The Minnesota Vikings have already made plenty of moves during free agency. Follow all the action in live updates below.
Now in their second offseason together, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell appear to be moving on from the “run it back” mentality of the 2022 season and are shifting the roster to emphasize youth. Plus, the team needs to get salary cap compliant.
MORE NFL NEWS: CBS Sports’ 2023 NFL free agency tracker
There are 17 players in Minnesota who will become free agents on Wednesday. The biggest impact players are arguably cornerback Patrick Peterson, center Garrett Bradbury, kicker Greg Joseph and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. Cornerback Duke Shelly, who was signed during the regular season and stepped up in a big way after several cornerback injuries, will also hit the trading block.
Keeping some quality depth, the team made offensive lineman Blake Brandel and nose tackle Khyiris Tonga exclusive rights free agents.
As for positions of need heading into next season, there are many and it depends on which current players return or leave during free agency.
But for starters, the team will need a middle linebacker replacement for Kendricks and a No. 2 wide receiver who will complement the phenom Justin Jefferson. New defensive coordinator Brian Flores was brought in after the team’s abysmal defensive performance in 2022, and his 3-4 defensive scheme relies on man coverage. More cornerback acquisitions are expected to pair well with Flores’ scheme, be it in free agency or the draft.
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It’ll be hard for Minnesota to repeat the success of last year’s 13-4 season, especially with a lot less veteran presence, and it will be interesting to see what team management does in the offseason to build sustained success. What’s done in free agency will likely impact the team’s choices during the upcoming draft, too.
Contracts won’t be official until free agency officially begins Wednesday. The negotiation window — also known as the “legal tampering period” — was open as of Monday.