Sep 11, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A Minnesota Vikings fan. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings’ season will end on Sunday unless a four-team scenario sneaks the team into the postseason. Minnesota must topple the Lions in Detroit — that feels unlikely — and hope the Packers lose, the Seahawks lose, and either the Buccaneers or Saints lose.
So, the offseason is just days away, and we asked all VikingsTerritory writers to identify the top, foremost offseason priority. These are the replies.
Priority Provided by: Kyle Joudry
The top offseason priority is to overhaul the front seven. Yes, Ivan Pace looks like a long-term solution at LB, and the hope is that Danielle Hunter gets brought back, but that’s a crew that’s still in desperate need of at least one more excellent pass rusher, a playmaker at defensive tackle, and then a strong off-ball linebacker.
So, lots of work to do on this front (pun intended), meaning the Vikings would be wise to consider retaining + developing internal talent, free agents, and then options in the draft.
Priority Provided by: Adam New
The Vikings’ defense has faltered from the unit that excited everyone over the season’s middle period. Teams see what you’re doing in the NFL and react accordingly. Coupled with key injuries (Wonnum and Murphy) to a squad that already lacked top-end quality and depth, the Vikings defense is finishing the season struggling.
Give Flores an injection of talent, particularly at CB, IDL, and OLB, and we should see a Vikings defense that is more consistent and the perfect platform to build everything else from.
Priority Provided by: Nate Powalie
Develop the trenches. Dalton Risner was a solid midseason free-agency pickup to plug in at guard. But Ed Ingram has shown some flashes of him needing extra work. On the defensive side, the line’s interior needs someone to complement Harrison Phillips. Sheldon Day is adequate, but the Vikes need someone to help plug the gaps up the middle.
Priority Provided by: Wes Johnson
The Vikings’ offseason focus needs to be twofold. They need to have a plan at QB. If it brings back Cousins, they also need a viable backup in the draft. If it’s going to get your future in the first round, then it’s figuring out a capable backup who can handle a few weeks on their own. Without Cousins this season, the warts showed.
Secondly, fix the trenches, specifically on the defensive/DT side. Offensively, they got pushed around as the season wore on as well. I can see the Vikings taking the top DT in the draft and grabbing a QB in the second round to be groomed behind Cousins.
Priority Provided by: Dustin Baker
If the Vikings want to re-sign Kirk Cousins — neat. Do it.
But no matter what — no matter the price — identify and draft the future quarterback. If Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has to give up three 1st-Rounders for Drake Maye, so be it. Nobody will care about the trade price if the quarterback turns out to be the face of the franchise.
And if the future QB1 is terrible, well, the draft picks will return by the time everyone renders that verdict.
With or without Cousins, draft the QB1.
Priority Provided by: Janik Eckardt
Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall are the only passers under contract for the upcoming season, and they are better suited for the backup roles. The Vikings must either re-sign Kirk Cousins or find his successor in the draft in the 2024 offseason.
Priority Provided by: Ali Siddiqui
Do they bring back Kirk Cousins? If so, for how much? Which quarterback do they also draft? Do they trade up for one? While Cousins is the Vikings’ most important player, it would not be a bad decision if they lean more towards keeping Danielle Hunter and sign a cheap veteran quarterback while grooming the rookie.
Priority Provided by: Cole Smith
The Vikings’ top off-season priority right now is securing their quarterback of the future. Whether Kirk Cousins returns or not, the Vikings need insurance for not only the 2024 season but beyond. He will be 36 when the season begins and coming off an Achilles tear. If he is healthy, the young QB can sit and learn the system. If he isn’t healthy or signs elsewhere, the future begins now.
Priority Provided by: Ted Schwerzler
The quarterback is the most critical position in sports, and right now, the Vikings don’t have one. Kirk Cousins is a free agent, and the backups don’t even look like that. Whether using a high-round pick or bringing someone else in, there is no more important position for them to get right.
Priority Provided by: Josh Frey
Regardless of who is in the lineup in 2024, it doesn’t change the fact that an NFL team has a very rigid ceiling without a quality starting QB. The Vikings have proven that they cannot play consistently winning football without Kirk Cousins yet, and there are only so many quality years left in the veteran’s career. The Vikings should look long and hard at the QB position this offseason and do everything they can to bring in their future quarterback.
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.