How the National Media Graded the Vikings’ Free Agency So Far

The Minnesota Vikings still have around $30 million in salary cap space for 2025, but after the first week of free agency, when most of the big moves are made, the national media has begun giving team grades for their free agency moves.

Here is how some of the major media outlets are grading the Vikings’ free agency so far:

Sporting News

Grade: A-

• Key additions: C Ryan Kelly, G Will Fries, DT Jonathan Allen, DT Javon Hargrave, CB Isaiah Rodgers, S Tavierre Thomas, RB Jordan Mason
• Key re-signings: S Harrison Smith, RB Aaron Jones, CB Byron Murphy Jr., P Ryan Wright
• Key losses: QB Sam Darnold, S Cam Bynum, QB Daniel Jones, QB Nick Mullens, TE Johnny Mundt, WR Trent Sherfield, EDGE Patrick Jones

The Vikings did a great job of balancing keeping the right guys and adding the newcomers for the right positions. Jones deserved to return after his fit in the offense, while Smith and Murphy returning offsets the expected loss of Bynum a bit. The unexpected coup was how much they bolstered their interior on both the offensive and defensive lines.

CBS Sports

Grade: A-

• Key additions: OG Will Fries, CB Isaiah Rodgers, C Ryan Kelly, DT Jonathan Allen, DT Javon Hargrave, RB Jordan Mason (via trade with 49ers)
• Key re-signings: RB Aaron Jones, CB Byron Murphy
• Key departures: QB Sam Darnold (Seahawks), S Camryn Bynum (Colts), QB Daniel Jones (Colts)

The Vikings left Day 1 with a “D” grade from us, but Tuesday was all about Minnesota. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah found a way to keep cornerback Byron Murphy in house on Monday night, then upgraded the trenches with former Colts Will Fries and Ryan Kelly on the offensive side, and a couple of veterans in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave on defense. Adding Mason via trade with the 49ers as a nice complement who could help Jones stay healthy in his early thirties was a savvy move. With Daniel Jones now a Colt, it looks like J.J. McCarthy is going to be Minnesota’s QB1. He better be ready to live up to those first-round expectations, because the Vikings are doing a nice job building a team around him.

Pro Football Focus (PFF)

Grade: A+

S Harrison Smith

• 2024 PFF Grade: 67.7
• 2024 PFF WAR: 0.11
• Contract: 1 year, $10.25 million
• PFF Projected Contract: 1 year, $7.5 million ($6 million guaranteed)
• PFF Deal Grade: Average

Thirteen seasons was not enough for Harrison Smith in Minnesota, as he is now set to return to the Vikings with a reworked deal. He notched yet another season of 1,000-plus defensive snaps in 2024, the sixth time he has achieved that in the past seven years. Smith recorded three interceptions and four forced incompletions during his latest campaign.

DI Javon Hargrave

• 2024 PFF Grade: 60.6
• 2024 PFF WAR: 0.04
• Contract: 2 years, $30 million ($19 million guaranteed)
• PFF Projected Contract: N/A
• PFF Deal Grade: Above Average

Hargrave played just 104 snaps in 2024 before suffering a season-ending injury, but he has been one of the best interior pass-rushers in the NFL since 2020. He produced a PFF pass-rushing grade above 80.0 in every season from 2020 to 2023.

G Will Fries

• 2024 PFF Grade: 86.9
• 2024 PFF WAR: 0.12
• Contract: Five years, $88 million
• PFF Projected Contract: 4 years, $57.25 million ($30 million guaranteed)
• PFF Deal Grade: Good

This is a significant contract, but considering Fries was one of the best guards in football through the first five weeks of the 2024 season, it’s a move that makes sense for Minnesota. His deal will place him just outside the top 10 in average annual value, and based on his trajectory, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him grade among the top five guards in 2025.

DI Jonathan Allen

• 2024 PFF Grade: 57.3
• 2024 PFF WAR: 0.08
• Contract: 3 years, $51 million
• PFF Projected Contract: N/A
• PFF Deal Grade: Average

Allen became a cap casualty as Washington restructured its roster to align with the new regime’s long-term plans. Now 30, his run-defense grades dipped into the 40s in each of the past two seasons, making the move justifiable. However, the Vikings are in a position to take a chance on Allen, hoping he can raise their defensive line’s floor as they push forward in what they still see as a winning window after a quarterback change.

CB Byron Murphy Jr.

• 2024 PFF Grade: 73.4
• 2024 PFF WAR: 0.4
• Contract: 3 years, $66 million
• PFF Projected Contract: 3 years, $52 million ($34.5 million guaranteed)
• PFF Deal Grade: Average

Murphy picked the perfect time to have his best season and is now one of the league’s five highest-paid cornerbacks because of it. His six interceptions in 2024 were tied for the most at the position, and he was one of the 15 most valuable cornerbacks in the NFL, according to PFF’s WAR metric. While this does seem to be an overpay by the Vikings, Minnesota’s secondary would’ve been in dire straits had Murphy walked out the door.

