This is The Gridiron Review’s Minnesota Vikings 2023 Offseason Team Breakdown. We provide you with all things you need to know about the Vikings heading into FA and the draft. We also provide our thoughts on the needs of the team and how we think they can be addressed!
Minnesota Vikings 2022 Record: 13-4
Minnesota Vikings Salary Cap(According to Spotrac): $-21,319,469
Notable Free Agents(According to Spotrac):
- Alexander Mattison, RB
- Bisi Johnson, WR
- Irv Smith, TE
- Garrett Bradbury, C
- Dalvin Tomlinson, DL
- Patrick Peterson, CB
- Chandon Sullivan, CB
Team Needs: WR, OL(Depth), DL, CB
3 Free Agent Targets(In No Order):
- Robert Woods, WR
- Morgan Fox, DL
- Bryce Callahan, CB
Minnesota Vikings First Round Pick(s): Pick 23
3 Draft Prospect Fits/Targets:
- Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
- Lukas Van Ness, DL/EDGE, Iowa
- Brian Branch, NB, Alabama
Our Vikings Ideal Offseason Plans/Thoughts:
- As we all saw again this year, Kirk Cousins led the Vikings to an amazing regular season and choked away another playoff run. They lost to the NY Giants and their practice squad WRs. This team is basically $21.5 million in the hole and running out of time to make a Super Bowl run. In a pretty weak NFC, there’s absolutely no reason why the Vikings shouldn’t have been at least in the NFC Championship. Kirk is a good QB, but may also be the most average QB of all time. I know there’s a lot of support for Kirk, but going after someone like Jackson could very easily turn this roster into legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Kirk would be a great bridge QB for a team like Indy, Houston, Carolina, etc, but if O’Connell is serious about winning he needs to stop re-signing Kirk.
- The Vikings have one of the best WR duos in football in Jefferson and Thielen. Thielen is just one of those players that’s extremely hard to see playing for another team. He was born in Minnesota, played at Minnesota State, went undrafted, got picked up by the Vikings, and never looked back. If Thielen is out, the Vikings should look to bring a veteran into the room. Recently released Robert Woods should absolutely be an option here. Woods played under now Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell in LA, and should look better next season when he’s not required to be a WR1. The Vikings should also look to hit the draft for a WR. Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt knows how to take the top off of defenses, which the Vikings don’t really have. Also, just part ways with Reagor, he’s done. Stop wasting your time and bring in some real depth.
- The Vikings offensive line played pretty well this season. 2022 2nd rounder Ed Ingram had an unbelievably rough rookie campaign giving up 11 sacks. Ingram was a tackle in college, so it’s possible the transition was what killed him. As bad as he played, it’s hard to see a situation where they give up on him after one year. He probably gets one more season to prove himself and show growth before showing panic. Early in Bradbury’s career, he was talked about as being a bust and not living up to being a first round pick. Despite a pretty good starting unit, the depth of the offensive line could definitely be addressed.
- The defensive line is set to lose Dalvin Tomlinson to free agency. The defense as a whole struggled last year ranking 20th against the run and 31st against the pass. The hiring of Brian Flores should automatically elevate this defensive roster to new levels, but they could help the roster out a bit too. In the Vikings 3-4 defense they have big bodies across the board, which you would think would’ve helped them stop the run a little bit better. Being strapped for cash, bringing Tomlinson back is not the most likely option. If they want to hit the FA market, Morgan Fox could be a cheap veteran option who is coming off a strong season. If they want to draft a replacement, look for Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness to be a strong option. Van Ness has versatility along the defensive line. Neither Van Ness nor Fox will directly replace Tomlinson. They are different styles of player, but both options should be able to generate more pass rush than Tomlinson.
- The Vikings cornerback room is rough. They were 31st against the pass. Granted it isn’t entirely their fault, but they need to fix that ranking. Patrick Peterson is coming off another strong campaign in Minnesota, but is also aging. It would be a mistake to not bring back Pat Pete considering he’s not just a strong CB1 for the team, he’s also a great mentor for the young guys they’ve drafted over the past few years. The Vikings are also going to be looking for a new NB with Chandon Sullivan set to become a FA. If they want to bring a second veteran into the room, look for Bryce Callahan who’s coming off a strong 2022 to be an option here. If they want to continue the youth movement in the secondary, Alabama’s Brian Branch would be a really strong option at pick 23.
- UPDATE: Eric Kendricks has been released. Don’t be surprised if they address LB in the draft, especially if Hicks is released next. You have to feel bad for Brian Flores, it seems like he’s always getting screwed over.