The Minnesota Vikings are one of the teams that head into the offseason with some clear needs. If they can address enough of them, they can get back into the playoff picture in 2022.
The team is under new management as the front office and coaching staff saw shake-ups this offseason. General manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer were both fired after the season. They have been replaced by Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell, respectively.
Those two have a golden opportunity in front of them to turn things around quickly, especially if the Green Bay Packers lose Aaron Rodgers. If that occurs, there is a chance that the Vikings are the favorites in the NFC North in 2022.
What needs to be done to accomplish that feat? Here are three moves to watch for the Vikings this offseason.
3. Find Justin Jefferson’s Long-Term Complement
The Minnesota Vikings offense has come alive in recent seasons. A big reason for that has been the emergence of Justin Jefferson, who has quickly turned into one of the best wide receivers in the NFL in his first two seasons in the league.
He is a keeper and a foundational piece for the offense, but opposite of him, the team could start looking for a long-term option. Adam Thielen has been excellent opposite of him, but he will be 32-years old when the 2022 season kicks off and the team could start looking for his eventual replacement.
Theilen has battled some injuries the last few seasons, so Minnesota should get a jump on things before the bottom falls out. It would not be surprising if the team decides to use an early draft pick on another wide receiver. K.J Osborn came on last season and will be part of the core along with Jefferson and whoever they draft this year.
2. Revamping The Secondary
The Vikings’ pass defense in 2021 was abysmal. Part of that can be attributed to the team lacking a consistent pass rush, but the players they had at cornerback just didn’t get the job frequently enough.
Minnesota surrendered the third-most yards on the outside and lacked playmakers. They had the third-fewest plays on the ball at cornerback as well. They will be looking to revamp the secondary this offseason as Patrick Peterson and Xavier Woods are both free agents.
To help shore things up on the backend, the Vikings will sign one of J.C. Jackson and Charvarious Ward. The team will also make a move for veterans Jason Verrett and Chris Harris to give the secondary the upgrades it needs to get the job done in pass defense.
1. Kirk Cousins Trade
The biggest question facing the Vikings this offseason is what to do at the quarterback position with Kirk Cousins. He has a massive cap hit of $45 million in the final year of his contract. The team could lower that number by extending him, but do they want to commit more years to him?
If not, then they will look for a team that would take him in a trade. Several teams around the league could use a one-year stopgap or may be willing to sign him to an extension. He was excellent in 2021 and while the team hasn’t gotten over the top with him, that has not always been his fault.
The Denver Broncos, should they strike out on acquiring Aaron Rodgers, could be a landing spot. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers also have needs at quarterback as both teams saw future Hall of Famers retire this offseason.
The Vikings will trade Cousins and either draft his successor in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft or sign a cheaper veteran to a short-term deal until they find their long-term answer at the position.
