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ESPN: Minnesota Vikings Have Already Won NFL Free Agency
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- ESPN: Minnesota Vikings Have Already Won NFL Free Agency
Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Technically, 2025 NFL Free agency just started yesterday afternoon. Of course, we all know that most of the heavy lifting in that department happens during the legal tampering period, which took place from Monday morning to Wednesday afternoon.
That's when teams "agree to terms" with most of the top free agents, before contracts are made official when the new league years starts, which was yesterday. The Minnesota Vikings got off to a bit of a slow start on Monday morning, when the opening bell sounded.
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But by that evening, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings front office had hit the ground running, and never looked back. Forty-eight hours later , they had fixed the o-line, d-line and sured up special teams. Plus, Harrison Smith announced he is returning for another season too.
Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Of course, with the draft still five weeks away, there is still plenty of work to be done between now and Training Camp. That said, the Minnesota Vikings 2025 offseason is off to a blazing start, and those around the league have taken notice.
ESPN NFL Analyst crowns Vikings as winners of the NFL offseason
One year after signing unarguably the best free agency class in Minnesota Vikings history, with Jonathan Greenard , Andrew Van Ginkel , Blake Cashman and Aaron Jones , ESPN Insider Ben Solak has already crowned the Vikings as the victors of 2025 free agency, as well.
"I think the Vikings are the winners of the free agent period. They double-dipped at defensive tackle with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave , and they need just one of the two aging interior pass rushers to hit for them at one of the lone positions of weakness on the defense last season. Star corner Byron Murphy Jr . returns to the outside, and veteran running back Aaron Jones returns on offense."
Above, Solak highlights some of the best moves Minnesota has made during free agency. What's crazy: He didn't even have enough room to mention the additions along the offensive line, which were probably the most heralding of the past few days.
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Related: Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Signings – 2025
Last season the Vikings' interior offensive line was a serious problem. The running game suffered, and that's where Sam Darnold faced the most pressure. Ryan Kelly joins the team , to replace (we think?) Garrett Bradbury . They also got his Colts teammate, and the best guard available in this class, Will Fries .
The Vikings have invested a ton of money in the trenches , and that allows the team as a whole to benefit from there. They still need a quarterback to pair with J.J. McCarthy , and depth elsewhere is necessary, but the best foot has already been put forward.
What's left for the Minnesota Vikings this offseason?
There is still cap space available for the Minnesota Vikings. They will have opportunity to add depth pieces in free agency. They still hold just four draft picks, and one they just got Wednesday, as a compensation pick for losing their Kirk Cousins last offseason.
The #Vikings have been awarded a 3rd-round compensatory pick (#97 overall).
The team now holds four picks in this year's draft.
📰: https://t.co/rhkpAXIeGa pic.twitter.com/pqXiO387VW— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) March 12, 2025
Speaking of quarterbacks, the Vikings still need one to pair with J.J. McCarthy, who's currently the only QB on roster. Yes, Aaron Jones is returning , but the Minnesota Vikings have made it clear they want more talent in the backfield, and less workload for Jones.
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Related: Kirk Cousins Leaving Finally Pays Off for Vikings
Beyond QB and RB, the Vikings still need help in the secondary and could add depth in the linebacker room. No matter what, Kevin O'Connell's team seems well-positioned to get better this offseason, and that was no guarantee for a team expected to lose much of its secondary and its MVP caliber QB from the season before.
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