March 10th Is Quite the Judgment Day for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have about 25 players scheduled to hit free agency in 11 days.
March 10th Is Quite the Judgment Day for Vikings
The NFL’s “legal tampering” period kicks off on March 10th, which will feel like quite the judgment day for the purple team.
Here’s why.
Aaron Jones Verdict
Aaron Jones posted 1,546 yards from scrimmage in 2024, a wonderful output from a 30-year-old running back.
Minnesota ranked 20th in the NFL per DVOA, though, and it’s unclear if the Vikings will want to entrust a 31-year-old running back with an RB1 workload.
It’s worth noting that Jones has said for months that he wants to finish his career in purple. In all likelihood, the Vikings have a “take it or leave it” contractual number in front of Jones, and he must decide to accept or try on a new team for size, like the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, or Pittsburgh Steelers, for example.
Camryn Bynum Verdict
Bynum is a total toss-up for Minnesota’s free agency’s sake. A different NFL club could pay Bynum a higher salary, as the veteran defender earned a lot of notoriety last season because of his high-profile persona.
A few weeks ago, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote about Bynum’s free agency, “The Vikings and Bynum have had discussions about an extension. While nothing has materialized, both sides are open to it, and this could get done before mid-March.”
Byron Murphy Jr. Verdict
Before the 2024 season kicked off, Murphy told KSTP’s Darren Wolfson, “I don’t think I’m going anywhere. That’s my mindset. I want to stay; I love this place. Since I’ve been here since day one, I have fallen in love. I want to go nowhere. I want to stay here for the rest of my career. I love these guys in the locker room and the coaching—everything about this place is great. I’m going to work my ass off to stay here.”
Couple that sentiment with Charley Walters’ reporting, and Murphy seems like he’ll return for a few more years.
His asking price increased when he made the Pro Bowl this season, but Minnesota should be able to afford him, especially if it doesn’t spend big money on Sam Darnold’s demands.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote earlier this month: “Vikings seem more likely to let Darnold sign elsewhere and preserve their tag for a player such as cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., who had a career-high six interceptions in 2024 and is hitting his prime at age 27. If nothing else, it would give the Vikings time to sign Murphy to a longer-term deal while keeping him off the market.”
The ESPN theory was wrong, however, as Minnesota moved Murphy Jr.’s void money deadline. The Vikings must re-sign Murphy to an extension or let him hit the open market. He can no longer be franchise-tagged.
Sam Darnold Verdict
Onlookers will know by March 5th if the Vikings franchise tag-and-trade Darnold. That’s the due date for all things regarding the tag.
NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport updated the Darnold rumor this week at the NFL Combine. “It seems to me, based on my conversations, that in this offseason, of the quarterbacks available, Sam Darnold seems to be the best. Darnold seems to be the dude. The Vikings have him. If they want him to be the starter, they could do that. That’s not that hard,” Rapoport explained.
“They could tag him, or they could reach a new deal based around the tag. If they want J.J. McCarthy to be their starter, they are in an unbelievable position, just being able to hold onto Darnold and say, ‘You wanna get him? Come get him.’ We haven’t seen this a lot.”
March 10th is when Darnold can sign with a new team, if applicable.
Harrison Smith Clarity
The purple community should also know by March 10th if Smith will return. Some new hints from the aforementioned Wolfson indicate that Smith could return for Year No. 14 in 2025.
“Smith can still play, and I don’t think the Vikings need to break the bank to bring him back. They can figure out the money. I get it. He’s had to take pay cuts the last couple years. So, to me, there’s interest in him playing at a reasonable number. I just think it makes all sorts of sense,” Wolfson said on SKOR North airwaves late last week.
The longtime Viking did not feature a performance-related decline in 2024, and in fact, often felt vital to the defense’s back end. In theory, few would care about his retirement decision if Smith were holding on by threads and struggling every Sunday. But that doesn’t apply, not to Smith.
Wolfson added, “I continue to think there isn’t a downside to bringing back Harrison Smith.”
Smith’s retirement versus returning for one last run feels like a total 50-50.
First Wave of New Free Agent Signings
Finally — perhaps the most exciting nugget — general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will begin agreeing to contracts with free-agent newcomers on March 10th.
He has over $60 million to spend on the free-agent process, and Monday, March 10th, should render a verdict on at least one or two splashy newcomers.
The Vikings need a cornerback (two, if Murphy Jr. leaves), interior offensive line help, an impact defensive tackle, and possibly a safety, depending on Smith and Bynum mentioned above.
Keep an eye on players like Paulson Adebo (cornerback), Milton Williams (defensive tackle), Talanoa Hufanga (safety), and Will Fries (guard) as reasonable targets.
A Vikings Dream Will Finally Come True
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.