Tag: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

Could the Vikings use Sam Darnold to acquire an All-Pro defensive player?

During Super Bowl media week, the Cleveland Browns are on the receiving end of bad news but good news for 31 other teams. 

The NFL offseason sometimes gives fans and the media busier news days than they could have expected at any other time. One way that happens is when a star player either requests a trade or is traded entirely.

During Super Bowl media week, the Cleveland Browns received bad news, but 31 other teams received good news.

It all started when Myles Garrett publicly announced that he would be seeking a trade away from the team. He cited the team’s current stage of development and said he did not want to be a part of another rebuild. If the team does indeed decide to trade him, another top defensive player may be on the outs as well following in his footsteps.

It was reported late Wednesday night by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that if the team trades Garrett, cornerback Denzel Ward would possibly follow him by requesting a trade.

This is where the Vikings come into play for these defensive players, they have one major bargaining chip the team could use, a quarterback.

Do not worry, I am not talking about J.J. McCarthy, I am talking about Sam Darnold. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has ties to the Browns, so that communication channel can be used easily. Not saying a one-for-one trade is that easy for Darnold for Garrett or Ward, but it would be a great starting point.

For Denzel Ward especially, he is a young cornerback who could be acquired for a much smaller price than Garrett. He has an injury history that is troublesome, but sending Darnold for him sure beats losing Darnold for nothing in free agency.

NFL analyst suggests notable free agent CB sign with Vikings

As we get closer to free agency, there is speculation growing on who the Vikings could target to rebuild their secondary. 

The Minnesota Vikings are likely to have a new look on defense in 2025, especially at the cornerback position. All of their cornerbacks are free agents, and many of them outplayed their previous deals.

As free agency approaches, speculation is growing about who the Vikings could target to rebuild their secondary. Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team has an idea for how the Vikings could jump-start their cornerback room.

Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton is set to become a free agent. Despite playing on a less-than-ideal defensive unit, Hilton was a star.

Mosher writes: “Brian Flores loves to blitz, and there isn’t a better blitzer from the slot than Mike Hilton. While he isn’t great in coverage, Hilton does everything else at a high level. He is an outstanding run defender and has a knack for finding the football.”

According to PFF, Hilton was the 23rd-ranked cornerback in the NFL last season. His best grade came in his run support, as he was the top-ranked cornerback in that area with a 91.7 grade.

Hilton could serve as the veteran presence to stabilize what is expected to be a young cornerback group for the Vikings in 2025.

Could the Vikings target a former 49ers star cornerback in free agency?

Because of that, the offseason is going to be critical for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings front office as they rebuild this defense.

The Minnesota Vikings have no cornerbacks under contract for the 2025 season, a rare occurrence for the team to be in any position. Brian Flores and his defense showed how important the secondary is to their success during the 2024 season.

Because of this, the offseason will be critical for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the entire Vikings front office as they rebuild this defense. One player who could be a fun addition to the Vikings defense went to social media on Tuesday who reminded the league of what he plans to bring.

 

 

49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward announced earlier this year that he would not return to the team for personal reasons. Ward and his family suffered the loss of their young child this past season, and he cited the pain connected to the area as being too much for his family to bear to be around constantly. Ward returned to finish the season with the team but he now seems eager for a fresh start as his family takes the next steps in the grieving process.

From a football perspective, Ward would be a tremendous addition to the Vikings’ defense.

Ward entered 2024, coming off an All-Pro season in 2023, along with a Pro Bowl selection. While 2024 was not the year for him in any dynamic, he is still just 28 years old and has plenty left in the tank to showcase against opposing wide receivers.

2025 NFL Free Agency: Projected value of Aaron Jones’ next contract

With Aaron Jones scheduled to hit the free agent market again in 2025, and coming off a career year, will he be back in Minnesota next year?

The Minnesota Vikings have many difficult questions to answer this offseason before they prepare for the 2025 season. One that no one wants to think about is, “Will Aaron Jones be back in Minnesota for 2025?”

For the first seven years of his career, Jones was a solid running back for the division-rival Green Bay Packers. Jones wracked up nearly 6,000 yards, made one Pro Bowl, and led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2019 with 16.

Yet his one season with the Vikings was arguably the best of his career. After hitting the free agent market with the Packers letting Jones walk due in part to injuries and aging, Jones became the featured back for the Vikings, getting the most carries and rushing yards of his career.

Now, Jones is scheduled to hit the free agent market again, which begs the question: What sort of contract can Jones expect next season, and should the Vikings be the ones to offer it?

According to the projections from the team at Spotrac, Jones would once again be on a one-year deal with his next team. The deal he signed with the Vikings before last off-season signed a one-year deal worth $7 million — that the Vikings spread out over several years thanks to the use of void years.

