These 14 Vikings Players Remain Free Agents
NFL free agency is about three days old, and the Minnesota Vikings have not disappointed per player movement.
These 14 Vikings Players Remain Free Agents
Minnesota has added Ryan Kelly (C), Will Fries (G), Jonathan Allen (DT), Javon Hargrave (DT), and Isaiah Rodgers (CB) so far. The team also re-signed Pro Bowl cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.
The Vikings’ original list of free agents topped out around 26 players, and after re-signing Theo Jackson (S), Aaron Jones (RB), the aforementioned Murphy Jr., and Ryan Wright (P), the list is down to 14.
These are those men.
Nos. 14-5:
The Ancillary Players
These players have not signed anywhere in the NFL during free agency as of March 12th at 4:00 pm CST.
- Jonathan Bullard (DT)
- Dan Feeney (G/C)
- Stephon Gilmore (CB)
- Shaquill Griffin (CB)
- Kamu Grugier-Hill (LB)
- Fabian Moreau (CB)
- Brandon Powell (WR)
- David Quessenberry (OT)
- Jerry Tillery (DT)
- Jihad Ward (OLB)
The Vikings can still re-sign some of these men, and it’s reasonable to assume that 2-4 might return for 2025. Griffin, Grugier-Hill, Powell, and Ward, especially, make sense.
The Heavier Hitters
4. Cam Akers (RB)
Akers’ status is important because it will tip the Vikings’ hand at running back + the 2025 NFL Draft.
If Minnesota does not re-sign Akers, it is all but guaranteed to draft a running back or two in April. Too, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has traded for Akers in back-to-back regular seasons, so if the Vikings want their man again, they should just sign him outright in free agency. Save the late-round draft picks.
3. Dalton Risner (G)
Risner’s free agency notoriously lags in comparison to other players, but if the Vikings want him back, they could showcase this sweet offensive line in September:
LT: Christian Darrisaw
LG: Dalton Risner
C: Ryan Kelly
RG: Will Fries
RT: Brian O’Neill
2. Cam Robinson (OT)
Robinson’s status is vital because he’ll play into the NFL’s complicated compensatory draft pick formula.
Vikings fans should “cheer” for Robinson to grab a fat contract, as that will bump up the probability of adding more than one 2026 compensatory draft pick.
Robinson will sign somewhere as a starting OT sooner rather than later.
1. Harrison Smith (S)
And the exclamation point — fans want to know if Smith will retire or return for one more hurrah.
Based on the Vikings’ free-agent moves, it’s a smart bet to assume Smith will be back one more time. Otherwise, Adofo-Mensah probably would’ve added an extra safety by now.
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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