have shaky depth at wide receiver behind the top trio, especially with Jordan Addison out for three games to start the year. Having the experienced player in the mix would’ve been helpful.
The one good thing is that Sherfield could help the Vikings with a compensatory pick. If he reaches his incentives and his salary rises to $4 million in 2025, his exit could land the Vikings another seventh-round compensatory pick. It can be doubted, however, that the minor salary savings and a potential late-round pick were worth downgrading the receiver depth and the special-teams coverage units.
Sherfield, 29, is expected to be part of Denver’s 53-man roster after a strong training camp performance and preseason opener. The Vikings, meanwhile, have to hope third-rounder Tai Felton can be his successor on special teams, especially if Jones isn’t bouncing back from his preseason disaster.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.