These Are the 6 New Players on the Vikings
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings lost six players during free agency: Cameron Dantzler (CB, Commanders), Eric Kendricks (LB, Chargers), Patrick Peterson (CB, Steelers), Adam Thielen (WR, Panthers), Dalvin Tomlinson (DT, Browns), and Duke Shelley (CB, Raiders).
Six others joined the franchise, hoping to improve or maintain Minnesota’s unforeseen 13-4 record from 2022.
These Are the 6 New Players on the Vikings
These are the six newcomers in alphabetical order.
1. Marcus Davenport
Age: 26
Position: OLB
Former Team: NO
2022 PFF Score: 76.8
Contract: 1 year, $13M
Roster Projection: Starting OLB
Akin to Patrick Peterson joining the Vikings via free agency in 2021, Davenport-to-Vikings fell out of the sky. He was PFF‘s top EDGE rusher on the market, and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah somehow nabbed the former 1st-Rounder.
Criticized for durability and consistency, plus a 0.5-sack statline in 2022, Davenport will hope to wreak havoc with Danielle Hunter on the other side of the Vikings defensive line.
2. Dean Lowry
Age: 28
Position: DT
Former Team: GB
2022 PFF Score: 59.3
Contract: 2 years, $8.5M
Roster Projection: Starting DT
The Vikings later signed 2022 starter Jonathan Bullard, but Lowry is more likely to win a summer camp battle between the two. Lowry isn’t crazy prolific — Vikings defensive tackles rarely are in the last decade — but he’s dependable and steady.
He’s also the latest on a long list of Packer turncoats, which always excite Vikings fans.
3. Byron Murphy
Age: 25
Position: CB
Former Team: ARI
2022 PFF Score: 66.7
Contract: 2 years, $17.5M
Roster Projection: Starting CB
A scrappy-as-hell defender, you’ll see a lot of Murphy, almost by default. The Vikings only employ Andrew Booth and Akayleb Evans as startable CBs after Murphy, and neither Booth nor Evans is guaranteed to set the world on fire in 2023.
Minnesota needs Murphy to be proficient because the CB room is incredibly skimpy as of late March. He has experience in the slot but appears to be heading toward an assignment as the Vikings No. 1 outside corner.
4. Josh Oliver
Age: 26
Position: TE
Former Team: BAL
2022 PFF Score: 71.5
Contract: 3 Years, $21M
Roster Projection: Backup TE, TE2
The Vikings will run the ball more in 2023 — they rushed the third least in 2022 — and Oliver will help them do it. He has a run-blocking reputation and isn’t a bad pass-catcher, either.
Oliver is also fabulous insurance for any potential T.J. Hockenson injury. Some Vikings fans chided his pricetag but will warm up to Oliver within the regular season’s first month.
5. Troy Reeder
Age: 28
Position: LB
Former Team: LAC
2022 PFF Score: 77.8
Contract: 1 Year, $1.07M
Roster Projection: Depth LB
Reeder is the “new Troy Dye,” able to step on the field if Brian Asamoah or Jordan Hicks fall injured next season. He has ample starting experience and is a Kevin O’Connell special. Reeder and O’Connell were coworkers on the Los Angeles Rams and won a Super Bowl together.
He could hypothetically steal a starting job from Asamoah or Hicks, but that should be considered a longshot.
6. Brandon Powell
Age: 27
Position: WR-PR
Former Team: LAR
2022 PFF Score: 65.8
Contract: 1 Year, $1.03M
Roster Projection: WR5 or Punt Returner
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. This is the guy who returned a punt for a touchdown against the Vikings in 2021.
While he could seize a WR4 job, he’s likely competition for Jalen Reagor at punt returner this summer. He’d then nestle in as the Vikings WR5 or WR6.
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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