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Vikings Continue to Beef Up Special Teams w/Latest Signing
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- Vikings Continue to Beef Up Special Teams w/Latest Signing
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings 2025 offseason continues to move fast. To date, no team has spent more money since the start of NFL free agency last week, than the Vikings . They have brought in or retained over a dozen players via signing or trade.
They've sured up the many questions surrounding the offensive and defensive lines, while also addressing needs in the running and defensive backfields. Over the last eight days, it's become clear that Minnesota wants to enter April's draft without any demonstrative needs that could negatively impact their decision making over those three days.
Credit: Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
So on Tuesday, just one day after a couple of more moves, when general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah started wheeling and dealing yet again, nobody was surprised. Today's wave began with the signing of former No. 3 overall pick (CB) Jeff Okudah , after he spent Monday on a TCO Performance Center visit in Eagan.
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Minnesota Vikings signing WR Tim Jones
Then, moments after the team made that move official on social media , they announced another signing, this time (technically) on offense, with 26-year-old former Jaguars wide receiver, Tim Jones, who hit free agency for the first time in his professional career this offseason.
The #Vikings have agreed to terms with WR @Timnjones5 .
📰: https://t.co/i6cvRrN9Jb pic.twitter.com/1XM5GqIAvH— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) March 18, 2025
While in Jacksonville , Tim Jones was used sparingly as a wide receiver, accumulating 17 total receptions for 154 yards and 0 touchdowns over three seasons and 51 total games. His most prolific season offensively came in 2023, when Jones caught 11 of his 18 targets for 83 yards and 4 first downs (0 TDs).
The real reason Minnesota is signing Jones: Special Teams
But the MN Vikings are not signing Tim Jones to give him wide receiver snaps. They're bringing him in for his special teams prowess, something that has proven itself to be an underlying focus for the Vikings over the last week-plus, with the signings of (LB) Eric Wilson , (CB) Tavierre Thomas and (S) Bubba Bolden .
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With the Jaguars last season, the 6'1″, 200 lb Mississippi native played 299 special teams snaps , where he was featured in every aspect, other than field goal kick and block units. During his 3-year NFL career, Jones has already racked up 668 special teams snaps.
Jaguars get tricky with a fake punt. Logan Cooke and Tim Jones connect for 13 yards. pic.twitter.com/2reBzltfeb
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 20, 2023
Related: Minnesota Vikings Land More Young Talent on Defense
But while the Minnesota Vikings' interest, and the Jags usage, seems to peg the Southern Miss alum as a coveted special teams specialist, Pro Football Focus — which has never graded Jones above a 64.2 in special teams — says different. In fact, Jones earned the worst special teams PFF grade of his young career, in 2024, an ugly 49.2.
Of course, not everyone believes in PFF grades. In this case, the Vikings clearly fall into that category.
| Year |
ST Snaps |
ST PFF |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
299 |
49.2 |
| 2023 |
194 |
62.7 |
| 2022 |
175 |
64.2 |
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