Should He Stay or Should He Go? The Vikings Edition.
It’s no news that the Minnesota Vikings will have a hectic off-season. With a ton of cap space to spend in free agency but only four scheduled draft picks, many predict March as the busiest period for GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. However, before talking about new players, we must discuss the team’s impending free agents.
Should He Stay or Should He Go? The Vikings Edition.
With over 20 players set to hit the open market, this article would be extremely extensive if I were to discuss every name, so we’ll focus on the more prominent names here. I will also put a projected contract from PFF and/or Spotrac for the most important ones and give my opinion on whether the Vikings should try to bring him back or not. I will also put players in a couple of categories to make life easier.
Please Bring Him Back
Byron Murphy, CB
If Adofo-Mensah wants to spend big money to retain a player, this is Byron Murphy. With only Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern under contract, addressing the CB room is a must. Murphy had arguably the best season of his career, already knows Flores’ scheme, improved on a shaky 2023 season, and is still 27 years old.
Murphy is a very good CB2 who can play outside or in the slot, giving the defense flexibility. He can also play in zone or man coverage and has a knack for explosive plays. This season, he led all cornerbacks in interceptions.
PFF and Spotrac differ on what his contract will be come March, with PFF putting him at 3 years and $52M and Spotrac at 4 years and $88M. With a very strong 2024 and still at a young age, Spotrac is probably closer to his actual price tag. This free agency should have other very good options at cornerback, but if the Vikings choose to compensate one of their own, Murphy is my favorite one.
I Like It if They Aren’t Too Expensive
Aaron Jones, RB
Jones was the best running back in the Kevin O’Connell era. Although this is a low bar, Jones had a good 2024 season with 1500 all-purpose yards and seven touchdowns. Jones is an older back with an extensive injury history, so his price tag shouldn’t be too high. He expressed his desire to finish his career in Minnesota, and KOC said countless times how much he likes Jones, making this a matter of finding common ground on his contract.
Bringing back Aaron Jones shouldn’t — and probably won’t — prevent the Vikings from drafting a running back in April. Instead, it would give the team a one-two punch with Jones and a rookie running back. Combined with what we all expect to be an improved offensive line, this combination should finally give this team a good (or at least competent) running game.
PFF and Spotrac again view him differently, with Spotrac setting his value at 1 year and $5.6M and PFF at 2 years and $7M. A mix of the two (maybe 2 years and around $9-10M) will likely be enough to appeal to both sides.
Camryn Bynum, S
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, both sides are talking about a contract extension and are open to getting a deal done before free agency. However, according to Darren Wolfson, Bynum may want more than what the Vikings are willing to offer.
Bynum became a different player and put together two good seasons with him as the coordinator. He proved to be a very durable player and does a very good job as a deep-zone cover safety, but he sometimes showed some issues tackling in open space. Bynum also got national attention this season with his creative celebrations, especially the ones with fellow safety Josh Metellus.
His durability, young age, and overall play should put him near Budda Baker’s $18M average — Spotrac has him at $17 per year and PFF at $14.25M. I like Bynum, but this is too much money. Dolphins’ Jevon Holland and 49ers’ Talanoa Hufanga are more interesting options if the Vikings want to spend big money on safety, and there are also good options on the cheaper side.
Shaq Griffin, CB
I know some fan base doesn’t like Griffin and wants him gone, but Griffin could be an essential piece of the 2025 defense for the right price. First, he did a solid job in coverage for most of the season. Secondly, he wouldn’t be CB1 or CB2 next season (I’m counting on at least one big-money CB and another in the Draft) but rather an insurance option if anything happens — like a better Foster Moreau.
Griffin signed a $4.5M contract in 2024, so his price tag would be lower in a lesser role in 2025. I’m not sure he would take a deal around $2-3M right off the bat, so a little patience would have to be exercised. If he can’t find a team willing to give him more money and/or a starting job, returning to Minnesota could be a good move for him.
