The 2024 season has just ended, and on March 12, the 2025 campaign will open its doors. Touchdown news therefore takes the opportunity to offer you an overview of different franchises during the offseason. Which players keep and cut? Which free agents extend? What recruits observe? Here are some ideas, franchise by franchise. In the spotlight, today, Minnesota Vikings.
Sam Darnold will have made Vikings dream fans during the year 2024. Far from the announced catastrophic season, Minnesota won 14 games and qualified for the playoffs. Unfortunately for the violets, the former quarterback of the jets collapsed, once 2025 had come.
The Vikings still found a way to beat a sad record. They become the first franchise in history which won 14 victories over a season without reaching the Divisional Round.
Now turned to the future, purple must make a choice. Given his latest outings, Darnold has certainly helped them. Minnesota must take advantage of the Rookie contract of JJ McCarthy to strengthen the rest of the team, and not make with Darnold the error she made with Kirk Cousins: give an average quarterback an far too heavy on the Salary Cap.
More than 45% of the actions played in attack and defense by the Vikings were by players now free. It is the highest total of the whole NFL. The violets are not going to have the choice, they will have to be active during the Free Agency. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, general manager of the franchise, has been particularly effective in the past, much more than in the draft.
Tauliers
- Justin Jefferson (WR)
- The Greenard/Van Ginkel duo (OLB)
- The Darrisaw/O'Neill duo (LT/RT)
Justin Jefferson is always the image of this franchise. With an extended contract, which now runs until 2028, the best receiver in the league continues to shine in purple. Despite the change of quarterback, Jefferson once again exceeded the 1,500 yards mark at the reception. There remains the main threat of this team and will be of great help in the development of JJ McCarthy.
Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel both arrived last year during the previous Free Agency, and greatly contributed to the excellent Rush Pass of the Vikings. Each on their side, they martyred the opposing tackles, totaling two 23.5 sacks. Excellent in reading the screens, Van Ginkel even offered the luxury of scoring two touchdowns in 2024. We have not seen much Dallas Turner during his Rookie year and it is largely because of these two.
If the interior of the offensive line should be fully changed, the outside is a safe bet. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill are delighted with the quarterbacks they protect together since 2021. Even if he was well replaced by Cam Robinson, the absence of Darrisaw ended up seeing himself on the performances of the Guard positioned next to him. Blake Brandel began to show his limits from the moment when the former Virginia Tech was no longer available. It is therefore essential for Minnesota that Darrisaw is given from his injury at the start of next season.
The undesirable
- Garrett Bradbury (C)
- Ed Ingram (OG)
Garrett Bradbury has been the Viking Holder Center since 2019 and he still struggles to convince. Liberating it from your contract would allow Minnesota to recover 3.6 million from the payroll.
Another offensive line player who disappoints, Ed Ingram may well pay the price for his poor performance. Holder at the start of the season, he ended up being on the bench. Ingram was replaced by Dalton Risner, yet far from impeccable. The Vikings would save 3.2 million by freeing him from his contract.
The man of summer
JJ McCarthy (QB)
First quarterback in the history of Vikings to be selected in the top 10 of the Draft, JJ McCarthy is far from having had a dream rookie season. A preseason match where he shone against the replacements of the raiders and then that's it. Touched at the meniscus, the former Michigan is, in August, forced to make a cross on his first year in the NFL. It is a bench that he will attend the very good season of Sam Darnold.
For him, another fight started, that of rehabilitation. And everything was not easy either. In early November, a second surgical intervention was necessary, in order to deflate your knee.
What to be worried about him? Not really. The franchise and the player himself reassured his state of health, adding that he was even ahead of the process of rethletization. Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport have even announced, for NFL Médiathat the former Michigan quarterback will be ready for the first training camps in May.
If the number 1 quarterback is not yet officially for 2025, McCarthy will have a chance. Under rookie contract, it does not weigh much on the payroll (1.81% for 2025 to date). Enough to allow Vikings to offer him an offensive line that will give him time. Under the orders of the year 2024 coach, with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson, JJ McCarthy has everything to succeed in Minnesota.
