Vikings Free Agency Guide: The “Wall Street” Edition
In the first part of this free agency discussion, I talked about the big-name players — Trey Smith, Jevon Holland, D.J. Redd, and so on. We now go into part two: the low-price/high-reward type of players. In the three years since his hiring, we have all heard about Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s background on Wall Street.
Vikings Free Agency Guide: The “Wall Street” Edition
This means that, more than most GMs, he understands the importance of spending your resources carefully. Last year’s free agency is a good example of that, with him letting Danielle Hunter walk (he signed a $49M deal) and replacing him with Jonathan Greenard, a younger and cheaper option. In the three free agency periods he had as the Vikings’ GM, he has not signed one of the “premium” players.
One thing to consider is the cap space he had to work with during those years. He inherited one of the worst cap situations in 2022 and spent the last few years working on that. The result — the Vikings are 7th in cap space with almost $60M to spend. It’s also important to say that having 60 million in cap space doesn’t mean that he must — or will — use all of that right away. Three of the biggest contracts for the future (Justin Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw, and Jonathan Greenard) have the vast majority of the money in the backend of the deal.
The 2024 free agency is a very good example of what a “Wall Street” player could be — from a young, ascending player you believe has a high ceiling but is not there yet. A very good player who battled with injuries throughout his career but you believe can stay healthy. An under-the-radar player that you know can do exactly what you need. A player a little older but hasn’t reached that descending point in his career. A high pick that didn’t reach his potential on his former team. Now replace the phrases with Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Aaron Jones.
The Vikings having more money to spend means that if they believe there’s value in paying top-of-the-market money to a player like Trey Smith, they can do this. But the constant search for value made Kwesi Adofo-Mensah the Minnesota Vikings’ GM.
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
A former fifth-round pick out of Memphis, Gainwell spent his tenure in Philadelphia as a backup – which is normal for a fifth-round pick). The good thing is that his legs are extremely fresh, totaling only 280 rushes in his career. Gainwell is a solid back and can be a threat running routes as well. Aside from being very cheap, he will be just 26 years old and can be a good option in the backfield. Even if Aaron Jones returns, guaranteeing two capable running backs before the draft is brilliant.
Van Jefferson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Van Jefferson is familiar with most of the Vikings’ offensive staff, playing under them with the Rams in 2021. The Vikings have one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL in Jefferson and Addison, and Kevin O’Connell likes Jalen Nailor as his WR3. Still, Jefferson could be a target with Brandon Powell and Trent Sherfield set to his free agency.
His role would probably be exactly what they ask of Sherfield, and they are extremely similar. They are both 6’1, have around the same weight, are the same age, and are built similarly. To me, though, Van Jefferson is a little better at catching the ball (both are usually used to run block). He is familiar with the offense due to his relationship with O’Connell and Wes Phillips, and I’m sure they would know how to integrate him into the offense.
Will Fries, OG, Indianapolis Colts
Trey Smith is the big prize of free agency, but there are a lot of good “consolation” prizes out there. The best of the second tier is Will Fries. He had a rough start to his career but steadily improved every year, particularly in pass protection.
He was having a fantastic start to his 2024 campaign but unfortunately fractured his tibia in Week 5. A fractured tibia is a serious injury and will be a talking point amid contract discussions. The usual recovery time from an injury like this is between 4 to 6 months, but it can take longer sometimes. With his injury in early October, his availability for training camp should be good, but he would have to recover during OTAs and minicamp.
If the medical team clears him and the staff believes Fries can return to his trajectory before the injury, he would be a very good addition to the offensive line.
Teven Jenkins, OG, Chicago Bears
As I said, there are many good options besides Trey Smith. A former right tackle, Jenkins transitioned to left guard and was one of the few bright spots on the Bears’ offensive line. He didn’t have a serious injury like Will Fries, but rather, he had a bunch of minor injuries.
Jenkins still has some things to improve on, but he is one of those physical players that NFL teams love to have. He’s also a very athletic and smart ‘player, doing a good job in blitzes and pulls. If he can clean up his footwork and improve his technique, he can drastically improve the interior of the offensive line.