Jonathan Bullard, DT
I may be one of Jonathan Bullard’s biggest (and only) fans. Bullard is, to me, the best case of “knowing what to ask of him” in the league. Is he a complete defensive tackle that can take over a game alone? No. Is he someone who will constantly disrupt opposing QBs? Also no. But he is a darn good run-stopper. He can take on double-teams and force the running back into another player’s tackle.
The Vikings have a trio of young DTs with a lot of potential in Taki Taimani, Jalen Redmond, and Levi Drake Rodriguez. Adofo-Mensah is also likely to bring another one to try and improve the pass rush on the interior. But when teams are in the low red zone or running situations, Bullard is an excellent choice to be on the field.
He signed a one-year, $2.25M contract last season, and another extension around this amount should be enough to keep him with the Vikings.
Too Expensive and There’s a Younger Player on the Roster
Sam Darnold, QB
Darnold will be one of the biggest prizes available in free agency. He is by far the best one, and we know how desperate a team can be when they don’t have a QB. The season’s last two games probably cost Darnold a few million dollars, as he played badly against the Lions and Rams. I still believe he will end up signing a contract of around $40M annually. He showed he was capable with a good surrounding cast around him.
Darnold could receive a contract extension to stay with the Vikings, but J.J. McCarthy looks to be progressing well from his meniscus injury and, according to Sports Illustrated’s insider Albert Breer, is ahead of schedule and is going to have a full offseason of practice.
Patrick Jones, EDGE
Patrick Jones admirably filled the “D.J. Wonnum” role, recording 7.0 sacks in 2024 as the primary backup. This means that a team could look at him and think he can be at least a solid EDGE2 or give him a little more money to be part of their rotation. With the Vikings having Dallas Turner, Gabriel Murphy, and Bo Richter as backups, the defense shouldn’t have much trouble replacing him.
Solid Rotational Players
Brandon Powell, WR
Trent Sherfield, WR
Cam Akers, RB
Johnny Mundt, TE
Jihad Ward, EDGE
Jerry Tillery, DT
We will group a few players now, as there’s not much to talk about them individually. Powell doubles as the punt returner and does an OK job — nothing too fancy, but almost zero mistakes. I like to call him the “Jarius Wright of this generation,” almost always making a play on a needed third down. Sherfield was more of a blocking wide receiver and is a solid option in the red zone because of his size.
Akers and Mundt are well-liked by the coaching staff, partially because of the time they spent in L.A. with O’Connell, Wes Phillips, and some of the coaching staff. If Akers signs somewhere else, I’m placing bets on when the Vikings trade a conditional 6th-rounder for him again.
Ward and Tillery were rotational players who mostly aligned as interior pass-rushers (spoiler alert: it didn’t work).
I can see the Vikings trying to bring back most of them on cheap contracts (close to the vet minimum), but they could end up cut or traded during training camp.
Thank You, Next
Stephon Gilmore, CB
Cam Robinson, OT
Nick Mullens, QB
Ryan Wright, P
Dalton Risner, OG
David Quessenberry, OT
Dan Feeney, iOL
Kamu Grugier-Hill, LB
Fabian Moreau, CB
This list is the players that I believe fulfilled their roles but are either old or not that good and can be replaced more easily. Gilmore was needed because of the extreme situation in the CB room and Robinson was also a quick fix after Christian Darrisaw went down with an injury.
Nick Mullens is one of the only players here I can see returning, but I think Adofo-Mensah will try to bring a player like Daniel Jones or Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency. Wright had a good rookie season but fell down a cliff after that. Quessenberry and Gugier-Hill could also come back for depth purposes, but Walter Rouse can be the new swing tackle, and there are some younger options in free agency at linebacker.
Moreau was also signed as a relief CB, but as I mentioned before, Shaq Griffin can fill the CB4 role. Michael Jurgens can replace Feeney, and Risner’s time in Minnesota must end.
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