Free agency is winding down but 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 as well as add a few players. For as far over the cap that the Vikings were at the start of the offseason and how close that they are to the cap now, it’s remarkable how active they’ve been.
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
Austin Schlottman, C
Olisaemeka Udoh, OT
Jonathan Bullard, DT
Players signed:
Josh Oliver, TE
Marcus Davenport. Edge
Byron Murphy Jr., CB
Dean Lowry, DE
Brandon Powell, WR
Troy Reeder, LB
Players signed elsewhere:
Eric Kendricks, LB - Los Angeles Chargers
Adam Thielen, WR - Carolina Panthers
Patrick Peterson, CB - Pittsburgh Steelers
Dalvin Tomlinson, DT - Cleveland Browns
Duke Shelley, CB - Las Vegas Raiders
The Vikings started the offseason with 4 restricted and 15 unrestricted free agents. Eric Kendricks and Adam Thielen were released before the start of free agency and added to the list. Thomas Hennigan was released last week. 12 of the Vikings free agents have been re-signed. Kendricks, Thielen, Peterson, Tomlinson, and Shelley have settled in with new teams. Four of the unrestricted free agents remain unsigned. Hennigan makes it five recent Vikings on the open market.
Unsigned free agents:
Chandon Sullivan, CB
Irv Smith Jr., TE
Kris Boyd, CB
Olabisi Johnson, WR
Thomas Hennigan, WR
The Vikings are still uncomfortably close to the salary cap. For that reason, they have decisions to make on the contracts of Dalvin Cook and Za’Darius 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. The thought of three elite pass rushers (Danielle Hunter, Davenport, and Smith) on the roster is intriguing but it’s tough to do when the team is so tight against the salary cap. I’m much probably more conflicted with 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. Hopefully, we see a resolution with the Smith and Cook situations soon.
The offseason marches on.
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