8 Mistakes for Vikings to Avoid in Free Agency
The Minnesota Vikings embark on free agency in about one week, equipped with over $60 million to spend on existing and new players.
8 Mistakes for Vikings to Avoid in Free Agency
It’s the most cap space for Minnesota relative to the salary cap in ages, and fans are excited for the club to maintain or improve on the nifty 2024 season.
So, we asked Vikings fans for a mistake apiece that the franchise should avoid in free agency.
Question to all: Name one mistake the Vikings should avoid in free agency. It can be signing a particular player, not signing a specific player, handling an in-house free agent — or really anything you want.
Here are fans’ predictions for the offseason shocker.
1. Teven Jenkins
Who Said It?
Tadd
@ST7cubs
Avoid Teven Jenkins. The Vikings need an upgrade at the guard position, and the talent is there with Jenkins. But so are the injuries. He spent time on IR each of his first 3 seasons in Chicago and missed multiple games last season as well.
2. A Long-Term Deal for Sam Darnold
Who Said It?
Skol Tom
@SKOLfromWI
The biggest mistake the Vikings could make this offseason would be signing Darnold to a long-term deal and trading away J.J. McCarthy. I don’t think there’s a real shot of that coming to fruition, but the rumors were swirling at one point. It’s time to move forward with a young rookie quarterback and develop him from scratch.
3. Undersized iOL and iDL
Who Said It?
RedNPurple (from Norway)
@rednpurple77
Please, please, please. Don’t draft or sign undersized trench players for the love of everything that is good in this world. Could they overcome their size? Maybe, but I’m so sick and tired of seeing boys versus men every Sunday. I want monsters on the defensive line and offensive line that were tamed for the sake of football.
4. Overpaying In-House Free Agents
Who Said It?
Steve Berglund
@VIkesin18
Signing any of their in-house FA for market value contracts. Players such as D.J. Reed and Jevon Holland are better players than Murphy and Bynum if you must pay market prices.
5. Overpaying Camryn Bynum
Who Said It?
Eric Horstman
@EHorstman23
I think the one mistake to avoid is overpaying for Cam Bynum. I think he’s a good player and locker-room guy, but they need to dump a large portion of their resources into the trenches and corner — instead of safety. If you’re paying big money to a safety, I would prefer Jevon Holland.
6. Skipping OL Improvements
Who Said It?
Bruce Johnson
@sachikojohnson
All I can say is that the Vikes need to address the interior offensive line, but I have no doubts they know that better than me, so I have no worries overall.
7. Half-Assed OL Repairs
Who Said It?
Ivan, Czar of Bohunks
@Up4Discussion_7
Let’s avoid the carousel of hopeful iOL players. It’s time to get an established presence, preferably at guard or center so we can protect our young franchise quarterback.
8. Extending Sam Darnold in Any Capacity
Who Said It?
Chris
@Skol227
Biggest mistake? The Vikes need to stay away from Sam Darnold. You won’t catch lightning in a bottle twice. Start McCarthy when healthy.
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 MIN 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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