At the Rumored Price Tag, A Key Vikings Defensive Playmaker Seems Destined for a Goodbye

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.

Ask ESPN and the number may come in pretty high: an average of $16 million per season. Any chance Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hands over that much money to Camryn Bynum?

The safety is having a strong season and will become a free agent if there’s no new deal prior to the fateful day in March of 2025. A key defensive playmaker for the Vikings, Bynum should be among the top priorities for a new deal, but can the price really get to what’s detailed in the aforementioned ESPN piece? Therein, Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler place Bynum at 16th for the NFL’s best 2025 free agents while pointing toward a push for an annual average at $16 million.

Defensive Playmaker Camryn Bynum & Free Agency in 2025

Over on PurplePTSD, there’s some discussion of the issue.

According to Over the Cap, the NFL only has five safeties averaging $16 million or more. Kick the number down a bit further to $10 million or more per season. How many clear the cutoff? There are thirteen NFL safeties who clear that benchmark. Does Bynum deserve to make it fourteen? If so, then doesn’t Josh Metellus, as well?

Shaun Brooks-Imagn Images.

Last offseason, Josh Metellus agreed to an extension for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The cost? An average of $4 million per year. No doubt, Minnesota is getting tremendous value since Metellus is far outperforming the number.

Knowing what you do about their current deployment, how do you feel about Bynum potentially commanding four times as much as Metellus? The former is rumored to ask for around $16 million/season whereas the latter is actually making $4 million/season.

Of course, the option exists that Minnesota could solve the problem by giving Mr. Metellus a raise. After all, the 2025 season is the final one on his deal. Maybe the 2025 offseason is the right time to adjust the deal via extension, potentially lowering his present-day cap hit while tacking on more years to his deal and giving him a well-deserved raise.

Even then, though, there’s the issue: how much money does Kwesi Adofo-Mensah want to sink into the safety position?

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

Consider the case that gets made for Bynum in the ESPN piece, one that got published on November 13th.

Bowen’s analysis: “An ascending player with centerfield range, Bynum has seen his value rise in Brian Flores’ defensive system in Minnesota. Over the past two seasons, he has 188 tackles, 5 interceptions and 10 pass breakups. He’s an interchangeable safety who can function and produce in multiple systems.”

Fowler’s analysis: “Minnesota has made efforts to extend Bynum, who is a natural successor to Harrison Smith as the Vikings’ leader in the secondary. Smith turns 36 in February. Five safeties make at least $16 million per year, and Bynum, whose value is rising after three interceptions and eight passes defensed this season, will look to become the sixth. The Vikings believe they are in a good place with him as far as a long-term working relationship.”

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports.

Fast forward to the present moment. Camryn Bynum finds himself with 53 tackles, 3 interceptions, 8 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery. His PFF grade is fairly strong at 65.0 — 38th among the 89 qualifying safeties — and he has spent most of his time in the deep area of the field. Bynum has been a free safety for 428 snaps while lining up in the slot for 67, the box for 46, and along the defensive line for 19. On 8 snaps, Bynum was a boundary corner.

Josh Metellus, meanwhile, has some impressive stats, as well. Metellus has picked up 54 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 3 QB hits, 1 interception, 3 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble. He demonstrates more versatility than his safety counterpart (which is to say nothing of having a “C” slapped on his chest). Metellus has been in the box for 281 snaps, in the slot for 175 snaps, at free safety for 60 snaps, along the d-line for 27 snaps, and as a boundary corner for 18 snaps. Oh, and Metellus’ PFF grade is a bit better, sitting at 66.7 (30th).

Plus, Metellus still maintains a hearty workload for Matt Daniels on special teams, picking up 122 special teams snaps versus just 23 for Bynum.

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

If Smith does retire, then there will be an added sense of urgency to hold onto Bynum. Theo Jackson could remain as the S3 since he’s someone who is held in high-regard by the coaching staff. Jay Ward, too, could see an expanded role.

Again, though, it’s hard to envision a scenario where Bynum’s number soars to such a huge high while Metellus plays on such a modest deal. A purple future where both are closer to $10 million per season is more realistic, so keep an eye on how Adofo-Mensah handles the safeties who are in the prime of their careers and who have proven to be key to Brian Flores’ defense.

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.

K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.