Vikings Sign Speedster at WR
The Minnesota Vikings continued their free-agent spending spree on Wednesday, finally adding a potential WR3 for the 2025 depth chart.
Vikings Sign Speedster at WR
Rondale Moore signed in the Twin Cities, the latest arrival after general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah also added cornerback Jeff Okudah and wideout Tim Jones this week.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted, “The Vikings have agreed to terms with WR Rondale Moore, who took his first visit last week to Minnesota. He was a big-time playmaker in Arizona who suffered a serious leg injury last summer in Atlanta.”
It’s a done deal for Moore.
Rondale Moore Background
Moore met with the Chicago Bears, New York Jets, and Tennessee Titans amid his free-agent tour but ultimately chose Minnesota, his first stop on the trip. He evidently preferred the purple team for his career’s second chapter.
Moore is 5’7″ + 180 pounds and will contend for a WR3 or WR4 job this summer, perhaps filling the role previously held by Brandon Powell. He also provides special teams skills, and without Powell, who remains unsigned, Moore could return kicks or punts in 2025.
The Cardinals scooped Moore from Round 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft, the same day the Vikings drafted Kellen Mond, Patrick Jones II, and Wyatt Davis, among others. At the time, Cardinals faithful considered him the next big thing, though his career has not taken off to date.
He ran a 4.28 forty-yard dash leading up to the draft four years ago.
Moore has tallied 135 receptions and 1,201 receiving yards in 39 career games, along with 4 total touchdowns. He didn’t play at all last season due to a season-ending knee injury at Cardinals training camp. It’s been a theme this offseason for Adofo-Mensah, finding value via previously injured players with juicy upside.
Vikings.com‘s Lindsey Young noted Moore’s athleticism this week: “Moore also was a ‘dominant’ middle school wrestler and was dunking basketballs in high school.”
“Moore grew up down the street from former NBA shooting guard Romeo Langford, and the two played basketball together through their freshman year of high school at New Albany (Indiana). Moore then transferred to Trinity High School in Louisville, Kentucky, where he was a four-star football recruit.”
How Moore Fits with Vikings
Heading into the 2025 offseason, most believed Minnesota’s WR room didn’t need much repair, equipped with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on the billboard.
The Moore addition, however, is quite significant, especially if he claws his way up the depth chart to WR3.
This is Minnesota’s WR group, with Moore and Jones as the newcomers in bold:
WR1: Justin Jefferson
WR2: Jordan Addison
WR3: Jalen Nailor
WR4: Rondale Moore
WR4: Tim Jones
WR5: Jeshaun Jones
WR6: Thayer Thomas
WR7: Lucky Jackson
This group generally expands to 10 or 11 players by the summer, so more pass-catchers will be on the way, likely from undrafted free agency.
All the Free Agent Movement
Before Moore, the Vikings notably added Ryan Kelly (C), Will Fries (G), Jonathan Allen (DT), Javon Hargrave (DT), Jordan Mason (RB, trade), Isaiah Rodgers (CB), and Jeff Okudah (CB) in free agency, along with extensions for Aaron Jones (RB), Byron Murphy Jr. (CB), Theo Jackson (S), and Harrison Smith (S).
It’s incredible free-agent activity, as Adofo-Mensah constructs a roster worthy of Super Bowl contention, especially if one assumes that signal-caller J.J. McCarthy has the oomph to develop into a Top 12 quarterback.
Other free-agent newcomers include Tavierre Thomas (CB), Bubba Bolden (S), Justin Skule (OT), and Eric Wilson (LB).
Is This It at WR?
Still equipped with $32 million in cap space, Minnesota could, in theory, spring for another high-profile wide receiver, though the Moore signing might be it until the draft.
These are the other alternatives in free agency’s second wave:
- Nelson Agholor
- D.J. Chark
- Brandin Cooks
- Amari Cooper
- Stefon Diggs
- Diontae Johnson
- Tyler Lockett
- Robert Woods
Ironically, the Vikings live in an advantageous spot with the 24th pick in the draft to entertain the selection of a wideout like Matthew Golden (Texas) or Luther Burden III (Missouri). Choosing a wide receiver, on the whole, is unlikely because of Jefferson and Addison’s presence on the depth chart, but with Minnesota addressing all roster needs before the draft, the franchise can truly pick the best player available on April 24th. Golden or Burden III could fit the criteria.
Jones will turn 25 this summer.
Steelers Sign Ex-Vikings Defender
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.
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