Who Were the Biggest Winners from Vikings Free Agency Frenzy?
These 5 Vikings stand to benefit most from their team's active signing period
Sometimes you can look at what positions a team addresses in free agency to discern what positions that team is focused on addressing in the draft.
In other words, a team enters the offseason with a certain set of needs. Whichever needs are not addressed in free agency are then the likely priorities in the draft.
But there’s no sense in applying that logic to the Vikings this year.
The team’s front office got busy in free agency, addressing every significant need. That leaves very little in the way of clues as far as what positions the team is targeting in the draft.
So rather than focus our energy today on speculating about potential future Vikings in the draft, let’s take a look at which current Vikings benefitted the most from the team’s aggressive approach in free agency.
QB J.J. McCarthy
Of all the players acquired by the Vikings this offseason, none of them are named Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson or Matthew Stafford. That means J.J. McCarthy is officially the presumed starter in Minnesota. That in and of itself makes McCarthy the team’s biggest winner.
But it doesn’t end there for McCarthy.
Beefing up the offensive line is a good priority to pursue when you’re quarterback is gearing up for his initial campaign. The Vikings did just that by signing Ryan Kelly to replace Garrett Bradbury at center and by signing Will Fries to replace the Ed Ingram/Dalton Risner combination at right guard.
Once left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) returns to action after recovering from his season-ending knee injury last year, this group figures to be excellent in pass protection, which should give McCarthy space and time in the pocket to find his talented stable of pass catchers.
In terms of the run game, which is a great tool for an inexperienced quarterback to have, Fries and Kelly will help there, as well. Additionally, the Vikings invested in the running back position by re-signing veteran Aaron Jones and trading for Jordan Mason. This combination gives McCarthy everything he needs from the position - talented runners, capable and willing pass protectors and adequate pass catchers.
LBs Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace, Jr.
You can have human versions of heat-seeking missiles at linebacker but if aggressive, tactically-sound offensive linemen are allowed to climb to the second level then it doesn’t matter.
As such, the best way to empower inside linebackers is to put disruptive defensive tackles in front of them so they can occupy the blockers.
That’s exactly what the Vikings did last month when they signed a pair of two-time Pro Bowlers in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
Allen and Hargrave are each a handful, and it’s likely opposing offensive lines will need to come up with a plan for both of them on most snaps of the game. This is music to the ears of Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace, Jr.
The pair of inside linebackers were productive enough last season, and that was with an inferior supporting cast relative to what they’ll have with incumbent nose tackle Harrison Phillips now flanked by Allen and Hargrave.
LG Blake Brandel
The addition of Fries and Kelly at left guard and center, respectively, was part of the argument for McCarthy being a big winner after free agency. Those moves will also enhance the standing of incumbent left guard Blake Brandel.
While two of Brandel’s linemates - Bradbury and Ingram/Risner - have lost their starting jobs, Brandel retains his and will find his responsibilities much more manageable with Kelly and Fries joining the group.
The signing of Fries and Kelly plus the investment at running back with the Jones re-signing and the trade for Mason is also a strong signal the Vikings intend to improve their rushing attack. This is another ‘win’ for Brandel because he’s not unlike any other offensive lineman - moving forward in run blocking is preferred over back peddling as a pass protector.
S Theo Jackson
Incumbent starting safety Cam Bynum was not retained and,consequently, signed with the Indianapolis Colts. That means Theo Jackson is a natural option to step into the starting role.
If you aren’t convinced by that reasoning, just follow the money. The Vikings and Jackson agreed to a new deal this offseason that keeps him under contract through 2027, guarantees the next two season’s salaries and puts him in line to earn $12.5 million over the life of the deal.
That’s winning.
On top of it all, Jackson gets to keep playing with Harrison Smith. The future Vikings Ring of Honor safety agreed to come back for another season in 2025 and that means Jackson will be the recipient of elite on-the-job-training from his teammate.
Don’t forget that Josh Metellus is also in the fold. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores likes moving Metellus around the scheme so much that it’s hard to pinpoint him as a starter at one position. That’s why Jackson will be designated as a starter at safety even though Metellus will log more snaps.