22% of Vikings Starters Left This Offseason
The Minnesota Vikings have welcomed roughly 12 newcomers this offseason, emphasizing the offensive and defensive trenches in free agency.
22% of Vikings Starters Left This Offseason
The club is expected to target the best player available in the draft with pick No. 24, as all major roster needs have been filled for the long term in the last two weeks.
Meanwhile, about 20 players departed via free agency or have not yet re-signed — seven of them starters, or 22%. These are those men listed alphabetically.
1. Garrett Bradbury (C)
New Team = New England Patriots
Replacement = Ryan Kelly
After six seasons, Minnesota, alas, said sayonara to Bradbury, its 1st-Round draft pick from 2019.
Bradbury performed exceptionally well via run blocking as a Viking but notoriously struggled with pass protection. He’ll replace outgoing veteran center David Andrews on Drake Maye’s team.
Four-time Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly is in the house for Minnesota.
2. Jonathan Bullard (DT)
New Team = Free Agency
Replacement = Javon Hargrave
Bullard has not signed anywhere in the NFL just yet, and in fact, could return to the Vikings as a depth defender.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah exploded at defensive tackle in free agency, onboarding Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, which seemed to cancel Bullard’s fourth season in the Twin Cities.
3. Camryn Bynum (S)
New Team = Indianapolis Colts
Replacement = Theo Jackson
Bynum grabbed $60 million over four years from the Colts, and the Vikings weren’t in the mood to overpay at the safety spot, a position considered by many as non-premium.
So, Minnesota promoted Theo Jackson, who re-upped with Brian Flores and friends on an affordable contract. The 2025 safety group will include Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus, and Jackson.
4. Sam Darnold (QB)
New Team = Seattle Seahawks
Replacement = J.J. McCarthy
When one peels back the layers of Sam Darnold’s new contract in Seattle, it’s really just an expensive one-year trial.
He’ll have the opportunity to throw the rock as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Kenneth Walker, and Zach Charbonnet this fall while Minnesota finally embarks on an era with a rookie quarterback.
This is obviously the most significant change on the list.
5. Stephon Gilmore (CB)
New Team = Free Agency
Replacement = Isaiah Rodgers | Mekhi Blackmon
Gilmore could retire after an illustrious career. He mentioned the possibility earlier this offseason.
So, the Vikings will pivot to Isaiah Rodgers, Mekhi Blackmon, Jeff Okudah, or a rookie cornerback to be named later. Everyone kind of knew Gilmore joining the Vikings last summer happened because Blackmon tore his ACL and Khyree Jackson passed away, and indeed, the arrangement lasted a year.
It’s time for youth at cornerback.
6. Dalton Risner (LG)
New Team = Free Agency
Replacement = Will Fries
This always happens to Risner.
He gets no nibbles in free agency and must wait until the late spring or summer to sign with a new team. The offseason is no different.
His job in Minnesota is no longer available, as Fries is an immediate and emphatic solution to the Vikings’ longstanding guard woes. There’s always a chance that Risner returns to take Blake Brandel’s job, but that seems unlikely as of mid-March.
7. Jerry Tillery (DT)
New Team = Kansas City Chiefs
Replacement = Jonathan Allen
Perhaps the most significant upgrade on the list, Tillery will morph into a depth defensive tackle for the Super Bowl runner-up Chiefs, and Jonathan Allen is in the mix as his replacement.
Allen is a massive upgrade to Tillery per production, and with Javon Hargrave in play, Minnesota finally has dazzling interior defensive linemen.
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.
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