Vikings Begin to Rebuild the Defense
Mitchel Massman
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The first day of the free agency tampering period is here, and the Vikings are making moves. It has been a whirlwind of signings announced throughout the NFL. The Vikings have been relatively quiet, but we shouldn’t worry just yet.
It’s important to remember that they cannot afford every player on the wishlist. Although we would love for them to sign of the top cornerbacks, they don’t have the cap space. They made signing Kirk Cousins to an extension their priority, and all other decisions will revolve around that.
The Vikings have made a couple of moves, though. They are tendering a one-year $2.4 million contract for Greg Joseph at kicker – a key position where Zimmer struggled to find consistency. Mike Garafolo announced the Vikings are signing defensive tackle Harrison Phillips:
While it would have been great to see Kwesi make a splashy move on his first day, it doesn’t look like that will happen. A couple of the top offensive linemen are off the board, with Laken Tomlinson and Brandon Scherff signing deals elsewhere. The same thing occurred with the two best cornerbacks available in JC Jackson and Carlton Davis.
But let’s take a look at who they signed and who to watch for over the coming days.
Vikings First Signings of Free Agency
With the Vikings reportedly signing a 3-year deal for Harrison Phillips, Michael Pierce was released Monday night.
This will not be a problem now that Phillips will be coming to Minnesota. Phillips is a 6’3″ 300-pound big man more than capable of stepping into a nose tackle role. He had a good year with Buffalo in 2021 and posted a PFF grade of 77.4.
The Vikings tendering Greg Joseph means they have the right of first refusal to match any other offers that he receives. Joseph had his bad moments in 2021, but compared to some of the kickers the Vikings have had in the past, he is fairly consistent.
Hopefully, Kwesi brings in another kicker for some competition. Let’s have them fight it out.
Free Agents on Vikings Watch
The Vikings have historically been inactive on the first day of free agency, and this year hasn’t been any different. That’s not to say they are not eyeing some deals, but they are not moving quickly either. Although, they can take their time and still get good players to bolster a depleted defense.
Will Ragatz of SI.com reported earlier there are several free agents available with ties to the new coaching staff:
Za’Darius Smith is a name that stands out to Vikings fans. We are well aware of the times he embarrassed the Vikings’ offensive line, particularly Pat Elflein. Now that the Packers have released him as a cap causality, the Vikings have a chance to sign him.
Signing Smith is the kind of splashy move that could bolster a struggling defensive line. The thought of him playing opposite Danielle Hunter should give quarterbacks nightmares. Let’s speak this one into existence.
Former Vikings Moving On
In some other news, a couple of Vikings free agents are signing with other teams. Mason Cole was signed by the Steelers, and Xavier Woods was signed by the Panthers.
Cole played well before suffering an injury towards the end of the season. It would have been great to bring him back to either fill in at the right guard position or replace Bradbury. With Cole gone and knowing Bradbury’s struggles, it will be interesting to see who the Vikings bring in to help.
Hopefully, they can find the money to sign Bradley Bozeman.
Losing Woods to the Panthers is a bit of a heartbreaker. He had a decent season playing alongside Harrison Smith. However, the Vikings have Cam Bynum, who could very well develop into a good player. They should still find another safety. We will see if they find one in free agency or target one in the draft.
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