All 31 NFL Teams’ Offseason Connection to the Vikings
Dustin Baker
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The NFL is one giant intertwined mechanism, with players and coaches heading to and fro — seemingly all the time.
Eight days of NFL free agency are in the books, and these are all the connections to the Minnesota Vikings by team.
All 31 NFL Teams’ Offseason Connection to the Vikings
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals essentially fortified their new 2023 coaching staff with coaches from the Vikings Mike Zimmer era:
- HC = Jonathan Gannon
- DC = Nick Rallis
- OC = Drew Petzing
- DL = Robert Rodriguez
- LBs = Sam Seifkes
Cardinals CB Byron Murphy also joined Minnesota via free agency.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons could be among the teams inside the Dalvin Cook trade sweepstakes. Their RB room is a bit meh, and they’ve been mentioned once or twice as Cook’s next employer.
Baltimore Ravens
The Vikings snatched TE Josh Oliver away from the Ravens, and he’ll stay in purple clothes as Minnesota’s TE2 in 2023. Minnesota is also a dark horse in the Lamar Jackson sweepstakes.
Buffalo Bills
After coaching the Vikings for three seasons from 2011 to 2013, Leslie Frazier eventually wound up in Buffalo, where he remained the defensive coordinator for six seasons. But he left the club indefinitely this offseason.
Carolina Panthers
Adam Thielen and the Vikings parted ways after 10 memorable years, and the Detroit Lakes native became a Panther Sunday. Minnesota and Carolina will meet in Charlotte at some point in the 2023 regular season.
Chicago Bears
The Vikings beat the Bears in Week 18 of the 2022 season, enabling Chicago to snatch the first overall pick in April’s draft. Bears GM Ryan Poles then flipped that draft capital to the aforementioned Panthers for a king’s ransom.
Cincinnati Bengals
Bleacher Report casually dropped the Bengals into the Dalvin Cook trade rumor mill last week. It’s a longshot, but Cincinnati could be Cook’s next NFL address.
Cleveland Browns
The “big man in the middle” of the Vikings defense declined Minnesota’s contract extension offers and became a Brown for four years and $57 million. Sheesh.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys and Vikings were tentatively in the running to land Odell Beckham, but Dallas traded with the Houston Texans for Brandin Cooks instead last weekend. Dallas exits the OBJ rumor mill while Minnesota remains.
Denver Broncos
Vikings archrival Sean Payton takes over as the Broncos head coach, and the teams play each other this season in Denver. The Broncos were also one of the teams inquiring about Adam Thielen’s free agency.
Detroit Lions
These are the odds to win the NFC North, tweeted by The Draft Network’s Jaime Eisner on Monday:
- Lions (+150)
- Vikings (+275)
- Bears (+350)
- Packers (+375)
There’s a new big bad wolf [Lion] in the division after Detroit conducted a flurry of universally-applauded offseason moves.
Green Bay Packers
This team needs no inherent connection, but Dean Lowry jettisoned the Packers after seven seasons and now plays defensive tackle for the Vikings. Green Bay will also have a new quarterback in Jordan Love, which directly affects the Vikings.
Houston Texans
Vikings 2022 assistant quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson left Minnesota to become the full-time quarterbacks coach in Houston, presumably gearing up to develop Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts lived in Adam Thielen’s free-agent rumor mill for about a day, but he later joined the Panthers. No cigar for Indianapolis, a team victimized by the greatest single-game collapse in NFL history at the hands of, you guessed it, the Vikings.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville released CB Shaquill Griffin before free agency began, and he’s one of the few remaining corners on the market who could help improve Brian Flores’ secondary.
Kansas City Chiefs
Adam Thielen was supposed to perhaps sign with the champs and chase Super Bowl rings, but he curiously did the opposite by signing in Carolina. The Vikings play the Chiefs at U.S. Bank Stadium in 2023, one of two NFL teams never to set foot in the building for a regular season game.
Las Vegas Raiders
Former Vikings safety Marcus Epps became a Raider this offseason after four seasons in Philadelphia. Minnesota travels to Las Vegas for a once-every-four-years tryst this autumn.
Los Angeles Chargers
Eric Kendricks departed the Vikings after eight seasons two weeks ago and landed with the Chargers, a home adjacent to his UCLA stomping grounds. Like the Broncos, Chiefs, and Raiders above, the Vikings play these guys, too, in 2023.
Los Angeles Rams
Because of Kevin O’Connell’s ties to the Rams, this is a team to watch for “former player ties.” If the Vikings sign some player you’re unfamiliar with in the next 2-3 months, there’s a decent chance it’s a former Ram from O’Connell’s 2020-2021 stint as offensive coordinator.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins were reportedly the number-one-with-a-bullet contender for a Dalvin Cook trade but ultimately re-signed Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert, calling it good with familiar 2022 roster solutions. There’s also the Brian Flores connection.
New England Patriots
Vikings WR coach Keenan McCardell interviewed with the Patriots in January for an offensive coordinator gig, but a deal did not come together, and McCardell remained in Minnesota.
New Orleans Saints
A former Saint, Pro Football Focus ranked Marcus Davenport as the best EDGE rusher on the free-agent market, and wouldn’t you know it, Minnesota reached an agreement with Davenport on day No. 1 of “legal tampering.”
New York Giants
Because of two abysmal Vikings defensive performances in 2022, Daniel Jones netted a contract worth $40 million per season. How do you like them big apples?
New York Jets
The Vikings primary individual foe over the last 14 years, Aaron Rodgers, will soon lead the Jets for an undisclosed number of years. And if that trade falls through, some believe the Jets will call the Vikings about Kirk Cousins’ availability.
Philadelphia Eagles
Former Eagles safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson left the team to become a pain in the neck for the Vikings. He joined the Lions.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Patrick Peterson left the Vikings for the Steelers, and Brian Flores left the Steelers for the Vikings. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Shanahan’s team was mentioned in the Kirk Cousins trade rumor mill for about the fourth straight offseason. And for the fourth straight offseason, a trade failed to materialize. San Francisco could also be a trade landing spot for Vikings pass rusher Za’Darius Smith.
Seattle Seahawks
Because of Steelers ties between Brian Flores and free-agent linebacker Devin Bush, Bush was spitballed as the potential “new Jordan Hicks” for the Vikings defense. But Bush signed with the Seahawks.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ex-Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting would’ve fit wonderfully as the Vikings 2023 slot cornerback, but he signed with the Tennesee Titans on Monday.
Tennesee Titans
If the Vikings want to select their quarterback of the future via splashy draft trade, they probably have to trade right before the Titans in the draft (the red line), assuming one of the Big 4 — Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson — tumbles a bit.
Washington Commanders
The Vikings waived once-promising cornerback Cameron Dantzler on March 10th, and the Commanders claimed him. Washington also now employs the guy who said, “U.S. Bank Stadium isn’t very loud,” tight end Nick Gates.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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