Nov 6, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Danielle Hunter (99) and Vikings linebacker D.J. Wonnum (98) celebrate after a sack against the Washington Commanders during the third quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings’ activities in free agency are rapidly approaching as “legal tampering” kicks off in three weeks, and players will begin to formulate 2024 plans.
Minnesota structured this offseason to be ultra-pivotal, possibly the end of its self-described “competitive rebuild” phase that was enacted two years ago when general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell took over.
And while Minnesota will sign a handful of new free-agent newcomers, these are the 26 players scheduled to hit the open market from the 2023 roster, listed by position.
Kirk Cousins
Joshua Dobbs
There’s only one man on the list at this spot gathering free-agent headlines at the moment, but his free agency is for all the marbles. It’s the first guy.
Cam Akers
Akers hinted on Instagram in January that he’d like to return with the Vikings for a sequel. Like Cousins, he tore his Achilles last season.
K.J. Osborn
Brandon Powell
One of these men will likely be on the 2024 roster — probably Powell as a WR3 or WR4.
Johnny Mundt
Nick Muse
One or both of these men will return in 2024 because Minnesota needs depth. T.J. Hockenson likely won’t be ready by the start of the regular season.
Hakeem Adeniji
Blake Brandel
Oli Udoh
Chris Reed
David Quessenberry
Dalton Risner
Austin Schlottmann
You will see a lot of action from the Vikings re-signing existing offensive linemen or onboarding new ones — because this is a lot of free agents scheduled to hit the open market.
Jonathan Bullard
Marcus Davenport
Danielle Hunter
James Lynch
T.J. Smith
Khyiris Tonga
D.J. Wonnum
Edit-copy-paste the offensive lineman caption above: the Vikings will be busy addressing the defensive line in three weeks. This is a lot of beef scheduled to leave.
Anthony Barr
Troy Dye
Jordan Hicks
Nick Vigil
Here, the big question is whether Hicks is the off-ball linebacking solution or Minnesota seeks a new player to start alongside Ivan Pace Jr. in 2024.
None
Many Vikings fans believe cornerback is a roster need, but ironically, the club has no free-agent CBs scheduled to walk.
Theo Jackson
Jackson will likely return as a depth safety. The real mystery is about Harrison Smith: will he retire, accept a paycut, or try a new team on for size?
Greg Joseph
Per field goal percentage, Joseph has ranked as a bottom-10 kicker in back-to-back seasons. We shall see if the Vikings’ brass believes that’s good enough.
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.