3 Second-Wave Free Agents the Vikings Should Pursue
Janik Eckardt
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Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hasn’t wasted any time, attempting to fill roster holes immediately when free agency kicked off. The Vikings acquired three defenders who will play key roles in Brian Flores’ defense: Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel are the team’s new pass-rushers, Blake Cashman replaces Jordan Hicks as the middle linebacker. Aaron Jones will try to revitalize the struggling rushing attack and Parker Romo was hired to kick field goals. Sam Darnold is the QB1 for now.
3 Second-Wave Free Agents the Vikings Should Pursue
As the first wave of free agency is fading, Minnesota still needs to address some positions. The good news is that there still are many decent players available.
Arik Armstead
The defender will be released after declining to take a pay cut to remain with the San Francisco 49ers. Minnesota needs another interior lineman as only Harrison Phillips and last year’s rookie Jaquelin Roy are under contract for 2024, especially a pass-rusher would help the defense.
Armstead can get after the quarterback as his long track record in the NFL proves. He produced 374 QB pressures in nine seasons according to PFF. Just last season, Armstead logged a career-high pass-rush grade of 86.5 and collected five sacks in the regular season (in 12 games) and one in the Super Bowl.
At age 30, he still has some fuel left and his profile is perfect for what the Vikings need. Acquiring him is unlikely to be cheap and there will be multiple suitors but that shouldn’t prevent Adofo-Mensah from calling someone he should know from his days in San Francisco. He is the missing piece upfront.
D’Onta Foreman
A running back after signing Aaron Jones from Green Bay and already employing Ty Chandler? The Vikings need someone who is bigger, a player who can give head coach Kevin O’Connell different profiles in the backfield rather than only having two smaller backs.
D’Onta Foreman is listed at 6’0″ and 235 lbs, roughly 30 lbs heavier than Jones and Chandler. His NFL journey has been strange as the Texans drafted him in the third round in the loaded 2017 draft. He was stuck in a committee early and then suffered a torn Achilles tendon in his rookie season which also forced him to miss the majority of his sophomore campaign. A torn biceps ended his 2019 season before it began.
A two-year stint with the Titans as Derrick Henry’s backup, which makes sense because of their comparable size, kickstarted his career. Henry missed time in 2021 and Foreman did quite well in his absence. He was with the Panthers in 2022 and Chicago in 2023.
After an injury-plagued first four seasons, he rushed for 1,905 yards and 12 TDs in the last three. A true powerback is what the Vikings need to achieve a much-improved and more versatile backfield and Foreman should be a target.
Josh Reynolds
An offense can never have too many weapons and the Vikings are almost set with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on the outside and T.J. Hockenson on the inside. Brandon Powell was re-signed. However, adding another solid receiver would move Powell to a better-suited WR4 role.
Josh Reynolds has a history with O’Connell as both were in Los Angeles in 2020 when KOC coordinated the Rams’ offense under Sean McVay. Veteran Reynolds is coming off a solid season with the Lions where he caught 40 passes for 608 yards and five touchdowns, which is roughly the available production because of K.J. Osborn’s departure.
The 29-year-old also brings inside and outside flexibility which would continue to allow O’Connell to scheme things for Jefferson in every spot on the field.
Vikings Veteran Says Goodbye
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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