Vikings Free Agency Guide: The Short-Term Options
Heading to the last part, talking about some Minnesota Vikings’ free agency options, we now have players that won’t make many headlines or be in the team in 2026 but are important nonetheless.
Vikings Free Agency Guide: The Short-Term Options
In the last article, we debated the type of signings that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has made as the Minnesota Vikings’ general manager. However, there’s also a type of player he usually doesn’t sign — older players. It’s not that he won’t sign an old player (i.e. Stephon Gilmore), is just that he prefers to sign younger players in free agency. Even Gilmore wasn’t in the plans in March; he came as a necessity after Mekhi Blackmon hurt his knee.
And given Adofo-Mensah’s background in analytics, it makes sense. There is an age curve in which players start to lose part of their athletic ability, and spending a lot of resources on these players will usually backfire. Still, if the staff believes players like Michael Jurgens, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Taki Taimani, and Jalen Redmond can develop into good players, signing a “place-holder” to give them one more year and teach a couple of things isn’t a bad idea.
The problem is that signing with that older player won’t solve your problems in the position – you’re only pushing it to next year. And I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time to solve a couple of problems once and for all. Still, there are a couple of options if Kwesi Adofo-Mensah chooses to go this route.
Kevin Zeitler, OG, Detroit Lions
It’s no secret that the Vikings must improve in the trenches — on both sides of the ball. According to PFF, Zeitler was a top 5 guard last year, especially in run blocking. Is it easier to play when you have Penei Sewell next to you? Absolutely. But Zeitler was already a very good guard before joining the Lions; it just happened that he posted one of his best seasons at 34 years old.
If the Vikings miss on players like Trey Smith and Will Fries, Zeitler would be a very good option to go to the Draft with a guard in place.
Calais Campbell, DT, Miami Dolphins
Campbell was a player that I really wanted last offseason, but he went to Miami instead. At almost 40, he showed in 2024 that he could still be a factor in the trenches with another good season. His 12 tackles for loss and 9 QB hurries were his best since 2018 and 2019, respectively.
As I said earlier, there’s an age curve in professional sports, and the older the player gets, the harder it is to predict his body won’t “give up on him”. If Campbell decides he still has one season left in the tank, he could be an intriguing option to help the team and a younger defensive tackle room.
Brandon Scherff, OG, Jacksonville Jaguars
Another player that I really wanted to play for the Vikings, Scherff was one of the best guards in the NFL during his tenure with the Commanders. In Jacksonville, though, he wasn’t quite on the same level, but he hasn’t been awful either — he’s not one of the best.
It’s hard to know how much of his descending trajectory is due to his age or the Jaguars’ situation. Year after year, we see players not playing to the best of their abilities due to a bad situation, and the Jaguars were one of these situations in 2023 and 2024. Although Scherff isn’t the best run blocker, he’s still a more than capable pass protector, something the Vikings’ offense has been lacking for almost a decade.
Jarran Reed, DT, Seattle Seahawks
Yes, every player here is either a defensive tackle or an interior offensive lineman. Even though this is a special defensive tackle draft class, going to April with Harrison Phillips and a handful of promising but unproven players is risky. And there’s also the fact that the Vikings have four picks in the Draft.
If Campbell’s age scares the Vikings’ front office, Reed would be the next best older defensive tackle in free agency. He isn’t as good against the run as Campbell — or Jonathan Bullard — but he’s a proven commodity as an interior pass-rusher, which this team has been missing for over a decade. He has over 10 sacks, 40 pressures, and almost 30 QB hits in the last two seasons.
In a defense with edges like Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner, plus blitzers like Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace, someone who can pressure from the interior is the only thing lacking on the front seven.
Ryan Kelly, OC, Indianapolis Colts
Kelly would be an excellent replacement if the Vikings decide to part ways with Garrett Bradbury. He missed a few games last season due to injuries, and some thought he could retire, but it seems he will continue his career. A four-time pro bowler, Kelly would bring in a lot of much-needed experience when you have a young QB like J.J. McCarthy, aside from an improvement in pass protection (just one sack allowed in each of the last two seasons).
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