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Re-Signing Top DB is High Priority for Vikings but There’s a Catch…
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- Re-Signing Top DB is High Priority for Vikings but There’s a Catch…
Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings
What will the Minnesota Vikings do in their secondary this offseason? Yes, this roster has plenty of major questions to address over the next couple months, especially in the trenches and at quarterback. But at least they have some warm bodies with experience under contract at those positions.
The Vikings secondary, on the other hand, looks like that Will Smith empty room meme . Those set to hit free agency include safety Cam Bynum , along with cornerbacks Byron Murphy Jr , Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin . Legendary safety Harrison Smith is also considering retirement .
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Minnesota Vikings have a major defensive backs shortage
As of Friday, the MN Vikings are scheduled to have just one returning defensive back — hybrid safety Josh Metellus (1,030 snaps) — that played more than 30 defensive snaps last season . The pending free agent list of defensive backs even includes backups (CB) Fabian Moreau , (S) Theo Jackson and (S) Bobby McCain , who got 79 and 30 defensive snaps respectively in 2024, are both due for free agency.
| Player |
Pos |
2024Def Snaps |
2025Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Murphy Jr |
CB |
1,109 |
UFA |
| Harrison Smith* |
S |
1,062 |
$6.6M* |
| Cam Bynum |
S |
1,056 |
UFA |
| Josh Metellus |
S |
1,030 |
$6.5M |
| Stephon Gilmore |
CB |
904 |
UFA |
| Shaq Griffin |
CB |
597 |
UFA |
| Fabian Moreau |
CB |
104 |
UFA |
| Theo Jackson |
S |
79 |
UFA |
| Bobby McCain |
S |
40 |
UFA |
| S |
30 |
$1.3M |
|
| CB |
20 |
$1M |
|
| CB |
3 |
N/A |
PFF | Spotrac | *Pondering Retirement
We know the Minnesota Vikings are going to bring some, but not all, of these defensive backs back for 2025. There is no way they will go into next season with a completely fresh secondary.
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That's one large reason why the Vikings are so open to Harrison Smith returning. Because, if he does return, the 36-year-old future Ring of Honor member is expected to give his $6.5M salary yet another major haircut.
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But no matter what Harry the Hitman decides, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will have to bring back more secondary talent than that. So… who are the Vikings trying to bring back out of this large group of pending unrestricted free agent defensive backs?
MN Vikings making CB Byron Murphy Jr a top priority
Well, according to Darren "Doogie" Wolfson , one of their top priorities is Byron Murphy Jr, their 27-year-old CB1, who is by far the most expensive asset in their secondary. Murphy Jr recorded 81 tackles, 14 pass deflections and 6 interceptions, the latter of which ranked fifth among NFL cornerbacks and most on the Vikings.
"He loves it here, the Vikings love him. I know he loves it here. I had a number of conversations with him throughout the season about how much he enjoys being here, so he is a priority. Very curious to see if they can get that thing done. You know, whether it's March 10, March 11, leading into the official signing date of March 12, but absolutely a priority."
Last season, Byron Murphy Jr allowed an average of 4.6 receptions per game for 50.11 yards, with a total of 4 touchdowns conceded, placing him in the top 25 in the league for fewest touchdowns allowed among corners with at least 500 snaps.
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Also according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Murphy finished tied for second among NFC cornerbacks in 2024 with a defensive grade of 73.4 (73.5 Coverage grade). During a three-game stretch between weeks 8 and 10, Byron Murphy Jr earned an average 86.3 PFF grade, allowing just 2 first downs, while reeling in 3 interceptions.
But there's a catch…
But there's a catch to all of this Minnesota Vikings good will effort toward signing their best young cornerback. He's going to be very expensive. Spotrac.com has his annual value pegged at over $20 million, a price Kwesi may find too expensive for the Vikings' blood.
"I know they want him back. I just don't know, is there some other team, whether it's the Raiders or you name the franchise that is just going to blow him away where he's going to have to say yes to that particular offer? That in the end, the Vikings make a very nice offer but it's not the most lucrative offer. Then, what is the decision? But make no mistake, the Vikings want Byron Murphy Jr back."
This is probably going to be the case most of the time that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is running the Minnesota Vikings front office. While this team has an obvious need at CB and Byron Murphy Jr is their best CB1 option, Kwesi is unlikely to pay him top market value to return.
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It's very possible we see a more spend-happy franchise, like the Las Vegas Raiders , come in with an offer that blows the best and final from Minnesota out of the water. If that happens, the Vikings aren't going to reach for value they do not believe is worth the squeeze.
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Some of what eventually plays out will likely have to do with how much Murphy J prioritizes his familiarity with defensive coordinator Brian Flores and his love for the Minnesota Vikings organization over making top dollar. If so, what is that happy medium?
