PFF Has One Primary Idea for Vikings Free Agency
The Minnesota Vikings will have nearly $70 million in cap space to spend on new free agents this March, assuming the franchise doesn’t heavily invest in a large extension for quarterback Sam Darnold.
PFF Has One Primary Idea for Vikings Free Agency
Dead cap money from Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter’s contract will fall off the books, so for the first time in years, the purple team could embark on a spending bonanza.
And according to Pro Football Focus, Minnesota should use some of its cap space on defensive tackle Milton Williams, a current member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Williams is scheduled to hit the open market if Philadelphia doesn’t re-up for his services.
PFF’s Bradley Locker assigned one primary free agent idea for each NFL team and wrote about Williams to Minnesota last week, “The Vikings might rank third in defensive EPA per play and sixth in success rate, but their defensive line has been a void. None of Harrison Phillips, Jerry Tillery or Jonathan Bullard posted higher than a 58.8 PFF overall grade during the 2024 regular season.”
After setting the scene regarding Minnesota’s current defense, he added about Williams: “With $75 million to spend this offseason, Minnesota should go big along its defensive interior. Williams turned in a career season in 2024, producing 40 pressures, a 90.4 PFF pass-rush grade and a 17.7% pass-rush win rate — good for third among qualifying defensive linemen. Adding Williams to a defensive line with Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner is nightmare fuel for opposing offensive coordinators.”
Here’s Milton’s PFF resume since joining the league in 2021:
- 2024: 70.1
- 2023: 69.7
- 2022: 72.6
- 2021: 49.0
Williams has morphed into an utterly elite pass-rushing DT this season, banking a blisteringly good 90.4 PFF mark via pass rush. That ranks second in the NFL behind Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones.
If the Vikings’ front office obliged PFF’s advice, well, fans would rejoice. Vikings faithful have asked for an impact pass-rushing interior defensive lineman for about a decade or perhaps since Kevin Williams left town in 2013.
The Vikings have not prioritized DT to the utmost in the last ten or so years, so it feels like “something’s gotta give” before too long.
Meanwhile, Minnesota hung onto its 2025 1st-Round draft pick last April despite many theories suggesting the club could trade it for a quarterback. If the Williams free-agent sweepstakes don’t work out, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could use the 1st Round of the draft to answer the longstanding DT question.
Williams’ next contract will likely fetch around $15 million per season.
NFL free agency is two months away.
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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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