NFL Free Agency begins at noon, and that means it’s time for major shopping sprees among NFL teams. For the Minnesota Vikings, who are currently $24 million over the salary cap, their offseason may not bring any splashy big names, but potential cuts, trades, and restructures done prior to the start of free agency could give the team some good spending money to use.
Today, we are going to go over ten potential free agency targets for the Vikings, five each for both offense and defense.
FA Target No. 1: CB Cameron Sutton
Sutton is widely regarded as one of the top cornerbacks on the free agency market this year, and the Vikings may be in a great position to land him given that he played under new defensive coordinator Brian Flores last year.
Despite spending the past six years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sutton didn’t become a full time starter until 2021. However, he broke out last year, and proved that he can be a good to great starter when healthy. He only allowed a 50.7 completion percentage and a passer rating of 69.6 when targeted by opposing quarterbacks, and also racked up three interceptions and 15 passes defended.
Sutton’s 2022 season may have priced himself out of the Vikings’ budget, but the connection to Flores could help the purple and gold land him.
FA Target No. 2: WR D.J. Chark
The Vikings need to find a replacement for the aging, soon to be 33-year-old Adam Thielen. Enter Chark.
Though he doesn’t possess the route running skills that Thielen does, Chark’s speed (his 40 yard dash time is 4.34 seconds) can be a game changer to an already great offense, and, if signed by the Vikings, can take double teams away from Justin Jefferson. K.J. Osborn is probably better suited as a WR3, so Chark would make for an ideal WR2 on this Vikings offense. In addition, his 6-foot-4 frame will give the team another bigger target to go alongside tight end T.J. Hockenson. Chark would be a fun player to add to this offense, and he will likely be one the Vikings can afford.
Fun fact: Chark played with both Jefferson at LSU and Hockenson during his Lions stint.
FA Target No. 3: LB Tremaine Edmunds
The Vikings’ current inside linebacker group is a question mark right now. Eric Kendricks has been the face of the unit for years, but is now going to be 31 years old and showing signs of decline. Kendricks was joined last year by veteran Jordan Hicks, a fellow aging veteran who had a solid season but has also come up in trade or release rumors. With a youth movement underway in Minnesota, the Vikings can save a total of $14.5 million by cutting both linebackers.
With the emergence of rookie Brian Asamoah towards the end of last season, it’s obvious one of those holes can be filled by him. However, the Vikings would be wise to spend some money to give him a running mate. Enter current Buffalo Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
Despite the fact that he will be entering his sixth NFL season in 2023, Edmunds will only turn 25 years old during the offseason. He has started all 74 games of his career and he has been a solid player, recording 565 tackles to go along with 6.5 sacks, five interceptions, and two forced fumbles. Edmunds has also performed well in the playoffs, recording 71 tackles to go along with a sack and eight passes defended.
With Edmunds likely to command a contract that is upwards of $11 million per season, it’s very possible that the Vikings may not be able to afford him. However, they can put themselves in a good position to afford Edmunds by using the money saved from releasing both Kendricks and Hicks to sign him.
FA Target No. 4: WR Allen Lazard
Consider Lazard to be a poor man’s version of the earlier mentioned Chark. The 6-foot-5 receiver, who has spent his entire career with the Packers, possesses a big frame and a 4.5-second 40-yard dash time to go along with it.
With the departure of Davante Adams during the 2022 offseason, Lazard stepped into the number one receiver role and showed he can be a solid WR1, posting 60 catches for 788 yards and six touchdowns. Lazard would be a solid WR2 for the Vikings, but he is likely to get around $11-$12 million per season, which is probably out of the cap-strapped Vikings’ price range.
FA Target No. 5: CB Byron Murphy
As someone living in Arizona, I’ve watched lots of Cardinals games and, as a result, have seen lots of Byron Murphy. I can say that I would absolutely love to have this guy on our team.
Murphy played both on the outside and in the slot last season, and would be an excellent upgrade from the Vikings’ starting slot corner last year, Chandon Sullivan, who allowed a passer rating of 109.6 last year. Per Pro Football Focus, Murphy posted the highest grade of his career in terms of overall coverage with a 66.7 grade. However, he struggled in man coverage, allowing four touchdowns and a 134.2 passer rating in this scheme.
