The Top 4 Vikings from 2023 Roster Still Available in Free Agency
The 2024 NFL Draft concluded nine days ago, and the Minnesota Vikings welcomed seven new players, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy and EDGE rusher Dallas Turner.
The Top 4 Vikings from 2023 Roster Still Available in Free Agency
Free agency is down to slim pickings, but several players will still join new teams between now and the start of the regular season.
With Vikings minicamp less than four weeks away, eight players from the 2024 roster remain in the NFL’s marketplace, unsigned by the Vikings and living on the free-agent market. These are the four best Vikings from the 2023 roster still available, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = best player remaining).
4. Anthony Barr (LB)
Barr returned for a reunion in November last year, and the timing was lousy. Minnesota started losing games the moment he signed, though it had nothing to do with Barr as a player.
The end for Barr is probably near after a decade of NFL service. He may or may not sign anywhere in 2024. However, Barr produced an impressive 70.6 Pro Football Focus grade in a small sample.
3. Chris Reed (OG)
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah might sign Reed back if the man ranked No. 1 on the list doesn’t return because he’s a respected and familiar depth piece.
Reed, however, only appeared in two Vikings games last season. He joined the franchise in 2022. By now, he’s a prototypical journeyman.
2. Cam Akers (RB)
Akers hinted on Instagram earlier in the offseason that he’d either return with the Vikings or wanted to be back. But then Minnesota signed Aaron Jones, and an Akers sequel hit the backburner.
The veteran tailback is recuperating from his second torn Achilles and will likely sign somewhere before too long. The Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts would make sense. Almost immediately upon joining the purple team’s roster in 2023, Akers had a positive impact — on the field and in the locker room.
1. Dalton Risner (LG)
Risner hired powerhouse agent Drew Rosenhaus in March, and many expected that to kickstart everything for the veteran lineman. It’s still silent.
In March, KFAN’s Paul Allen asked Adofo-Mensah about the odds of Risner returning in purple, and the young executive replied, “Where we’ve wanted to be is best available. That’s where we’ve tried to set ourselves up both in a draft and acquisition standpoint. So every option is on the table. That’s all I can say about that.”
According to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, money is indeed the sticking point for Minnesota’s front office and Risner’s free agency. Lewis wrote last week, “Until free agent Dalton Risner lowers his monetary ask (he recently switched agents to Drew Rosenhaus, with whom the Vikings have a great relationship), it’s difficult to see a path toward his return.”
Risner would fit well in Philadelphia, Miami, San Francisco, and perhaps New York (Jets).
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 MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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