Vikings Free Agency Enters Phase 2 with Key Questions
Free agency is about ebbs and flows as teams lose and add key players. We’re now in the second week of free agency, which signals the start of Phase 2 in the free agency cycle.
The big bucks early signings have taken place involving highly sought players such as center Tyler Linderbaum, DE Trey Hendrickson, WRs Mike Evans and Alec Pierce, and Edges Jaelan Phillips and Odafe Oweh. Daniel Jones was re-signed in Indy on a two-year deal that could reach $100 million with incentives.
Kyler Murray’s signing by the Vikings was in Phase 1, and he is certainly a significant addition. It was a bargain deal for the Purple at only $1.3 million (the league minimum) this year, while the Cardinals pay Murray $36.8 million, guaranteed for 2026. That was a big free agency win for the Vikings since he’s the likely 2026 starter over J.J. McCarthy if Murray stays healthy. The re-signing of LB Eric Wilson last week was also a win for the team.
What Phase 2 of Free Agency Means for the Vikings’ Roster Plan
A potentially significant loss would be the departure of third WR Jalen Nailor to the Raiders (three years, $35 million) if the Vikings don’t find a capable replacement via free agency, the draft, or significant Year 2 improvement from 2025 third-rounder Tai Felton.
The Vikings launched Phase 2 with the signing of a new punter, which looks like a negative development in the long run. Six-time All-Pro Johnny Hekker signed a contract that is surely less in guaranteed money than departing Ryan Wright’s $8 million guaranteed in his four-year, $3.5 million per year deal with the Saints.
Hekker is 36 years old, 11 years older than Wright, who is coming off a fine season with better stats than Hekker (who still had a respectable 46.8 gross average with 22 punts inside the 20 in Tennessee, but Wright was at 49.0 for gross average with 25 inside the 20). Both Hekker and Wright are fine holders in the kicking game.
Wright’s 2026 cap hit is only $1.875 million, so it seems like the Vikings could have stepped up to get a much younger player in Wright signed to keep the same three successful specialists in the kicking game — Wright (as the punter and holder), kicker Will Reichard, and snapper Andrew DePaola (who did re-sign).
They may well have tried hard to keep Wright and lost him in part because Wright had a New Orleans connection from playing college football at Tulane.
Another Vikings signing this week that could turn out positive involves Bills offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark, who is a restricted free agent. He was tendered by Buffalo, which means they can retain Van Demark by matching the Vikings’ offer in the next five days of a one-year deal for $4.25 million.
The Vikings are hoping Van Demark will be a better backup tackle than Justin Skule was last year, and Van Demark is more highly regarded. It’s an important spot for the Vikings, given the recent injury histories of starting tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill (Skule started 9 games last season).
It’s somewhat disappointing that the Vikings have not yet signed a new center to replace the retired Ryan Kelly. They could be pointing to the draft or this Phase 2 of free agency to address this critical position.
After signing Aaron Jones to a reduced contract, it appears the team will look to the draft for a young, explosive back to go with Jones, Jordan Mason, and Zavier Scott as the running back corps.
Also on the to-do list: after releasing vet DTs Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, the team needs to add a veteran defensive lineman or draft one in the early rounds (from the four picks in the first three rounds) to play alongside a young star in Jalen Redmond and two promising recent draftees — Levi Drake Rodriguez and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins.
Safety remains an area of concern and a likely target in the first couple of rounds of next month’s draft, along with a talented young corner and more quality O-line depth in the late rounds.
There’s also an apparent contract issue with Jonathan Greenard, who is rumored to be seeking a big extension on his current $19 million-per-year deal, signed in 2024 and with two years remaining. With the league’s top pass rushers in the $40 million-plus range, Greenard obviously is seeking a substantial raise.
Will the Vikings trade him, keep him and risk a holdout, or renegotiate with a player who had shoulder surgery late in the season and missed five games last season while having his sack total drop from 12 in 2024 to three in 2025?
I think they should keep Greenard this season and sweeten his current deal with some major sack incentives while asking him to wait until next year for an extension. He’s an elite pass rusher when he’s healthy, and perhaps the best approach for the team is to wait until next year to either extend or trade him, while they see how this coming season plays out for him and the team.
By then, Dallas Turner will be another year into his career, having made big strides last season. I’d like to see Greenard, Turner, and Andrew Van Ginkel play together in passing situations as one of the league’s top trios (and I’m sure Brian Flores would concur with that scenario).
Around the NFL Free Agency/Trade Observations
As usual, there’s a lot of media chatter on winners and losers in early free agency. The reality is we have to wait and see how things play out over a couple of years before making accurate assessments of how teams have done in free agency, trades, and the draft.
Topping my list of teams appearing to have done well are the Rams after their trade with the Chiefs for All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie and the further addition of corner Jaylen Watson in a free agent signing to solidify the weakest position on their roster.
The Kenneth Walker III signing by the Chiefs to add an impactful running back to the offense also could be a difference maker in a wide-open AFC.
Miami is on the other end of the spectrum and appears to be pointing to 2027 rather than this coming season with their moves under new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley.
The Dolphins are absorbing over $100 million in dead money hits to their salary cap this year after releasing QB Tua Tagovailoa and WR Tyreek Hill and trading WR Jaylen Waddle. They also lost their leading pass rusher, Bradley Chubb, to division-rival Buffalo in free agency.
The signing of QB Malik Willis is not enough to excite the Dolphins fan base, and Willis will have to play great (with a suspect receiving corps as of now after the departures of Hill and Waddle), or the Dolphins will likely pick a first-round QB next year from a highly rated draft class.
You must be logged in to post a comment.