According to the Spotrac team, Jones’ new deal would clock in just under what the Vikings gave Jones last season. Jones’ market value is at just $5.6 million for one season. At that rate, it might be tempting for the Vikings to keep Jones around for another season.

Jones had a strong season in 2024, especially considering the lackluster performance of the offensive line in front of him. The Vikings figure to use some — if not a large portion — of their projected $63.8 million in cap space to improve the interior of their offensive line. Those improvements and Jones’ performance last season may bode well for a Jones return.

However, Jones has been injury-prone in the past, and he will turn 31 towards the end of next season. Running backs tend to fall off a cliff after their age-30 season, so the decline is likely just a matter of time for Jones. Would general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah want to sink valuable resources into bringing back an aging running back?

If the Vikings were strapped for cap space, it would be easy to let Jones walk and get paid elsewhere. However, with over $60 million to spend, and Jones being healthy and having a career year last season, it could be well worth the investment if Jones is willing to come back for a slight pay cut.

2025 NFL Free Agency: Projected value of Camryn Bynum’s next contract

With nearly all of the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive backfield scheduled to hit free agency, should Camryn Bynum be a priority to re-sign?

The Minnesota Vikings have many difficult questions to answer this offseason before they prepare for the 2025 season. One that no one wants to think about is, “Will Camryn Bynum be back in Minnesota for 2025?”

For the past two seasons, the defense has been the lifeblood of the Minnesota Vikings. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has completely turned the fortunes of the Vikings’ defense, which struggled mightily just a few short seasons ago. One of the things that makes the Vikings’ defense tick is the play of their safeties, Harrison Smith and Bynum.

With neither Smith nor Bynum under contract next season, the defensive backfield for Minnesota could look dramatically different in 2025. Smith may be headed towards retirement, while Bynum should be a hot commodity on the free agent market.

That begs the question: What sort of contract might Bynum be looking at on the free agent market, and should the Vikings shell out for their star safety?

Bynum is a rising star at the safety position and just turned in arguably his best season as a professional in 2024. Bynum set a new career high with three interceptions and 10 passes defensed and tied a career-high with two fumble recoveries and two tackles-for-loss.

Now, at the end of his rookie deal, Bynum is likely looking at a significant bump with his next contract. In 2024, Bynum made just over $3 million in the final year of his contract. Now, the team at Over the Cap believes the young safety could be in line for a pay bump of over $2 million. They have his current valuation sitting at just over $5.6 million.

If that is, in fact, the number that Bynum’s future team lands at, it would be a steal for the Vikings. Bynum has quickly blossomed into an integral piece in Flores’ defensive scheme and one of the better young safeties in the league. A deal for $5.6 million per year would still put Bynum around the middle of the pack at the position.

With the Vikings projected to have over $60 million in cap space, they can easily accommodate this type of deal for Bynum and have plenty left over to improve their offensive line situation. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bynum’s deal comes in higher than the projected figure from OTC, but even still, it would be worth it for the Vikings to maintain as much defensive continuity as possible.

Does the 2025 NFL Draft class affect the trade value of J.J. McCarthy?

The latest to discuss different possibilities for the Vikings is ESPN’s Benjamin Solak, and he makes a point we haven’t heard yet.

The conversation isn’t going away for a few more weeks if you are the Minnesota Vikings. The discussion around the future of Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy is set in stone for some while others continue to gauge different avenues the team can take.

The latest to discuss different possibilities for the Vikings is ESPN’s Benjamin Solak, and he makes a point we haven’t heard yet.

Solak wrote on ESPN that the team could extend Darnold after his impressive 17-week run during the regular season and then “quietly look to trade [J.J. McCarthy] ahead of a bad QB draft class and see if a needy team takes the bait.”

The top of the draft order is filled with quarterback-needy teams, and this 2025 draft class isn’t built to support them. First overall is the Titans who can make their choice of Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. After that, teams like the Browns, Giants, and Raiders are all in need at the position.

McCarthy would easily be the number one quarterback in this class had he returned to Michigan and been in this class. While that increases his value it also means the Vikings are getting the top quarterback option on the market. While it makes sense from an asset standpoint, it also does not make much sense to trade away the best prospect available at the most important position.

