20 Vikings Free Agent Targets — Based on Kwesi Clues
The 2024 Minnesota Vikings were supposed to win six or seven games in 2024, a season that most considered a springboard to 2025 and beyond.
20 Vikings Free Agent Targets — Based on Kwesi Clues
Instead, they won 14.
Now, the franchise will hope to maintain or improve the 14-win standard of living, and the first stop for 2025 team-building is about a week and a half away — free agency.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has led the Vikings for three years, displaying a “type” in free agency, as evidenced by his previous offseasons.
So, these are the Adofo-Mensah free agency traits and players who could meet the criterion.
It’s worth noting that Adofo-Mensah has about $63 million to use in free agency, his most, by far, as the Vikings’ boss.
The 25-27 Age Range
Adofo-Mensah has shown an ardor for welcoming players to Minnesota in a specific age range — 25 to 27.
The tactic makes sense amid his competitive rebuild process, which the Vikings completed last offseason. He seeks players embarking on their prime. Byron Murphy Jr. and Harrison Phillips are recent examples.
2025 Free Agent Examples:
Will Fries (OG)
Jevon Holland (S)
Talanoa Hufanga (S)
Javonte Williams (RB)
Trevon Moehrig (S)
Unfazed by Injury History
This brand of Vikings enjoys buying low on players with an injury history. Sometimes it works — Andrew Van Ginkel. In other circumstances, it does not — Marcus Davenport.
But Adofo-Mensah is unafraid to bet against re-injury.
2025 Free Agent Examples:
J.K. Dobbins (RB)
Teven Jenkins (OG)
Paulson Adebo (CB)
Talanoa Hufanga (S)
Levi Onwuzurike (DT)
Contracts with Best Value
Adofo-Mensah has made no secret of seeking value deals in free agency. Some notable occasions were Byron Murphy Jr. in 2023 and Shaquill Griffin in 2024.
The young general manager gives his value speech at least once per year in front of a microphone.
2025 Free Agent Examples:
Paulson Adebo (CB)
J.K. Dobbins (RB)
Mike Jackson (CB)
Talanoa Hufanga (S)
Javonte Williams (RB)
Trevon Moehrig (S)
Always a Veteran Linebacker
In his last three offseasons — so each time with the Vikings — Adofo-Mensah onboarded a veteran linebacker. Jordan Hicks, Troy Reeder, Blake Cashman, and Kamu Gruger-Hill are the men lately.
Look for one inside linebacker to land in Minnesota if Grugier-Hill isn’t re-signed.
2025 Free Agent Examples:
Jerome Baker (LB)
Robert Spillane (LB)
Players with Ties to Kevin O’Connell, Brian Flores
Perhaps the most populated field this go-round, the Vikings often add players with past connections to Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores — Johnny Mundt, Brandon Powell, Andrew Van Ginkel, etc.
2025 Free Agent Examples:
Tutu Atwell (WR)
Jevon Holland (S)
Jerome Baker (LB)
Cooper Kupp (WR)
Adam Thielen (WR)***
Van Jefferson (WR)
Robert Woods (WR)
Sebastian Joseph-Day (DT)
Good Players … about to Break Out
Harrison Phillips in 2022 is a prime example of a player “just needing snaps” to take off. Adofo-Mensah grabs those commodities often. Blake Cashman, for example, fit the profile last year.
2025 Free Agent Examples:
Will Fries (OG)
Trevon Moehrig (S)
Milton Williams (DT)
Hometown or Proximity Connection
This one doesn’t happen all the time, but the Vikings seem to enjoy players with a hometown or collegiate connection like the aforementioned Cashman, who attended the University of Minnesota.
2025 Free Agent Examples:
Adam Thielen (WR)***
Former High-Round Draft Picks
From the Jalen Reagor trade, to Ross Blacklock a few years ago, to Jerry Tillery last year, Adofo-Mensah seems to enjoy players with former high-round draft capital.
2025 Free Agent Examples:
Jevon Holland (S)
Trevon Moehrig (S)
Teven Jenkins (OG)
Javonte Williams (RB)
Never Breaks the Bank on the “Top Guy”
Finally, although this could change in 2025 because the Vikings, alas, have impressive cap space, this version of the purple team’s front office hardly ever unloads the money truck for the top free agent at his position.
For instance, the club did not sign Christian Wilkins last year.
Therefore, Adofo-Mensah seeks the compromise alternative, another representation of the players with the best value.
2025 Free Agent Examples:
Paulson Adebo (CB)
J.K. Dobbins (RB)
Mike Jackson (CB)
Talanoa Hufanga (S)
Javonte Williams (RB)
Trevon Moehrig (S)
*** Adam Thielen is still under contract but is a possible cut candidate for the Panthers.
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 MIN 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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.