The main free agents
- Sam Darnold (QB)
- Byron Murphy (CB)
- Aaron Jones (RB)
- Cam bynum (s)
- Stephon Gilmore (CB)
The others: Cam Robinson (LT), Jerry Tillery (DT), Daniel Jones (QB), Cam Akers (RB), Shaq Griffin (CB), Dalton Risner (OG), Nick Mullens (QB), Patrick Jones (de), Jonathan Bullard (DT), Johnny Mundt (Te), Brandon Powell (WR)
Sam Darnold found in Minnesota the supervision he needed to show his potential. At almost 28 years old, the former jets was very good in 2024 and can claim a big contract. The teams lacking a quarterback are numerous and it should not have trouble raising the auctions. If the Vikings have the means to participate, the presence of JJ McCarthy as well as the many needs elsewhere should convince them to stay away.
Byron Murphy and the Vikings agreed to repel the date of impact of the “Void Years” of his contract. This means two things: first of all, Minnesota will not be able to place a tag on his corner. Then, this indicates that the two parties give themselves more time to discuss a possible extension of contract.
Aaron Jones only played one season with the Violets and it was enough to convince Kevin O'Connell. The main trainer of the Vikings explained, during a passage on Siriusxmthat he wanted to see the veteran runner in purple.
In addition to its dancer qualities, Cam Bynum was very precious for the Vikings this year. Safety had an extension offer last year, but no agreement had been reached. The player expressed his desire to stay in Minnesota at the end of January, but it will now be more expensive for Violets, who could be tempted to place their tag on him.
The top 5 needs
- Interior offensive line
- Corner
- Tackle defensive
- Safety
- Running back
Given their small number of choices at the Draft, the Vikings will not have any other choice than to be extremely active on the market for free players. That's good, Adofo Kwesi-Mensah showed last year that he knew how to find very good deals.
From the press conference following the defeat against Rams in Wild Card, Kevin O'Connell explained what he was missing on his team. The main coach notably insisted on the lack of protection inside the offensive line. Whether on the center position or on the two posts of Guard, the Vikings suffered from this weakness in the face of Lions and Rams.
Minnesota will potentially lose Byron Murphy, Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin. Even if discussions are underway with the first city, the violets will have to bring depth to a position which is sorely lacking.
Last year, 25 defensive Tackles were invited to the combination. This year, there will be 41. If quantity does not necessarily mean quality, the Vikings should be able to find their happiness in this position during the next draft.
On Safety's position, it will depend on the decision of Harrison Smith, who thinks of retirement, and the future of Cam bynum. If one of the two leaves Minnesota, it will be necessary to consider this position.
Even if Aaron Jones stays, the Vikings must find a second young runner and dynamic to support him. As with the Tackles defensive, the running back post will be very supplied with the draft, and it is unlikely to see Minnesota leave it without selecting a runner.
The target
DJ Reed (CB)
Since Xavier Rhodes in 2013, the Vikings have chained unluckiness and bad choices at the draft on the corner station. It could therefore be wise to fill this need from the Free Agency. This is good, Minnesota is one of the franchises that has the most space on its payroll and the violets will therefore be able to target the best player available in this position.
Passed by the 49ers, the Seahawks and more recently the jets, Reed is a reliable corner which could bring a lot to a defense which conceded 4,114 yards at the pass in 2024, or on the 28thth higher total.
At 28, Reed was once again very solid in 2024. The former jets conceded only two touchdowns, and the precision of the opposing quarterbacks falls to 57% when it is targeted. Associated with the very good Rush pass of Minnesota, under the orders of a Brian Flores in his third year with the Vikings, DJ Reed could bring to the violets the air coverage that it lacked to this defense.
New blood
Omation Hampton (RB)
The Vikings have a very limited number of choices for this Draft 2025. They could therefore be tempted to exchange their first round to increase their capital. They could also give JJ McCarthy a running back capable of unloading him a little of the weight of the attack on his shoulders. When he was in Michigan, the young quarterback was very effective in an attack largely worn on the ground.
With choice number 24, the chances of seeing Ashton Jeanty fall to Minnesota are very thin. Violets could therefore fall back on Omarion Hampton. Expected at the end of the first round, see early second, the young runner of North Carolina could do a lot of good on the game on the ground of Violets.
Expected as a holder from the first day, Hampton could notably be very precious in the red zone, where the Vikings have been sinking for two seasons. In an attack by North Carolina, deprived of Drake Maye in 2024, the young running back showed all his talent. 1,660 yards, 15 touchdowns and an average of 5.9 yards per race, Omarion Hampton shone for his last university season.
Another choice: Tyler Booker (OG), Kenneth Grant (DT), Malaki Starks (s), Benjamin Morrison (CB)
