Coming to Minnesota
The following have signed with the Vikings:
| T | Riley Reiff |
| T | Mike Remmers |
| DE | Datone Jones |
| RB | Latavius Murray |
The Vikings entered this offseason with a tremendous need to improve the offensive line. It was no surprise when they went in that direction early. Riley Reiff was signed about an hour after the free agent store opened. Mike Remmers was signed the next day. It's safe to assume that the Vikings found their left (Reiff) and right (Remmers) tackles during the first two days of free agency. The offensive line is already improved. That's not saying a lot but it's a good start. Adding Datone Jones feels like a luxury signing. Defensive line is a team strength but there are still some concerns. Defensive end Brian Robison turns 34 next month. Defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd missed nearly all of the 2016 season with a knee injury. He's an explosive, disruptive player when he's on the field but he's spent far too much of his four years in the trainer's room. Jones can play both positions. He might even end up wrestling the defensive tackle job away from Floyd. A talented Vikings defensive line got stronger with the addition of Jones. The signing of Latavius Murray was probably the most eye-opening of the four additions. Adrian Peterson has been the face of the franchise for a decade. Has that come to an end? Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said yesterday that it has. I, and certainly many others, will deal with what this means for Peterson, the Vikings, and their fans in the coming days. For now, this is about the Vikings new running back. The Vikings took a look at Eddie Lacy over the weekend. Maybe they offered him a contract. There were some rumors that they did. Whether they did or not mattered little when Lacy signed with the Seahawks. I have more faith in Murray as a Vikings running back simply because he doesn't have Lacy's ridiculous weight issue. Murray has nice size, great speed, solid production with the Oakland Raiders, and he can make an impact catching passes out of the backfield. The talent that Murray provides that I like best is his blocking. He's one of the better pass protectors in the league. That was the one thing that Peterson never did well. Murray can be in the backfield on all three downs without tipping the offense's intent. When Peterson was in the backfield it was probably a better than 60% chance that he was carrying the football. Defenses like those sorts of odds. Murray doesn't have Peterson's game-breaking talents but the Vikings offense might be more versatile.
There have been some rumors that the Vikings will look at help in the secondary. CB/S Lardarius Webb and the appropriately named nickel corner Nickell Robey-Coleman have been mentioned as possibilities. It remains to be seen if Wednesday's re-signing of ageless corner Terence Newman changes those secondary plans.
Moving on
The following 2016 Vikings have signed with other teams:
| T | Matt Kalil-Carolina Panthers |
| CB | Captain Munnerlyn-Carolina Panthers |
| TE | Rhett Ellison-New York Giants |
| LB | Audie Cole-Jacksonville Jaguars |
| P | Jeff Locke-Indianapolis Colts |
| WR | Cordarrelle Patterson-Oakland Raiders |
| WR | Charles Johnson-Carolina Panthers |
| T | Andre Smith-Cincinnati Bengals |
The Panthers were especially fond of Vikings players this offseason. Two of the now-Panthers did have prior connections to the team. Matt Kalil is now on the same offensive line with brother Ryan Kalil. That was likely the pull that pulled him from Minnesota. Well, that and an outrageous contract. Captain Munnerlyn is returning to the team that drafted him after a three-year hiatus in Minnesota.
Depending on who's talking the Vikings may or may not have tried to retain Kalil, Munnerlyn, Patterson, and Locke. Other teams were willing to pay more.
In limbo, at the moment.
The following 2016 Vikings are still looking for work.
| RB | Adrian Peterson |
| FB | Zach Line |
| QB | Shaun Hill |
| RB | Matt Asiata |
| T | Jake Long |
| DE | Justin Trattou |
Adrian Peterson will surely find a home soon. It won't feel right to see him in another uniform. Zach Line visited with the New York Jets. I've been curious if offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur's Vikings offense would include a fullback. With the apparent lack of attention paid to Line it doesn't look like it. Matt Asiata could return. Same could be true for Justin Trattou but the defensive line room is getting crowded. Retirement from the game could be the next move for Shaun Hill and Jake Long.
It doesn't seem like the Minnesota Vikings were terribly active in the first week of free agency but the team will look very different in 2017.
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