The Viable Free Agent Options Remaining for Vikings at DE
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings will have approximately $15 million to spend on free agents in about two weeks. June 1st is the date to monitor as the Vikings cap space balloons, enabling the franchise to further fill out its roster.
The most significant need for the depth chart resides on the defensive side of operations. Minnesota currently has a lengthy list of names (Stephen Weatherly, D.J. Wonnum, Patrick Jones II, etc.) for men to play defensive end opposite of Danielle Hunter, but none of them have the pizazz via name recognition that Everson Griffen offered for several years with the Vikings.
Ergo, if the team hopes to outfit the defensive trenches with a popular name, a handful of men are available on the free-agent wire.
These are those men.
Justin Houston
Although there is no correlation whatsoever — with the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston posted 22 sacks during the first season that Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer skippered the Vikings (2014). Houston is a usually reliable commodity for about nine sacks in a single season. This would be perfect on the other end of Minnesota’s defensive line.
Houston is 32 years old and recently spent two years with Indianapolis Colts. With the addition of Kwity Paye to Indianapolis, Houston is looking for a new home. Minneapolis is a reasonable destination for the man that has the third-most sacks in the NFL since joining the league in 2011.
The Colts play a 4-3 defense — so do the Vikings.
Melvin Ingram
Ingram is a few months older than Houston, and the ex-Charger utilizes a “stand up” style on a defensive line. Think Yannick Ngakoue. Ingram was injured for most of 2020 when he encountered his first not-so-hot season in quite some time. As of late, he is good for about 7-8 sacks per season. That’ll work.
During his last full season, 2019, Ingram notched a 74.7 Pro Football Focus grade, showcasing a knack for rushing passers more so than smothering running backs. But the Vikings need pass-rushing savant. The team already has run-stoppers in Michael Pierce and Dalvin Tomlinson to clog running lanes.
Like Houston, Ingram remains an unsigned free agent.
Everson Griffen
Little context is needed for Griffen. Vikings faithful know the man. Out of Houston and Ingram, Griffen is probably “more likely” to return in terms of RDE possibilities.
Griffen fired off very bizarre tweets to start the year, insulting the Vikings organization and calling Kirk Cousins “ass.” Therefore, fences need mending if Griffen is to toss on a purple helmet once again. He has not tweeted in a long time — likely for the better.
Griffen goofed around with the Dallas Cowboys and lowly Detroit Lions in 2020. All told, he ranks fourth all-time for the Vikings in sacks, a stat that makes it a no-brainer for the man to “return home” if Vikings management can overlook his social media tomfoolery.
The Others
Houston, Ingram, and Griffen (oh my?) are the big names. There also men like Ronald Blair — an EDGE rusher with a San Francisco 49ers background. Blair didn’t play in 2020, but he is in that 60-70 PFF range when he does get on the field. Vic Beasley is a notoriously underperforming dude. Perhaps Zimmer could wave a magic wand with him. They could also take an experimental flyer on Ezekiel Ansah.
If it is nobody in free agency at RDE, well, Vikings enthusiasts will merely hope that Danielle Hunter is a one-man wrecking crew, returning unaffected by his season-long injury in 2020.