A Look Back: The Vikings’ 3 Worst Moves of the Offseason
The Minnesota Vikings have an 8-2 record and a 94.8% probability of reaching the postseason, according to DVOA.
Next, the purple team travels to Soldier Field for a meeting with the Chicago Bears, a spot where the Vikings have won four straight games.
A Look Back: The Vikings’ 3 Worst Moves of the Offseason
And with the postseason in plain sight, the Vikings conducted some fantastic moves to arrive at their current standing in an offseason spanning from last January to early September. There were also some head-scratchers.
These were the Vikings’ worst three offseason moves, with the advantage of hindsight after Week 11. They’re ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = worst offseason move).
3. Failing to Sign Calais Campbell at Any Point in the Summer
Campbell, one of the NFL’s best players of the last 20 years, was available to sign until late June. The Vikings never showed any documented interest.
Fast forward to Week 12 of the regular season, and Campbell is one of the best DTs in the spot, showcasing an 82.7 Pro Football Focus grade. Campbell is trapped on a team that probably isn’t heading to the postseason, and if the Vikings had signed him, he’d live on an 8-2 club almost assuredly heading to the playoffs.
Campbell is 38, so this is his final hurrah. He should’ve gotten one more crack at the playoffs in his last season. That — and Minnesota could use his complete skill set inside Brian Flores’ defense.
2. Not Adding Cam Akers as a Free Agent
Minnesota reportedly wanted to re-sign Akers in July — but then never did.
Akers later joined the Houston Texans and saw meaningful playing time when injuries arose for Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce. However, approaching the 2024 trade deadline, Minnesota opted to send a conditional late-round draft pick to Houston for Akers’ services.
The Vikings should’ve just re-signed Akers during the summer and called it good. It would’ve saved the late-round pick.
1. No Impact DT — Just Jerry Tillery
Minnesota could’ve found a way to sign one of these defensive tackles:
- Christian Wilkins
- Grover Stewart
- D.J. Reader
- Arik Armstead
- Leonard Williams
- Sheldon Rankins
- Calais Campbell
Instead, it added Jerry Tillery, who’s served as a middle-of-the-road starter. The Vikings also didn’t have a 2nd-Round pick to draft a DT like T’Vondre Sweat.
Sooner or later, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah should splurge on an impact DT and attack opposing quarterbacks from the defensive line’s interior, not just the edges.
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.
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