3 Free Agents Who Should Be on the Vikings’ Radar
Free agency won’t officially get started for a couple months, but teams have undoubtedly already begun putting players on their radar for this offseason.
The Vikings have a number of holes to fill on their roster this offseason, with 25 players set to enter free agency this offseason. With a large chunk of the 2023 roster potentially signing elsewhere this offseason, here are three free agents who should be on the Vikings’ radar in 2024.
DT Sheldon Rankins
Jonathan Bullard is set to enter free agency this offseason, and while he had a strong season in Minnesota, the Vikings should look for some extra pass-rushing help at the defensive tackle spot. Sheldon Rankins hopped on with the Texans this year and racked up 40 pressures along with six sacks.
Rankins will turn 30 years old in April, so he likely has a couple years of strong football in front of him. While the Vikings shouldn’t sell the farm to get Rankins, he is worth kicking the tires on this offseason.
RB Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry might not quite be the king of NFL running backs that he used to be, but it is undeniable that he is still capable of contributing in a positive manner at the NFL level. During his age-29 season, Henry once again surpassed 1000 rushing yards, and he showed the world just how much he has left in the tank with a massive 153-yard rushing performance in Week 18 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Seeing as the Vikings were one of the worst rushing offenses in the league in 2023, they should consider bringing him aboard. Ty Chandler is capable of picking up yards in the open field, but Minnesota needs a reliable presence near the goal line in order to boost their red zone efficiency. Henry is more than qualified for that, seeing as he rushed for 12 TDs this season. The only question is if the former Offensive Player of the Year would be willing to take on a bit of a reduced role.
CB Myles Bryant
As bad as the New England Patriots were in 2023, much of their struggles cannot be blamed on the defensive side of the ball. A key part of that defense was CB Myles Bryant, who put together 77 tackles, seven tackles for loss, a sack, seven passes defended, an interception, and a pair of forced fumbles.
The Vikings defense lost a step when Byron Murphy went down with an injury down the stretch of the season, and Bryant could be a strong starter alongside him in 2024 to help further solidify their secondary. Bryant is a very small CB at 5’9″, but his bulldog mentality allowed him to come up with some big plays throughout the year.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference.
Former Viking Waived by Super Bowl Contender
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
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