Free agency sees a lot of change for teams across the board and the Minnesota Vikings are no different. They took over free agency and completely changed their roster to maximize their potential output.
The trenches were a major focus for the Vikings, as they finally addressed the offensive line on the interior with center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries. The offense has a lot of high-priced talent on it and who can blame general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for doing just that? Head coach Kevin O’Connell is an offensive guru, so loading up his side of the football makes the most sense.
Vikings defense thriving without any elite contracts
One of the biggest elements of the Vikings’ success has been the defense. Brian Flores has them thriving and attacking offenses with a bevy of different blitzes and coverages. It’s one of the best units in the NFL with this offseason
One of the intriguing parts about the Vikings’ defense is how they are doing so with their investment in the unit. When talking about the word investment, it’s relative to what they are paid and how much draft capital is put into it.
The Vikings finished the 2024 season fifth in total defense while being second against the run. It’s an impressive group of players, but what’s more impressive about it is the lack of high-end contracts. The Vikings don’t have a single defensive contract in the top 10 of average annual value.
They do have a few that are close to the top 10
EDGE Jonathan Greenard: $19 million (13th) DT Jonathan Allen: $17 million (T-17th) CB Byron Murphy Jr.: $18 million (T-14th)
The reality of the Vikings’ defensive structure tells us that it’s more about the sum of its parts rather than building around a singular player. That strategy has been huge in building out their elite unit.
They do have a few that are close to the top 10
- EDGE Jonathan Greenard: $19 million (13th)
- DT Jonathan Allen: $17 million (T-17th)
- CB Byron Murphy Jr.: $18 million (T-14th)
Instead of prioritizing stars, the Vikings are trying to find pieces to the puzzle, and it’s working really well. Taking that approach is a good one as a whole, but it also doesn’t mean the Vikings won’t pay an elite player. They just won’t overpay players, which is why they didn’t sign either Milton Williams or Christian Wilkins to their high-priced contracts.