These 8 Players from Vikings’ 2023 Roster Are Still Free Agents
The 2024 NFL Draft is in the books, and the Minnesota Vikings welcomed seven new players, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy and EDGE rusher Dallas Turner.
These 8 Players from Vikings’ 2023 Roster Are Still Free Agents
Free agency is down to nubbins, but several players will still join new teams between now and the start of the regular season.
Now, with Vikings minicamp less than five weeks away, eight Vikings players from the 2024 roster remain in the NFL’s marketplace, unsigned by the Vikings and living on the free-agent market. They’re listed alphabetically.
1. Cam Akers (RB)
Akers hinted on Instagram earlier in the offseason that he’d either return with the Vikings or wanted to be back. But then Minnesota signed Aaron Jones and an Akers reunion hit the backburner.
The veteran tailback is recuperating from his second torn Achilles and will likely sign somewhere before too long. The Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts would make sense.
2. Anthony Barr (LB)
Barr returned for a sequel in November last year, and the timing was terrible. Minnesota started losing the moment he signed, though it had nothing to do with Barr personally.
Barr’s end is near after a decade of NFL service. He may or may not sign anywhere in 2024.
3. Sheldon Day (NT)
Brian Flores’ defense needs nose tackle depth, so of all the men on the list, Day might be the most probable for a reunion.
Day played six games in 2023, a decent amount for a reservist player.
4. James Lynch (DT)
A career sullied by injury, Lynch might be one of those players who shimmies out of the league after some fans once had lofty hopes.
He quietly played his whole four-year rookie contract for the Vikings. Did it feel like that?
5. Chris Reed (OG)
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah might sign Reed back if the next guy on the list doesn’t return because he’s a reputable and familiar depth piece.
Reed, however, only appeared in two Vikings games last season. He joined the franchise in 2022.
6. Dalton Risner (LG)
Risner hired powerhouse agent Drew Rosenhaus in March, and many expected that to kickstart everything for the veteran lineman. It’s still crickets.
Six weeks ago, KFAN’s Paul Allen asked Adofo-Mensah about the odds of Risner returning in purple, and the young executive replied, “Where we’ve wanted to be is best available. That’s where we’ve tried to set ourselves up both in a draft and acquisition standpoint. So every option is on the table. That’s all I can say about that.”
That was a diplomat’s reply.
7. T.J. Smith (DT)
Smith will try out for the Detroit Lions’ roster next week after spending three years in Minnesota. He played four regular season games and survived the changeover from Mike Zimmer to Kevin O’Connell in 2022.
8. Nick Vigil (LB)
Similar to Anthony Barr, Vigil re-signed in Minnesota as a depth piece last year. It was his second tour in the Twin Cities. Once a respectable starter for the Bengals about five years ago, Vigil’s career is winding down, and he’ll turn 31 in August.
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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