Mekhi Becton, OG, Philadelphia Eagles
Becton, the second Eagles player on this list, is one of the most interesting players in this free-agency class. Becton was a first-round pick by the Jets back in 2020, but it didn’t work out there. He signed a one-year deal with the Eagles and switched to guard.
One of the things that make Becton such an interesting player is where he’s going to play. He was drafted to play offensive tackle but wasn’t the player the Jets hoped for; he then slid to guard and was way better. Was he better because he was playing in one of the best offensive lines in the league, coached by one of the best in the business? This is something for the scouts and coaching staff to discuss. But where will Becton play? There is more money to make as an offensive tackle, but he played well inside, and the guard market is growing a lot.
He is one massive human at 6’7 “and 363 lbs and can maul defenders off the line. In the passing game, with less space to go around him, he was better in 2024. Signing him is betting that his 2024 was just the start, and he can do even better with another offseason of practice.
Nate Hobbs, CB, Las Vegas Raiders
The Vikings have some significant needs this offseason, none as important as cornerback. With only Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern on the roster, the Vikings must allocate resources to the position. And this is true for both starters and depth pieces.
Hobbs can be a good option to be the slot CB, something he did with the Raiders. He has the size of an outside corner but played inside through most of his career. He is solid in coverage, willing to throw a shoulder in the run game, and a good blitzer. Hobbs will be only 26 this season, but it is a safe bet with a good upside.
Paulson Adebo, CB, New Orleans Saints
Adebo looked like the heir apparent to Marshon Lattimore in New Orleans with a very good 2023 and a better start to the 2024 season. Just like Will Fries, this was cut short by a big injury, breaking his femur in Week 7. Adebo looks to be recovering well and, also similar to Fries, should be healthy prior to training camp.
A very good ball-hawker, Adebo could thrive in a scheme that likes to often force QB into bad decisions. His price tag will be lower because of his injury, making him a very good value signing to this defense.
Jeremy Chinn, DB, Washington Commanders
Chinn is a player that I have liked since his Draft, and this sentiment only got bigger when he was with the Panthers (who can forget when he scored back-to-back touchdowns against the Vikings?). He wasn’t quite the same player during the end of his tenure in Carolina but had a nice bounce-back season under Dan Quinn in Washington.
Jeremy Chinn is still a young player who can play anywhere in the backfield and is a good blitzer. He may be a redundant signing because of Josh Metellus, who is also a jack-of-all-trades player but would bring another level of misdirection for opposing offenses.
Andre Cisco, DB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Cisco was a solid young safety who showed a ton of promise during his first three years in Jacksonville. His last year, though, was rough. Just like the rest of the Jaguars team, his 2024 was disappointing. Still, he has the athleticism and playmaking ability to be an important contributor to a defense.
Just like I said about Jeremy Chinn having a rebound season with the Washington Commanders, a change of scenery can be good for Cisco to regain the poise he showed early in his career.
Julian Blackmon, DB, Indianapolis Colts
Blackmon had a quieter season compared to 2023. Part of this can be credited to a role change under former coordinator Gus Bradley, who put him in an almost exclusively deep safety role. Blackmon was one of the best safeties in 2023 when he lined up everywhere.
Brian Flores loves versatile players who can move all over the field. With a need to get younger in the position — or maybe having to replace both Cam Bynum and Harrison Smith — players like Cisco and Blackmon can be good fits for this defense.
Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Detroit Lions
Onwuzurike and Alim McNeil are from the same Draft class, with the former being the higher pick. With a rough rookie season and a back injury that sidelined him the whole 2022 year, he lost space to McNeil. With all of the injuries the Lions’ defense had during this last season, he played in 16 games, started in 10, and was finally able to show his potential coming to the league.
He could be a nice addition to the interior of the defensive line as a three-down player who can be productive against the run and the pass. As a young player who started to figure things out recently, he could be a Jonathan Greenard-type signing, and he would be cheaper. If he can consistently play like he did against the Vikings in Week 18, he can help take this pass rush to an even higher level.
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