Vikings

Should He Stay Or Should He Go? - Vikings Free-Agency Roundup

Photo Credit: Junfu Han via Imagn Images

Free agency is a clash (please yell at my editor if he allows that pun to get through) of priorities for players and teams. Players are rightfully trying to get as much money as they can, while front offices look for good deals to fill out their rosters.

The Minnesota Vikings have been very good in free agency under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Last year’s haul transformed their defense into one of the best in the NFL. This year, they will have another big challenge in front of them. The 2024 team had more snaps from impending free agents than any other NFL squad. The 26 impending free agents include a whopping 23 players on voided or unrestricted free-agent contracts, 16 of which played 25% or more of the snaps in 2024.

Let’s determine whether the Vikings should keep each player or let them go.

(Note: players are ordered by 2024 snap %.)

QB Sam Darnold – Go

Darnold is the most interesting free agent on the Vikings. In fact, he’ll probably have the most interesting free agency of anyone in the NFL. Darnold was a very good starting QB for the Vikings in 2024, but his collapse in the final two games and the presence of 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy make the Vikings unlikely to commit to him long-term.

Staying with the Vikings, even if just for one year, would probably be the best football outcome for Sam Darnold. However, he should be primarily focusing on his financial interests. Even with his struggles in the final two games, several teams will need a QB: the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Giants. One is likely to beat what the Vikings are willing to offer on a multi-year deal.

I also think it’s unlikely the Vikings will use the franchise tag on Darnold, leading me to believe he’ll move on.

CB Byron Murphy – stay

All three of Minnesota’s primary CBs are bound to hit free agency, and Murphy is the youngest and best of the group. The Vikings probably should have extended him last offseason, but now he’s slated to make more as a free agent.

A versatile player who can play both outside and in the slot, the Vikings need to do what they can to bring Murphy back.

LT Cam Robinson – go

Robinson was acquired in a mid-season move after Christian Darrisaw got hurt, and played pretty well… until he didn’t. Still, offensive linemen are in high demand, and Robinson is good enough to start for another team at LT. He should pursue that opportunity rather than return to the Vikings, who I doubt are interested in paying him starter money to be a backup.

S Cam Bynum – stay

Bynum is the type of story teams should want to reward. A former fourth-round pick and converted corner, Bynum beat out first-round pick Lewis Cine and never let go of the starting spot. He’s the heart of Minnesota’s elaborate celebrations.

Like Murphy, Bynum might command a decent chunk of change, but that’s what you have cap space for.

s Harrison Smith – go (to retirement)

Smith’s contract is slated to void on March 15, but the Vikings have an option to keep him. Smith hasn’t decided whether or not to retire yet, but my guess is that it’s likely. If he wants to keep playing, I would welcome him back for his 14th season in Minnesota.

CB Stephon Gilmore – go

Dwight McGlothern is the only CB under contract who Minnesota has under contract. Ultimately, I think the Vikings will re-sign one of Gilmore or Shaquill Griffin, who we’ll get to in a bit. I think Gilmore was the better player in 2024 and would prefer to keep him, but at 34, he has definitely slowed down. If I had to bet right now, I’d expect the Vikings to keep Griffin, who is just 30, over Gilmore.

RB Aaron Jones – stay

Jones, 30, proved he could still play at a high level as Minnesota’s lead RB. The RB class is very weak in free agency, so I expect the Vikings to bring Jones back for another year. The RB class in the draft is reportedly very strong, so I could also see them going that route, but the team should avoid boxing themselves in.

Qb Daniel Jones – stay

If I’m projecting Darnold to leave, the Vikings will need a backup — and hopefully some competition — for McCarthy. My guess is that would be Daniel Jones, who may want to try to rebuild his image for a year under Kevin O’Connell before trying for a starting job in 2026.

IDL Jonathan Bullard – stay

Bullard is a key piece of Minnesota’s early-down run defense and played that role at a high level this year. At 31, I don’t expect him to have much of a market outside of the Vikings, but the team should work to bring him back.

CB Shaquill Griffin – stay

As I reasoned above, I expect the Vikings to try to retain Griffin over Gilmore. Griffin was fine as a player in 2024. However, if they re-sign him, I would also seek to upgrade on him through the draft. If another team sees value in Griffin and wants to pay him more than Minnesota is willing to, maybe that flips, and he leaves. Alternatively, the team could find an outside free agent they prefer to Griffin.

g Dalton Risner – stay

Like with the corners, Risner was acceptable in 2024, so I expect Minnesota to try to retain him, whether as a starter or with depth. It’s hard to find OL talent across the league, but if the Vikings can find a better option, I would advocate for them to move on from Risner.

I have him listed as staying because I’m not convinced they’ll be able to find that.

edge Jihad Ward – stay

Ward really found a home as an interior rusher on passing downs. He was critical for setting up stunts and helping the other pass rushers get home. In the playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Vikings used him as a heavy end on base downs instead of Jerry Tillery.

