Vikings Free Agency Shows Growth from Past Mistakes
Free agency officially opens on Wednesday, March 11, but the legal tampering window started on Monday, March 9. That allows for teams to start putting figures together, but contracts don’t become official until the new league year begins.
The next big signing expected for the Minnesota Vikings should come in the form of released Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. Of course, the deal won’t be sizable, but the impact certainly should be.
This Time, the Vikings Avoided the Usual March Trap
With the Cardinals on the hook for more than $36 million, his new employer needs to pay just the $1.3 million veteran minimum.
With James Pierre signed to an $8.5 million contract, the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is the only significant signing Minnesota has made so far. For some, that doesn’t sit right.
Teams like the Raiders, Titans, and Panthers went gangbusters during the opening of free agency. When the league year starts and all the deals become official, their bank accounts will see a significant decrease in liquidity. That’s not necessarily a Vikings problem, though.
Sure, Minnesota needs a center, running back, and more help on defense. After watching Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spend to make up for all of his draft blunders, though, do you really want gaudy deals for Tyler Linderbaum, Kenneth Walker, or Travis Etienne? The answer should be a hard no.
Looking at the teams that spent significantly and quickly out of the gate, there is a very clear trend. They aren’t typically seen as very good, or intelligent, for that matter.
The Raiders dropped nearly $300 million to this point, and now they need to figure out how Maxx Crosby fits back in the fold after the Baltimore Ravens nixed a trade. They have the top pick in the draft because they’ve been terrible, and now Jalen Nailor is set to be one of Fernando Mendoza’s top targets.
Being disappointed that the Vikings didn’t spend just for the sake of spending really shouldn’t be a thing. They have nine picks in April and a more competent war room with Adofo-Mensah removed. They still have time to spend as well and can make shrewder additions like Pierre’s.
The Minnesota Vikings went all in on adding to the bottom line last offseason, and it wound up not paying dividends. After navigating the cap situation they were in this offseason, bloating the roster for the sake of doing so again makes very little sense.
Minnesota didn’t dive all the way into the action out of the gate, but it’s worth waiting to see how the situation works itself out.
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