The Minnesota Vikings are going into a very crucial offseason under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell.
Not only is the starting quarterback in major flux with Kirk Cousins set to be a free agent, but outside linebacker Danielle Hunter is also set to hit the market along with wide receiver Justin Jefferson and left tackle Christian Darisaw set to receive extensions.
What should the Vikings end up doing in free agency? There are a lot of different options and we are set to explore them all.
First up, our staff took a look at four players the Vikings should let walk.
Players Vikings should re-sign.
Managing Editor Tyler Forness: K Greg Joseph
The Vikings have had kicker issues for a long time and Joseph has not solved them to a consistent level as of yet. His last two seasons as a Viking have seen Joseph fail to pass 80% of his field goals made with eight total extra points missed. He has failed to be ranked in the top 20 of NFL kickers in terms of field goal percentage and for the money the Vikings are paying Joseph, he should be performing better.
Columnist Judd Zulgad: QB Kirk Cousins
The Vikings signed Cousins as a free agent in 2018, thinking he was the final piece of the puzzle to a team that had made a run to the NFL title game. The Vikings missed the playoffs that season and have been to the postseason only twice in the past five years with Cousins at quarterback. They have only one playoff win in those two appearances.
Kevin O’Connell was hired in 2022 in large part because of his offensive acumen and ability to work with QBs. Cousins has benefited from this – although an Achilles’ injury brought an early end to his 2023 season – but O’Connell at some point is going to have to develop a quarterback and the Vikings are picking 11th overall in what is considered a very good QB draft. Seems like a good time to turn the page.
Columnist Saivion Mixson: OLB Marcus Davenport
The flashes for 118 snaps were expected from Davenport on the other side of Danielle Hunter in 2023. Davenport got two sacks, two tackles for loss and six pressures over his three games. The problem was that it was only for 118 snaps. If Davenport could stay healthy, there was a chance that this could have been a productive duo, especially with the way the defense played in the middle of the season without him. Unfortunately, we’ll never know due to yet another season lost to injury for Davenport.
Columnist Chris Spooner: LG Dalton Risner
The Minnesota Vikings run game was a thorn in their side the entire season. The Vikings offense bogged down late in the season and it cost them a chance at making the playoffs. There are a lot of extenuating circumstances that led to both of those points – including the loss of Kirk Cousins – but one of the common denominators to both was poor offensive line play, particularly on the interior of the offensive line.
There are a few good options at guard who can be had in free agency and, perhaps more importantly, this year’s NFL draft is strong along the offensive line. Current starter Dalton Risner was the 46th-rated guard out of 79 by PFF grade. His is a position that can be improved upon, and potentially at a lower cost than it would be to re-sign him or to bring in a free agent. Whether it’s through free agency or the draft, though, an improvement needs to be brought in.
