The Top 5 Discount Players for Vikings in 2024
The Minnesota Vikings’ regular season gets underway in six weeks with a date at the New York Giants in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Top 5 Discount Players for Vikings in 2024
The club has enormously reshaped the roster in the last three offseasons, saying goodbye to most long-term veterans in favor of youth.
And excluding rookies — their contracts have obvious affordable value — these are the top five discount players for the 2024 Vikings. They ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = best value all around).
5. Robert Tonyan (TE)
Contract AAV = $1.125 million
T.J. Hockenson probably won’t play in September, and someone will catch passes as a tight end in the middle of the field. All signs point to Tonyan for the job, at least to start the season.
If Tonyan can hold down the fort until Hockenson’s return, well, he’ll be well worth the $1.125 million. Plus, he’s a renowned redzone target — whether Hockenson is on the field or not.
4. Andrew Van Ginkel (OLB)
Contract AAV = $10 million
The Vikings will actually boast sweet EDGE rusher depth in 2024. The last time the purple team had this much preseason oomph at pass rusher was around 2016 and 2017 when Danielle Hunter was establishing himself as a stud.
Since then, the Vikings’ defense has showcased Hunter, plus another guy, like Everson Griffen or Za’Darius Smith. Now, however, Minnesota has Jonathan Greenard, Dallas Turner, and Andrew Van Ginkel on the depth chart. And Adofo-Mensah onboarded Van Ginkel for $10 million per season — exceptional value. He tallied a 91.1 Pro Football Focus grade last year.
3. Josh Metellus (S)
Contract AAV = $4 million
One of the most versatile players in the sport, Metellus re-upped with the Vikings before the start of 2023. He sniffed fringe Pro Bowl contention last year and became a mainstay of Brian Flores’ defense.
Metellus can be deployed anywhere on the field, a vital component of the intricate purple defense. He ranked 33rd in the NFL per Pro Football Focus‘ grading system among all safeties. Not bad for a 6th-Rounder.
2. Sam Darnold (QB)
Contract AAV = $10 million
There’s a reasonable chance that he will pull off a Baker Mayfield-script tale in 2023, convincing everyone that he’s a decent starter after all. The Vikings’ offense was molded in heaven for any quarterback, Darnold included.
And if he turns into a decent QB1, $10 million is incredible value.
So far at training camp, Darnold has looked the part of a QB1, meaning he’s likely to start Week 1 at the New York Giants. Stay tuned.
1. Dalton Risner (LG)
Contract AAV = $2.4 million
Vikings fans waited for about six months before Risner returned in May. When the 2023 season concluded, most believed Risner’s return was a no-brainer. But the process took a long time, and Risner eventually signed for one year and $2.4 million.
If Risner plays substantially on offense, the deal is tremendous, keeping Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy upright.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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