Jan 15, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; A Buffalo Bills fan. © Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings have onboarded 11 new players in the last nine days, and one will evidently cause violence and impact in September.
He’s Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota’s first free-agent signing last week and the man on deck to replace Danielle Hunter, who signed with Greenard’s former team, the Houston Texans.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah chatted with KFAN’s Paul Allen this week and called out Greenard specifically — in a good way. “You talk about somebody who gets off the ball extremely well, can win quickly from the pass-rush standpoint, but also plays the run, I would say, with as much violence and impact as he does in the pass game,” Adofo-Mensah told Allen about the new Viking.
Greenard agreed to a four-year worth $76 million, meaning the veteran defender will become part of the defense’s fabric for almost the next half-decade. He played 62% of all Texans defensive snaps in 2023, logging an impressive 12.5 sacks and 22 QB hits. He’s three years younger than Hunter and, at $19 million per season, offers incredible value. Here’s Greenard’s Pro Football Focus resume to date:
The only knock on Greenard is injury. He hasn’t played a full season as a pro, so Vikings loyalists will hope that changes in 2024. His acquisition is also noteworthy because he stops the run, too. Some pass rushers are one-trick ponies with pass-rush-only. But not Greenard.
Adofo-Mensah’s discussion with Allen was also forthcoming on other topics. For example, Allen asked the young executive about Dalton Risner, Minnesota’s starting left guard last year, and he didn’t sound too optimistic about a purple sequel. “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,” Adofo-Mensah said about Risner’s status, and Minnesota’s LG preference.
Soon after the Greenard addition, Adofo-Mensah signed outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, a free agent from the Miami Dolphins. Greenard and Van Ginkel will form the purple team’s primary pass-rushing duo in 2024, replacing the aforementioned Hunter and D.J. Wonnum. Wonnum became a Carolina Panther a few days ago.
Minnesota ranked 18th per pass-rush win rate in 2023.
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,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.