Why Vikings Fans Should Expect a Bonanza in Free Agency
Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images.
NFL free agency is less than six weeks away, and the Minnesota Vikings can further build their roster while hoping to maintain or improve the 14-3 standard from 2024.
You Should Expect a Bonanza in Vikings Free Agency. Hereās Why.
The purple team has more money than usual to spend on free agents, thanks to Kirk Cousinsā dead money falling off the books, alas, along with a dead cap hit from Danielle Hunter vanishing. For the most part, the books are free and clear.
And hereās why you should expect a spending bonanza from the Vikings.
$60 Million (2025) vs. $37 Million (2024)
General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in August of 2022 at Minnesota Vikings headquarters in Eagan, Minnesota.
On a $37 million budget just days before 2024 free agency, Minnesota added these players:
Jonathan Greenard
Andrew Van Ginkel
Blake Cashman
Sam Darnold
Parker Romo
Aaron Jones
Jerry Tillery
Trent Sherfield
Dan Feeney
Shaq Griffin
Kamu Grugier-Hill
Jihad Ward
Fast forward to 2025, and in late January ā before restructuring any contracts or cutting any players ā the Vikings have about $60 million in cap space, a 62% increase from March 2024.
If general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could add heavy hitters like Greenard, Van Ginkel, Cashman, Jones, and Darnold on a condensed budget, imagine the options this go-round.
Put simply, thereās a lot more cheddar to spend now compared to last offseason.
The Super Bowl Window Is Now
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
If there was ever a time to spend big on free agency ā maybe even some deals longer than Adofo-Mensahās go-to one-year contracts ā itās now.
Minnesota has a ticking clock of four years to win the Super Bowl with J.J. McCarthy on an affordable rookie contract. When the 2029 season hits, thatās when team-building gets trickier, assuming McCarthy is, indeed, a franchise quarterback. See: the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals right now trying to build a depth chart around expensive quarterbacks.
The time is now for Adofo-Mensah to spend his heart out while McCarthy is cheap.
The NFLPA Report Card
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Some might balk at an āNFLPA report cardā as legitimate evidence to woo free agents, but it means something.
The Vikings have some of the NFLās best facilities, treatment of families, and culture, reflected annually by the NFLPA.
Players want to be in Minnesota. Itās not some destination where one might think, āWhy the hell would Free Agent X want to go there?ā
Minnesota usually ranks tops on the NFLPA report card or damn close to No. 1.
Over 1,300 players vote on these criteria for each NFL team:
Treatment of families
Food/Cafeteria
Nutritionist/Dietician
Locker Room
Training room
Training staff
Weight Room
Strength Coaches
Team Travel
Head Coach
Team Ownership
The Sheer Roster Need
Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
Twenty-five free agents are scheduled to hit the open market from Minnesotaās 2024 roster.
Of course, Adofo-Mensah will probably re-sign at least half, but still, the outgoing players will need replacements. Due to sheer volume, this offseason will be busy, adding free agents left and right to replenish and enhance the roster.
This is the byproduct of Adofo-Mensah fancying one-year contracts: roster turnover.
Last Yearās Success
Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images.
The Vikings finished 14-3 in 2024. Theyāre not far from bonafide Super Bowl contention if one trusts the aforementioned McCarthy as a productive starter.
The franchise is not starting the McCarthy era in the toilet, coming off a 5-12 record, for example.
Because the 2024 season played out rather successfully, at least per expectations, Minnesota should be a preferred destination ā a place with a winning culture and money to burn.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, āThe Sopranos,ā Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.Ā
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
