Vikings Free Agency Guide: The Splashy Ones
Last week, we discussed the Minnesota Vikings’ impending free agents, who could be back, and an expected contract. We now expand this to include players who could start wearing purple and gold in 2025. To avoid writing another super long article, this will be divided into three parts, starting with the big-time free agents. We will discuss some less expensive players and cheap alternatives/pit-stop guys in the coming days.
Vikings Free Agency Guide: The Splashy Ones
Also, as this is a Vikings-focused site, I’ll discuss players who make sense for them — there’s no use in discussing a player like WR Tee Higgins when Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are on the roster.
The “splashy” free agents are players at the top of the list at their position, in their prime, and who will command top-of-the-market money — or close to it. I won’t discuss the Vikings’ free agents here because we have already done that.
A last important note: these players could still be re-signed by their teams or receive the franchise/transition tag, so there’s a chance they aren’t actually available in March.
Trey Smith, OG, Kansas City Chiefs
Trey Smith is the dream signing of 99.9% of Vikings fans right now. He is an amazing player, doesn’t have an injury history, and will only be 26 at the start of next season. He would immediately solidify the interior of the offensive line in both pass protection and run blocking.
After being absolutely destroyed in the Super Bowl by the Eagles’ defensive line, there’s a chance the Chiefs will try a little more to keep him, but they have only $11.5M in cap space right now. If Smith indeed hits the open market, every team with money and a need at guard will do everything in their power to sign him.
Smith is the 2nd best player in PFF’s free agents, ranking behind only Tee Higgins. The top contracts for guards are Landon Dickerson at $21M per year (4 years) and Chris Lindstrom at $102.5M total contract (5 years) and $48.2M guaranteed at signing. There’s a good chance that Smith’s contract will top one of those, if not both.
Jevon Holland, DB, Miami Dolphins
Safety is a position that we don’t know how big of a need it will be. If Bynum is gone and Smith retires, it is critical. If one of them returns is a need, you don’t have to invest like crazy. If they’re both back, you can draft someone to develop in April and be comfortable with it.
In case they have to spend a lot of capital on safety, Holland makes a lot of sense. He was drafted by Brian Flores, who would know exactly how to get the most out of Holland. When they were together in 2021, Holland had 2.5 sacks, blitzed 51 times, 2 interceptions, and was the 3rd best safety by PFF. He did all that as a rookie, by the way.
With another former Dolphin, Andrew Van Ginkel, having a career year after coming to play for Flores again, the team has the connections to convince Holland to move from sunny Miami to cold Minnesota.
The highest-paid safety in the league is Anthoine Winfield Jr., who has a four-year contract worth $84.1M and $45M guaranteed. Even if Holland doesn’t ask to reset the market, he’ll likely be ranked just behind Winfield at around $20M per year, with close to $40M guaranteed.
D.J. Reed, CB, New York Jets
If we can’t be sure if safety is a need (or how big of a need it is), cornerback being a need is as sure as death and taxes. Reed is the best of the bunch in what can be a really good cornerback free-agency group. If he weren’t CB2 to Sauce Gardner, he’d have much more — deserved — praise, and he already said he wants out of New York.
Reed doesn’t have that prototypical size for a man coverage CB (he’s 5’9 and 188 lbs) but is feisty, quick, and can mirror opposing wide receivers. Having him on the roster would allow Flores to call more man coverage, something we know he likes to do, and give the Vikings a true CB1 for 3-4 years.
PFF’s contract value is $14M per year, but I think it will be higher. He won’t get close to Jalen Ramsey’s $24.1M average; however, something closer to $19M makes more sense. He is a little older than the other two players mentioned, but he will only turn 29 by the end of the season, so this shouldn’t affect his ability to earn this next contract.
Osa Odighizuwa, DT, Dallas Cowboys
Odighizuwa is the type of player who flew under the fans’ radar but won’t from scouts. His lack of production wasn’t due to a lack of talent or effort. Sometimes, the QB released the ball a smidge earlier (he had 4.5 sacks and 23 QB hits in 2024).
Although he had a good 2023 in that regard, Odighizuwa isn’t the best run defender, but he won’t be a liability either. The Vikings have been missing his pass-rushing ability for over a decade, and he should thrive in Flores’ stunts and blitzes scheme. The defensive coordinator loves “big guys that move like little guys.” Odighizuwa isn’t the biggest (for a defensive tackle, he’s still 6’2 “and 280 lbs), but he is very quick.
The defensive tackle market is a weird one. Officially, Chris Jones is at the top with a $31.75M average, but he is one of the best defenders overall and has recently played a lot like an edge rusher. After him is Christian Wilkins, who has a $27.5M price tag — already a big drop-off — and third is Nnamdi Madubuike, who has a $24.5M price tag, a bigger drop.
At only 26, Odighizuwa will receive a massive contract, but as he isn’t a “complete” player (like Chris Jones or Dexter Lawrence), he won’t top the market. He also shouldn’t surpass Wilkins’s contract but get something in Madubuike’s ballpark (4 years and $98M total).
Milton Williams, DT, Philadelphia Eagles
Williams is the hardest to project on this list. He had a career year in 2024 and will get paid come March. However, the challenge here is to see if he was a product of an insanely stacked defensive line and playing alongside Jalen Carter (meaning more one-on-one plays) or if the ways he won his reps are consistent and will translate if he is on a more prominent role.
The 2021 3rd round pick has played a rotational role every year of his career, never topping 50% of the snaps. On one hand, this is good because he has a lot of fuel in the tank, but on the other, it is another curveball as to whether he can jump from 40% to 90% of the snaps.
Topping off his great season with an excellent display in the Super Bowl will make Williams one of the most coveted defenders in free agency.
PFF’s projected contract is similar in value to Odighizuwa’s. Although they aren’t household names, they are about to enter their prime and are good options to solidify the interior of the defensive line until the end of the decade.
It’s Official on Brian Flores
You must be logged in to post a comment.