The Minnesota Vikings’ offseason is in full swing, cleaning up at the NFL’s Award Ceremony (Kevin O’Connell, Jared Allen) on Thursday night and preparing for free agency, which is about four weeks away.
Vikings Offseason: Kwesi Has 5 Main Problems to Solve
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah completed his competitive rebuild last offseason and now is the time to pursue a Super Bowl.
So, on the whole, these are the five main problems that Adofo-Mensah must solve this offseason, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = most important).
5. The Safety Matter
Here’s Minnesota’s safety conundrum in a nutshell:
- Harrison Smith could retire.
- Camryn Bynum could depart via free agency.
- Josh Metellus and Jay Ward would be on tap to start if so.
Adofo-Mensah must backfill Smith’s retirement or Bynum’s departure. Thankfully, safety isn’t quite a premium position like cornerback or EDGE rusher.
4. Two-Pronged Attack at RB
Minnesota must re-sign Aaron Jones or add one of these players via free agency:
- Javonte Williams
- Najee Harris
- Jaylen Warren
- Rico Dowdle
- J.K. Dobbins
Then, if the front office is smart, it should use the NFL draft to choose a running back in an extremely deep class:
- Omarion Hampton (North Carolina)
- TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State)
- Kaleb Johnson (Iowa)
- Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State)
- Cam Skattebo (Arizona State)
- Devin Neal (Kansas)
- Ollie Gordon II (Oklahoma State)
- Dylan Sampson (Tennessee)
3. Improve the Damn Trenches
Minnesota surrendered 9 sacks in its playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, exposed under a national spotlight. It also lost the NFC North to a team with superior trenches on offense and defense.
The Vikings already have enough playmakers on offense and think they have a QB1 in J.J. McCarthy.
Adofo-Mensah must make the trenches beefy. The Detroit Lions do it; so do the Philadelphia Eagles. Those two teams were the cream of the crop in the NFC all season long.
Copy them.
2. Find a Franchise Cornerback
These cornerbacks are under contract for the 2025 Vikings:
- Mekhi Blackmon
- Dwight McGlothern
- NaJee Thompson
- Reddy Steward
- Kahlef Hailassie
- Nahshon Wright
- Ambry Thomas
The franchise needs a free agent or two like this:
- Byron Murphy
- D.J. Reed
- Charvarius Ward
- Asante Samuel Jr.
- Rasul Douglas
- Paulson Adebo
Or a draft pick like this:
- Shavon Revel Jr. (East Carolina)
- Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame)
- Jahdae Barron (Texas)
- Trey Amos (Ole Miss)
1. Prepare J.J. McCarthy for Week 1
McCarthy is on track health-wise for spring and summer activities.
The only thing that matters about Vikings football for the foreseeable future is whether McCarthy transforms into a Top 10 quarterback. Think about it — that’s all that truly matters right now.
If he’s a Top 10er, Minnesota is set for a decade-plus. If he’s not, well, it’s back to the drawing board in a few years, probably with a new general manager.
Get the man ready for Week 1 of 2025 with no debates or competitions. Nominate him as “the guy.”
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 Vikings 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.