A Pair of Vikings Make the Cut as NFL Free Agency Awaits
NFL free agency is soon to arrive, down to weeks rather than months. The chatter around football is thus offering up plenty of top free agents lists.
A noteworthy example emerged from Gregg Rosenthal of the NFL website. A total of 101 players get dropped down into the mix, with a pair of Vikings getting looped into the discussion. At No. 70 is receiver Jalen Nailor and at No. 95 is linebacker Eric Wilson.
Pair of Vikings Listed on NFL’s Top 101 FAs
Consider a central truth that every team needs to remember: the best contracts pay for future performance, not past performance.
In Nailor, the league will get to consider someone who has often demonstrated high-end talent and work ethic but hasn’t ever cleared 5oo yards in a single season. A team may nevertheless see someone who is about to explode if the right opportunity arises. Likewise, Wilson is someone who offers a ton of ability, but one wonders if he can replicate — much less surpass — what he did last season.
Consider the accompanying blurb for Jalen Nailor.
From Rosenthal: “Nailor was stuck behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and didn’t have a quarterback who could throw to the middle of the field in his contract year. He has fans as a speedy slot receiver.”
Bringing Jefferson and Addison into the mix makes sense, but note that there’s a two-way street that’s coming into play. Yes, the WR1 and WR2 in Minnesota stole targets, but they also stole defensive backs’ attention. Nailor therefore got easier looks than if he had been the top option.
Plus, Nailor is more than a slot a receiver even if that ends up being his primary home in a new spot. Last season, Nailor has 382 snaps in the slot, 268 snaps out wide, 2 snaps inline, and 1 in the backfield (PFF). Some of those AFC heavyweights like Kansas City, Baltimore, and Buffalo make sense.
Whoever signs Jalen Nailor may end up getting a pass catcher who can win deep, pile up around 750 yards, and score 10+ touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Eric Wilson snags a brief analysis. The Rosenthal assessment: “Wilson’s blitzing breakout season in Brian Flores’ Vikings defense was such a blast to watch that it would’ve felt wrong leaving him off this list.”
First, it wasn’t just blitzing as an off-ball linebacker. Wilson lined up as an edge rusher and often performed quite well despite being smaller.
No doubt, though, Rosenthal is correct that the explosion from Mr. Wilson was fun. What’s fascinating is whether he’ll be able to offer a repeat performance. If so, does he get the chance to do so in the Twin Cities?
The Vikings are working with a very thin linebacker spot. LB1 Blake Cashman is still around, but he’s entering the final year of his contract, has battled some injury, and is going to be 30 in May.
Does it make sense to drop medium money into Wilson, a 31-year-old linebacker coming off a career-best season? Only if the contract pays for future play and not what was a perfect storm last year. Retaining Brian Flores makes a new deal for the veteran more likely.
At the very top of the free agent list is QB Malik Willis. Ending up in Minnesota would mean competing for the top job alongside J.J. McCarthy. Plenty of speculation that Willis will leave Wisconsin behind for Minnesota.
The Vikings are in a ton of cap debt, but there are various ways that money can get cleared out to make the finances workable.
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