Like Bullard, Ward is an older defender with a specific role in Minnesota’s defense. I expect him to stay.

IDL Jerry Tillery – go

Tillery was a rotational third DT for the Vikings in 2024 and played 41% of the snaps. However, the Vikings were finding ways to phase him out by the end of the season, giving more snaps to Jalen Redmond and even playing Ward in Tillery’s typical position in the playoffs.

With Redmond, Taki Taimani, and Levi Drake Rodriguez all unexpectedly making the roster in 2024, I expect the Vikings to move on from Tillery as those players continue to progress.

EDGE pat Jones ii – go

Jones put up strong sack production in a crowded edge room in 2024, and he ought to parlay that into a modest payday elsewhere, much like D.J. Wonnum last year. Given the presence of Jonathan GreenardAndrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner, the Vikings won’t be able to give Jones a bigger role. Still, he should get an opportunity to start somewhere in the league.

te Johnny Mundt – stay

Find someone who loves you as much as Kevin O’Connell loves Johnny Mundt.

Mundt is a solid depth player at TE, and I expect him to stick around.

p Ryan Wright – stay

Ryan Wright had a great rookie year but regressed to an average punter over the last two seasons. He’s a restricted free agent (RFA), which means the Vikings can match any offer he gets, and I expect them to tender him, mostly because there’s no guarantee that a replacement would be better.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

RB Cam Akers – stay

Also, find someone who loves you as much as Kevin O’Connell loves Cam Akers. Even if he initially signs somewhere else, I’d expect him to find his way back to the Vikings for the third-straight year.

WR Brandon Powell – stay

Powell didn’t contribute much as a receiver this year, but he’s the team’s punt returner. Granted, he has had the lowest punt-return average in the NFL for two years straight. However, O’Connell brought him over from LA, and he proved his ability as an underneath receiver in 2023. I expect the Vikings to try to retain him.

WR Trent Sherfield – stay

Like Powell, Sherfield didn’t offer much as a pass catcher this year. However, he’s a core special teamer, and the Vikings liked to utilize him in run situations because of his prowess as a blocker. I’m more keen on the Vikings keeping Sherfield than Powell, but I don’t see why the team can’t keep both.

LB Kamu Grugier-hill – stay

Grugier-Hill was the team’s best option when Blake Cashman got hurt, and they looked to him to fill in for Ivan Pace some as well. Another core special teamer, Grugier-Hill is also on the wrong side of 30 and shouldn’t cost much to bring back.

OT David Quessenberry – go

At 34, Quessenberry showed his age when he had to go in this year. I would prefer if the Vikings looked a little further in their search for a swing tackle this offseason.

CB Fabian Moreau – stay

Moreau played all right in the limited action he saw this year. A journeyman who is also past 30, the Vikings should be able to bring him back cheaply. I would do so and hope that other talent added can beat him out for a roster spot.

s Theo Jackson – stay

Jackson appears to be someone the Vikings really like, but he has been stuck behind three starters: Bynum, Smith, and Josh Metellus. With no significant injuries among that group, he hasn’t seen playing time.

In projecting Smith to retire, I expect Jackson to finally see the field in 2025. He’s also an RFA, so the Vikings can easily keep him.

QB Nick Mullens – go

Ultimately, I’m making a decision between Daniel Jones and Nick Mullens and choosing Jones in this exercise. If Darnold and Jones seek other opportunities, I would bring Mullens back to back up McCarthy heading into 2025. He might not be good, but he’s just so entertaining every time he’s on the field.

Nick Mullens finished 2024 with 2.434 EPA/play.

Matt Fries (@friesfootball.bsky.social) 2025-01-20T18:30:14.802Z

ol Dan Feeney – go

Feeney failed to earn an offensive snap on a team that benched its RG. Granted, he was also the team’s plan at backup C, and none of Garrett Bradbury, Blake Brandel, Ed Ingram, or Dalton Risner missed a snap due to injury.

I was never particularly enamored with the Feeney signing, so maybe the Vikings feel differently. Still, judging a player who didn’t play from the outside is hard.

ol Jeremy Flax – stay

Flax is a practice squad player and an exclusive-rights free agent, meaning all the Vikings have to do is say, We want you on our roster, and he has no other choice. I think he’ll be a part of the 90-man roster, but I don’t have expectations beyond that.

summary

Of the 26 players listed, I’m suggesting the Vikings keep 17 of them. They currently have 55 players under contract, so that would put them at 72 total, needing just 18 more to fill out the roster. The most likely case is that the Vikings keep fewer than 17 players, but many of the names above are depth that could easily be swapped for an outside player.

If the Vikings follow my plan, they wouldn’t have many holes heading into free agency, except maybe at CB. Moving on to McCarthy at QB would be a risk, and they could certainly stand to improve on the interior offensive line and with their interior pass rush, but team needs are a conversation for later.

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