The Vikings offseason priorities are going to shape a lot of the narrative around the team as free agency approaches. Over the coming months, there will be a lot of questions that the Vikings front office will have to address. In an offseason this pivotal for Minnesota\u2019s third-year brain trust, their answers to those questions could make or break the regime\u2019s tenure. Now, let\u2019s dive into what the top priorities for General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah\u2019s staff should be.<\/p>\n
Plenty of articles<\/a> have been written on the topic of the Vikings pending offseason quarterback dilemma. Therefore, we won\u2019t be taking up too much space on the top here. Kirk Cousins has been a steady presence for the team for many seasons. As an aging free agent that the Vikings can\u2019t keep off the market via Franchise Tag, his days in purple and gold may be over. The team may very well decide that this is the opportune moment to go younger at the position. Regardless of what direction the Vikings go under center, it will be the most impactful decision of the Vikings offseason.<\/p>\n Normally when teams call a position a \u201cposition of need\u201d going into the offseason, they\u2019re talking about making one or two major upgrades at a spot. The Vikings are taking that to an entirely new level with their edge rusher situation. A position that was already lacking depth in 2023, sees just two guys left on the current roster. To make matters worse, those players were both unimpactful 2023 reserves in Andre Carter<\/a> and Patrick Jones.<\/p>\n Looking at potential returns of pending free agents, Vikings stalwart Danielle Hunter has similar Franchise Tag protections<\/a> to Kirk Cousins. Given that Hunter is the premiere edge rusher on the market and is only 29 years of age, he\u2019s extremely likely to be out of Minnesota\u2019s price range. Last offseason flier Marcus Davenport quickly wore out his welcome and is also unlikely to return. That leaves rotational rusher D.J. Wonnum as the only free agent likely to return to Minnesota in 2024. He could also end up facing a hotter-than-expected market given the premium teams place on young edge defenders.<\/p>\n Even assuming the Vikings do bring Wonnum back on a multi-year deal, they still will have to address the position through multiple additional avenues. To begin with, they will almost certainly target edge rushers early in the draft. That would get easier if they bring back Cousins and can use their first-round pick on a non-quarterback. Someone like Alabama\u2019s Dallas Turner<\/a> would be a dream acquisition for the pass-rush-needy Vikings. That still wouldn\u2019t be enough with the current state of the position. Minnesota would likely draft at least one more prospect in the later rounds and acquire a veteran or two in free agency. The Vikings offseason rundown is going to end up filled with edge rusher transactions.<\/p>\n Last offseason was the first time Minnesota\u2019s All-World wideout Justin Jefferson was eligible for an extension. Unfortunately, the two sides couldn\u2019t come to an agreement that made sense for the Vikings, who would have had to tear up Jefferson\u2019s fifth-year option if an extension had been done early. From a salary cap perspective, it made complete sense for them to wait a year. Now, with Jefferson coming off another spectacular showing that saw him become the third receiver in league history<\/a> to wrack up 1000 receiving yards despite playing in 10 or fewer contests, it\u2019s time to pay the man.<\/p>\nVikings Offseason Priority #2: Find Several Edge Rushers<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Vikings Offseason Priority #3: Pay Justin Jefferson<\/strong><\/h3>\n