Given his struggles with man coverage, Murphy may not be the right fit for a Brian Flores defense, who likes his corners playing a lot of man to man. However, his ability to play well in the slot, coupled with a need for the Vikings to upgrade in that position, just may make Murphy a primary target for the team.
FA Target No. 6: Center Connor McGovern (Jets)
There are two centers named Connor McGovern currently in the NFL, and the one we are talking about here is the one who played for the New York Jets. He is already being linked to the Vikings in free agency.
McGovern would be an upgrade over first-round bust Garrett Bradbury. While Bradbury had a good rookie season and struggled to maintain consistency after that, McGovern is the opposite. Since being drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2016, McGovern has progressively gotten better every year of his career, as evidenced by Pro Football Focus. Though he will turn 30 at the start of next season, offensive linemen often play well during their 30s.
McGovern would be an affordable option to replace Bradbury. He’s also a reliable player, always playing at least 15 games a season for every year of his career thus far.
FA Target No. 7: CB Marcus Peters
Peters would be an interesting addition to a Vikings team that desperately needs veteran help in the secondary, especially if one or both of Patrick Peterson and Duke Shelley leave.
From the moment he stepped on an NFL field, Peters immediately became a top playmaker at his position. Early in his career while playing for the Chiefs and Rams, he became a gambler at his position, either making a big play or giving up one. However, since joining the Ravens in 2019, he has developed into a more well-rounded corner, making both big plays and necessary plays.
Signing Peters, however, would come with a risk. Peters missed the entire 2021 season due to a torn ACL, and then missed another four games in 2022 and didn’t appear to be his normal self. However, one thing I say about professional athletes coming off ACL tears is that it usually takes them one or two years to regain their form, so it’s entirely possible that Peters’ down 2022 season was due to his recovery from the torn ACL.
Peters would be a good and intriguing addition for the Vikings, but whether the team can afford him remains to be seen.
FA Target No. 8: OL Bradley Bozeman
If the Vikings cannot afford McGovern, Bozeman would be a good second option to upgrade the offensive line. Bozeman can also provide a lot of versatility to the offensive line, as he played guard for the Ravens from 2018 to 2020 before switching to center in 2021.
Playing for the Carolina Panthers last season, Bozeman didn’t crack the starting lineup until week 7, but he held onto his starting role after that. In addition, he won’t turn 29 until November and has only missed one game since 2019.
Bozeman will come cheap for the Vikings and, like McGovern, would be a quality replacement for Bradbury.
FA Target No. 9: DT Larry Ogunjobi
If Dalvin Tomlinson walks in free agency, Larry Ogunjobi would be an ideal replacement for him.
Though he is rather average for being a full-time starter, he was a key piece of the 2021 Cincinnati Bengals team that went to the Super Bowl (though he missed a majority of the postseason), and also played for the Steelers in 2022 under-you guessed it-Brian Flores.
Ogunjobi could be a good, cheap option for the Vikings’ interior pass rush, and Flores knows him well. In fact, Ogunjobi is best at rushing the passer, having accumulated 23 sacks and 176 pressures over his career. His pass rushing abilities would be a massive upgrade over those of both Tomlinson and fellow defensive tackle Harrison Phillips.
FA Target No. 10: Guard Dalton Risner
I hate to say this as a fan of the Boise State Broncos college football team, but it is time to replace the serviceable-at-best Ezra Cleveland, who has become one of the most penalized players at his position and is average-at-best at pass-blocking in a pass-first offense.
Enter Dalton Risner, who at age 27 is only going to get better as a player. Not only does he provide great youth, he is also a great pass-blocker, which would make him a perfect fit for Kevin O’Connell’s offense. With a possible offensive roster overhaul set to occur in Denver, it’s likely that new coach Sean Payton will want to bring in his own players. Oh wait, did I say Sean Payton? He will likely re-sign or franchise tag Risner to prevent the Vikings from signing him.
Risner is projected to make a maximum of $10 million per season, so he may be out of the Vikings’ price range in terms of a long-term deal, unless necessary restructures, cuts, and trades are made.
Who do you think the Vikings should pursue in free agency? Did I leave off any other notable names the team should target? Comment your thoughts below, and read some of our other articles on this website.
