As NFL free agency begins this week, the Minnesota Vikings’ roster is rapidly shifting. Even though the actual start of free agency is not until Wednesday, as of late Monday morning, the “legal tampering period” had already begun. This implies that players whose contracts are about to expire have the ability to speak with and negotiate contracts with other teams via their representatives.
One of the most important questions going into the offseason was resolved shortly after the legal negotiation period began: veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins will not start for the Vikings going forward. It is said that he will sign a four-year contract with the Falcons in Atlanta. The Vikings are reportedly signing former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold to a one-year contract to replace Cousins. In the event that the Vikings decide to select a young passer in the 2019 draft, he might be used as a bridge quarterback.
Pass rusher Danielle Hunter, who led the Vikings with over 16 sacks in the previous campaign, is another noteworthy player who is a free agent. After the team apparently signed linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who has also been successful in pressuring the passer, and edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, it appears less likely that he would return. Alexander Mattison, the Vikings’ starting running back from the previous campaign, was cut early in the offseason, creating a need at the running back position. The team apparently brought in former Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones to handle that as well.
Contracts can only become official when free agency begins at 3 p.m. Wednesday, but plenty of big updates are expected in the meantime.
The Vikings continued their defensive spending spree in free agency Wednesday by adding pass rusher Jihad Ward and linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill.
Ward, 29, had a career year with the New York Giants last season, logging five sacks and a forced fumble. He has 18 sacks in his career.
The previous season, Grugier-Hill, 29, was a member of the Carolina Panthers and recorded 56 total tackles along with one sack. As a full-time starter for the Houston Texans in 2021, he recorded 108 sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception, and three sacks. The Vikings announced that Ward had signed his contract and that Grugier-Hill had reached an agreement with the team.
