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Minnesota Vikings Strong Free Agency Lands Team ‘A’ Grade


The Minnesota Vikings had a great season last year but flamed out in the playoffs.

Sam Darnold led the charge, for better or for worse, last season. After entering free agency, he is now a Seattle Seahawk.

That means the team is likely going to rely on last year’s first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, who missed the season due to injury, to run the offense in 2025.

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Just like the Chicago Bears, the Vikings made it a priority to help out their young quarterback by adding to the interior offensive line. That strategy also earned them an ‘A’ grade from Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports.

The Vikings signed former Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly to a two-year, $18 million deal. The 31-year-old veteran should be a great addition to a relatively young offense.

They also added guard Will Fries, who they signed for five years and $88 million. Even at just 27 years old, this could be a bit of an overpay, but offensive line help is almost always worth it given its importance.

The team also bolstered the defense by adding Javon Hargrave for 2 years and $30 million, and Jonathan Allen to 3 years, $51 million.

These moves make a lot of sense based on their playoff loss to the Rams, where they struggled to protect Darnold and struggled to stop Kyren Williams in the running game.

Kevin O'Connell
Head coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings stands on the field prior to an NFC Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Brooke Sutton/Getty Images

The team also resigned veteran running back Aaron Jones and signed two new secondary pieces in Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers.

The Vikings are in a tough division that will only get even tougher with the 5-12 Bears making significant improvements.

After finishing last year 14-3, the team still had room for improvement, and they showed that with a busy offseason. Now rumored to be in the running for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the team could go all-in and add a veteran quarterback to allow McCarthy to sit and heal for one more season.

After a tough finish to the season, the Vikings were in need of a great offseason to provide a morale boost, and they did just that.

The biggest question mark currently is the quarterback position, but once that is figured out, the team will turn toward the draft to fill their final needs.

Someone like an Omarion Hampton at running back would be a fantastic addition to this already dynamic offense with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson.

No matter who ends up starting at quarterback next season, Vikings fans should be excited for 2025.

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