Eight weeks of the Minnesota Vikings’ offseason are within the books. NFL free agency is in full swing, and the 2025 NFL Draft is lower than six weeks away.
The three Finest Choices of the Vikings Offseason So Far
The membership has added new free brokers, re-signed in-house gamers, and even shipped guard Ed Ingram to the Houston Texans through commerce.
So, to degree set, these are the Vikings’ three finest offseason choices so far. They’re ranked in ascending order (No. 1=finest choice to date).
3. Extending Kevin O’Connell
Minnesota locked O’Connell in for an additional 4 years — 5 complete if one counts the 2025 season — proper after the membership misplaced to the Los Angeles Rams within the postseason.
Erreneous studies swirled main as much as that recreation and shortly thereafter that O’Connell and his illustration had been disgruntled with the Vikings’ possession, so the extension batted away that nonsense in a rush.
O’Connell has the NFL’s sixth-best report since he took over in 2022, and his oft-advertised quarterback whispering is solely unbelievable.
Vikings followers don’t have to fret about any teaching stability or sizzling seats for fairly a while.
2. Letting Sam Darnold Stroll
To hedge the guess in opposition to J.J. McCarthy’s inexperience and meniscus damage restoration, temptation should’ve arisen to re-sign Darnold and play it protected.
He would’ve value about $34 million per season because it seems, however the Vikings properly mentioned, “No thanks.”
So, they circled and used that cash to do the subsequent factor on this record — construct the trenches with gamers like Will Fries, Ryan Kelly, Jonathan Allen, and Javon Hargrave.
If Darnold had remained within the Twin Cities, the Vikings most likely would’ve signed one of these gamers — not 4.
1. Investing within the Trenches
The Vikings have added these 4 gamers to the offensive and defensive strains:
- Will Fries (G)
- Ryan Kelly (C)
- Jonathan Allen (DT)
- Javon Hargrave (DT)
In years previous, the options seemed like this:
- Ed Ingram (G)
- Garrett Bradbury (C)
- Jonathan Bullard (G)
- Dean Lowry
Someplace alongside the road, the Vikings received the memo to put money into the trenches, and that’s how Tremendous Bowls are gained. Followers weren’t certain if Minnesota’s management would ever “get it.”
They do. In the end. The trenches have been fortified.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the College of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his each day YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The present options company, evaluation, and opinion on all issues associated to the purple workforce, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates again to 1996. Listed responsible pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doorways (the band). He follows the NBA as intently as the NFL.
All statistics supplied by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual data supplied by OverTheCap.com.
