LIFE AFTER: A Look At Our 2015 Free Agents
Adam Warwas
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The Vikings have a lot of big decisions on the not-so-distant horizon that could majorly impact their 2015 salary cap situation, much of which was outlined nicely here, but the first set of decisions in the offseason process is usually which internal free agents are signed or tagged.
We have an entire offseason ahead of us to debate the merits of each individual player, and their potential replacements, but for now I wanted to give our readers a heads up as to which Vikings are set to see their contracts expire at the end of this season. This information comes from RotoWorld, but may be incomplete or slightly inaccurate as not all contract nuances are known ahead of time.
We’ll have prioritized lists down the road for you to feast on, but for now we are simply looking at the roster in alpha-order.
MATT ASIATA (RFA), RB: Asiata has some touchdowns to his name, but his uninspiring running style causes Vikings fans to reminisce about not only Adrian Peterson, but maybe even Toby Gerhart. With that being said, his restricted status leaves little reason to not at least bring him along to Mankato next summer.
JOE BANYARD (ERFA), RB: Outside of costly fail on a blitz pickup, Banyard has been an impressive enough player in his limited action to warrant a closer look and perhaps an increase in opportunity. Again, the Vikings hold all the cards in “negotiations” here (not really negotiations when its an exclusive rights free agent) and should let Banyard compete for a job in 2015.
JOE BERGER, OL: In Minnesota this year there have been four types of offensive linemen: The terrible, the injured, John Sullivan, and Joe Berger. Berger hasn’t been amazing or anything, but he hasn’t been playing poorly, either. He has shown he can be a reliable backup and is worth considering for depth purposes this offseason. He’ll be 33 next year, however, so I would expect Rick Spielman to take his chances with a younger option.
JASPER BRINKLEY, LB: I’ve always been a fan of Brinkley’s, even during those times when it wasn’t easy to admit it, and seems Mike Zimmer might also be a fan. He isn’t ever going to be a dominant linebacker, but he has played at a decent enough level in his return to Minnesota and finally seems to be 100% healthy.
VLAD DUCASSE, OL: Teddy Bridgewater recently said that this franchise is as much Vlad Ducasse’s as it is his. I don’t think that will be the case next year. No, sir.
CHASE FORD (ERFA), TE: Ford has shown way too much competence to just be allowed to walk. The Vikings can bring him back on the cheap and they will do exactly that.
MIKE HARRIS, OT: The Vikings need to sign and/or draft some talent at offensive tackle. Harris is unlikely to have a future in Minnesota.
TOM JOHNSON, DL: Early on, Johnson was arguably the most impressive defensive lineman on this roster, and he was seeing limited reps as part of a rotation. His production has cooled off as others have caught fire, but if he can be coerced to stick around for another year he would certainly seem like good enough value in a backup role.
CULLEN LOEFFLER, LS: Soon to be 34, one has to wonder if this will finally be the year the Vikings move on from Loeffler, but since he is a long snapper age is less of a factor than in most other positions. If he wants to continue playing then it is hard to find a reason why the Vikings wouldn’t just stick with him.
CHRISTIAN PONDER, QB: Clearly the Vikings are going to let Ponder try to rejuvenate his career elsewhere, right? I wish him luck.
JUSTIN TRATTOU (RFA), DL: It is hard to say how the Vikings view Trattou. He could clearly be had on the cheap, but also seems totally expendable, despite his impressive showings over the last two preseasons. My guess is that he at least makes it back to camp.
COREY WOOTTON, DL: Getting a slightly larger piece of the rotational pie than Trattou, Wootton has not really been a standout, but he hasn’t been awful. He seems to fit Zimmer’s defense well enough and re-signing him could provide some flexibility in the 2015 NFL Draft.
There are some guys on this list that I think can help the Vikings into the future, but I also see a list that includes no must-haves on it. Each of these guys is relatively easy to replace and none of them warrant franchise tag consideration.
This should allow Rick Spielman to be scrupulous as free agency approaches, which will hopefully allow for a few extra cap dollars available to spend and an increase of flexibility on Draft Weekend.