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah gives an update on J.J. McCarthy

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah gave an update on J.J. McCarthy’s rehab during his season-ending press conference.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had their season-ending press conferences on Wednesday. One noteworthy moment came when Adofo-Mensah was asked about J.J. McCarthy’s status following season-ending surgery on a meniscus tear he suffered in August. Will Ragatz of Bring Me The News shared Adofo-Mensah’s answer on X:

He’s on the field, throwing and training. He looks great. You talk about a kid who’s just obsessed with football and loves being around the game. We’re excited about what we have in him. We’re excited about this offseason for him.
It’s encouraging that McCarthy can physically train after being forced to spend most of the season only taking mental reps. There was some concern that a procedure on his surgically repaired knee could be a setback. But it looks like McCarthy has a chance to be ready when team offseason workouts begin in April.
The response also feels like a vote of confidence in moving forward with McCarthy. There was speculation that Sam Darnold could be brought back after a strong start to the 2024 season. However, his final two games of the season were underwhelming. If the Vikings feel as strongly about McCarthy as Adofo-Mensah said, deciding to move on from Darnold shouldn’t be difficult.
Adofo-Mensah doesn’t get many opportunities to speak to the media during the season. With the season over, he was able to let his guard down some and give insight into some of the organization’s offseason planning. It sounds like he’s excited about what McCarthy can show this offseason. And that should give fans optimism as the team tries returning to the playoffs in 2025.

2025 NFL Free Agency: Projected value of Pat Jones II’s next contract

The idea of losing Pat Jones II is perhaps less on the mind of Vikings fans, but should it be?

The Minnesota Vikings have many difficult questions to answer this offseason before they prepare for the 2025 season. One that no one wants to think about is, “Will Pat Jones II be back in Minnesota for 2025?”

The idea of losing Pat Jones II is perhaps less on the mind of Vikings fans, but should it be?

Pat Jones II had a breakout year for the Vikings, while their entire defense had a season to remember. He set career highs in sacks (7), tackles (39), and QB hits (12). He is still just 26 years old, so having a breakout year at this age and going into free agency couldn’t be more perfect for him.

This brings us to the question: What will his next contract be, and should the Vikings pay it?

Overthecap speculates that his contract value on the open market would be around $3.1 million. In 2024, his base salary was $1.3 million, so that is a nice raise for him, but it remains a manageable amount for the Vikings.

For what the Vikings have shown to like on defense, having him on the rotation for the next couple of years at the price is well worth it for the Vikings.

The Vikings are projected to have just $77 million dollars, before any adjustments, in their salary cap this offseason. Getting back someone who is coming off a career year for just a slim margin of that money almost seems like a no-brainer. So many teams have a rotation of pass rushers and he would fit on any of them, so why not stay with Minnesota?

2025 NFL Free Agency: Projected value of Sam Darnold’s next contract

The idea of losing Sam Darnold is potentially a much easier pill to swallow after recent weeks, but should it be?

The Minnesota Vikings have many difficult questions to answer this offseason before they prepare for the 2025 season. One that no one wants to think about is, “Will Sam Darnold be back in Minnesota for 2025?”

The idea of losing Sam Darnold is potentially a much easier pill to swallow after recent weeks, but should it be?

Sam Darnold was drafted third overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, and he was expected to save the franchise. While that didn’t pan out, he was able to salvage the Vikings season and lead them to a 14-3 season while earning a Pro Bowl bid.

This brings us to the question: What will his next contract be, and should the Vikings pay it?

Spotrac speculates that his contract value on the open market would be around $40.6 million. That is a sharp increase from the $10 million he signed for last offseason with the Vikings. He played at an MVP level and led the team to 14 wins, as we mentioned. However, after seeing how he played those last two weeks, not to mention that J.J. McCarthy will be back this offseason, there is no way they can pay for this.

The team could franchise tag Darnold for a projected $41.3 million, while only being tied to that amount for one more year. It could serve as a security blanket option for the team as they ease McCarthy back into the mix.

The Vikings are projected to have just $77 million dollars, before any adjustments, in their salary cap this offseason. Darnold taking up a good chunk of that money when the team has so many other free agents may not be wise spending.

In my opinion, the Vikings got what they needed out of Darnold and have to be all in on McCarthy. Having $77 million to spend to build the defense up better while suring up the middle of the offensive line seems wiser in the grand scheme of things.

Vikings executive gets mentioned as potential NFL GM candidate

According to Albert Breer, there is a Vikings front office, though there is an emerging candidate for expected general manager spots.

The first Monday of the NFL offseason is always tough for so many in the NFL as teams begin to change their coaching staff and front office staffs. The Minnesota Vikings are expected to have teams request for interviews with defensive coordinator Brian Flores, and the Jets have already requested one.

According to Albert Breer, there is a Vikings front office, though there is an emerging candidate for expected general manager spots. Breer expects the New York Jets to be looking for retreads, former general managers who are looking for a second chance.

Just so happens the Vikings have one in Ryan Grigson who was general manager for the Colts from 2012 to 2016. He is currently listed as the Senior Vice President of Player Personnel for the Vikings.

Breer writes, “Ryan Grigson, another ex-GM who built playoff teams, deserves another look with his time in Indianapolis now having more context, and the success he’s had as the No. 2 to Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in building this year’s Minnesota Vikings.”

Regardless of how this season ends for the Vikings, the team is going to be having changes on and off the field. If Grigson is requested for any interviews, we will be sure to pass those along here at Vikings Wire.