Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Ledger

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell continue to reshape and craft the Minnesota Vikings roster. With limited salary cap room, they’ve managed to retain several players and add a few players. With free agency less than 24 hours old, here’s a look at the roster ledger. 

Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Ledger

Players re-signed:

Nick Mullens, QB

Alexander Mattison, RB

Garrett Bradbury, C

Ben Ellefson, TE

Blake Brandel, OT

Khyiris Tonga, DT

Kenny Willekes, DE

Greg Joseph, K

Andrew DePaola, LS

Players signed:

Josh Oliver, TE

Marcus Davenport. Edge

Byron Murphy Jr., CB

Players released/lost:

Eric Kendricks, LB

Adam Thielen, WR

Patrick Peterson, CB

Dalvin Tomlinson, DT

The Vikings started the offseason with about 4 restricted and 15 unrestricted free agents. Eric Kendricks and Adam Thielen were released and added to the list. All four restricted free agents have been re-signed. Eight of the unrestricted free agents remain unsigned.

Unsigned free agents:

Chandon Sullivan, CB

Irv Smith Jr., TE

Jonathan Bullard, DL

Duke Shelley, CB

Austin Schlottman, C

Olisaemeka Udoh, OT

Kris Boyd, CB

Olabisi Johnson, WR

Of those, Duke Shelley, Austin Schlottman, and perhaps Oli Udoh might be the most likely return. Special Teams coordinator Matt Daniels might bang the table for Kris Boyd’s return. 

The Vikings are still uncomfortably close to the salary cap. For that reason, they have significant decisions to make on the contracts of Dalvin Cook, Za’Darius Smith, and Harrison Smith. Depending on one’s perspective, the re-signing of Alexander Mattison either further complicates or makes easy the decision on Cook’s roster status. The same can be said of the signing of Marcus Davenport on Za’Darius Smith’s roster status. Harrison Smith has a giant cap hit. His contract needs to be renegotiated. Hopefully, he’s agreeable. The Vikings defense, and a very young secondary, need him. 

I’m expecting a trade or release of Za’Darius Smith and a renegotiation of Harrison Smith’s contract. I’m much more conflicted with Dalvin Cook’s situation. I hate the thought of losing him. I don’t think that he’s regressed anywhere near as much as many people seem to believe. The Vikings issues with the run game last season were a team-thing rather than a Cook-thing. In a couple of the most memorable games in a very memorable season, it was an explosive play by Cook that ignited comebacks. He’s also a team leader. The Vikings have lost enough of those this offseason. We should see a resolution with the Smiths and Cook soon. 

The offseason marches on.