Taking Stock of the Free Agent Vikings
K. Joudry
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Yesterday, Dustin Baker published a piece on Vikings Territory that highlights the abundance of former Vikings on the free agent market.
Dustin, reasonably enough, divides the players into two tiers based on their prominence and how recently they played with Minnesota. Take a look at the names:
- Tier 1:
- Mackensie Alexander (CB)
- Anthony Barr (LB)
- Everson Griffen (DE)
- Linval Joseph (NT)
- Riley Reiff (OT)
- Sheldon Richardson (DL)
- Kyle Rudolph (TE)
- Xavier Rhodes (CB)
- Trae Waynes (CB)
- Tier 2:
- Chris Herndon (TE)
- Jerick McKinnon (RB)
- Ifeadi Odenigbo (DE)
- Mike Remmers (OL)
- Shamar Stephen (DT)
- Latavius Murray (RB)
- Dede Westbrook (WR)
It’d be hard to disagree with Dustin’s division of players. The initial list includes plenty of names who played significant roles on recent iterations of the Vikings. The names that stand out most to me are Barr, Griffen, Reiff, Rhodes, and Rudolph.
When looking at the free agent names, a few trends jump out for the former Vikings. Almost all of these players are toward the end of their careers, and there is a pretty even split between homegrown talent and FA additions. Moreover, all the names in that opening list are on defense except for Rudolph. The Vikings, quite evidently, did their utmost to bring in high-end defenders during Zimmer’s time as head coach.
It’s also notable that Tier 1 includes three corners who demanded lofty draft picks to bring them into Minnesota. When Rhodes (25th, 2013), Waynes (11th, 2015), and Alexander (54th, 2016) were chosen, the hope must have been to have all three still playing for Minnesota in 2022. Instead, all of them are looking for work. The inability to have these highly-drafted corners still playing at a high level for the Vikings has contributed to the position being among the major needs for this current offseason.
In the above list, the player whom the Vikings should be most interested in is Reiff. The veteran offensive lineman missed the end of last season because of an ankle injury, so he’ll need to be healthy. His appeal rests in his experience and versatility. He could be a really strong swing tackle; he has a lot of experience at both RT and LT. As with every free agent signing the Vikings have made, it all comes down to cost and fit.
Quite often, fans can be critical of older players, insisting they’ve now become bad at football. For the most part, that’s a misguided opinion. Older players often find themselves struggling not because they’re bad players but because they’re in bad roles. In other words, the lists above include players who could be contributors if they’re put in a position to succeed.
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