C Ryan Kelly

• 2024 PFF Grade: 67.0
• 2024 PFF WAR: 0.1
• Contract: 2 years, $18 million ($9 million guaranteed)
• PFF Projected Contract: 2 years, $19 million ($8 million guaranteed)
• PFF Deal Grade: Above Average

The Vikings get some stability at center with Kelly that they simply never had with Garrett Bradbury. The former Colt’s 77.5 PFF pass-blocking grade since 2023 ranks third among all centers in the league, while his 76.0 PFF overall grade ranks 10th. He’s far from a long-term answer at 32 years old, but he should help J.J. McCarthy as he enters his first year as a starter.

CB Isaiah Rodgers

• 2024 PFF Grade: 73.2
• 2024 PFF WAR: 0.19
• Contract: 2 years, $15 million ($8 million guaranteed)
• PFF Projected Contract: 1 year, $3 million
• PFF Deal Grade: Average

The Vikings had numerous struggles at outside cornerback last season, so it is no surprise to see them ink a player like Rodgers. Rodgers was tested in coverage 40 times in 2024, and he allowed just 19 catches for 210 yards while forcing eight incompletions.

RB Aaron Jones

• 2024 PFF Grade: 75.4
• 2024 PFF WAR: 0.13
• Contract: 2 years, $20 million ($13 million guaranteed)
• PFF Projected Contract: 2 years, $14 million ($8 million guaranteed)
• PFF Deal Grade: Average

Jones’ 75.4 overall grade in 2024 was a career low, but he remains a valuable part of the Vikings‘ backfield thanks to his patience and receiving ability, as he just posted a near-career-high in receiving yards (420). With Minnesota pushing to win now, bringing Jones back is a solid move.

USA Today

Grade: A

Much will be made about the Vikings losing both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones in free agency. However, with the team ready to trust J.J. McCarthy as a starter, the team was smart not to overpay for a veteran quarterback. Instead, they spent heavily in the trenches, bringing in Ryan Kelly and Will Fries from the Colts to play center and right guard respectively while also signing veteran defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.

Some will argue that giving Fries $88 million is a bit rich; others may wonder whether Allen will be able to live up to a $20 million AAV after seeing his sack numbers decline in four consecutive seasons.

Even so, Minnesota looks a lot stronger up front than it was last season. That could allow the Vikings to continue to build upon their 2024 success, provided that McCarthy is ready to step into the starting role.

Yahoo Sports

Grade: A

The Minnesota Vikings aggressively attacked the first week of free agency but didn’t hand out big contracts to anyone. Instead, they strategically waited for most of Monday, seeing how the market played out. On Tuesday, they addressed both offensive and defensive lines, the two most glaring weaknesses throughout the 2024 season and resulted in them losing to the two teams that beat them, the Lions and Rams.

Frank Schwab of Yahoo! Sports released grades for each team’s first few days of free agency. He gave the Vikings an “A”, one of two teams to get the highest grade. The other was the Chicago Bears, who have also aggressively added reinforcements to their offensive line.

Perhaps most impressive during the week was the Vikings’ retention of their top free agents. Aaron Jones and Byron Murphy, Jr. are coming back, meaning replacing running back and cornerback is less necessary.

Those positions will still need to be addressed as free agency continues and possibly in the draft, but the Vikings have more flexibility to handle depth there than was anticipated. The construction of the 2025 Vikings roster is far from over, but it’s off to a great start.

The Athletic

Grade: Winners

Their quarterback plan remains murky. But whoever lines up under center (Aaron Rodgers? J.J. McCarthy?) will benefit from a markedly improved offensive line than Sam Darnold had last season thanks to the signings of guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly. Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Brian Flores is smiling because of the additions of cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.

Individual grades:

DT Jonathan Allen

Top 150 ranking: No. 10

Reported deal: Three years, $60 million

Grade: B

Released by Washington after eight seasons because of a hefty salary, modest production, fluctuating durability and a crowded position group, Allen finds a new home with the Vikings. If healthy, Allen offers a team good interior pressure and solid run-stopping capabilities. Brian Flores certainly will find a way to maximize the skills the former Alabama star has to offer.

DT Javon Hargrave

Top 150 ranking: No. 11

Reported deal: Two years, $30 million

Grade: A

Two years ago, Hargrave was as disruptive as they come, recording 11 sacks while helping the 49ers reach Super Bowl LVIII. But a torn triceps limited Hargrave, 32, to just three games last season. Now healthy again, he’ll try to regain top form while helping anchor a revamped Vikings defensive front that also includes the newly signed Jonathan Allen.

G Will Fries

Top 150 ranking: No. 14

Reported deal: Five years, $88 million

Grade: B

Fries has displayed tremendous growth while going from an overmatched seventh-round pick to a quality NFL starter. He’s coming off a season limited to just five games because of a fractured tibia, surgery and recovery. But the Vikings clearly feel good about his ability to bounce back, giving him one of the longest and richest unrestricted free-agent contracts of this shopping period.

CB Byron Murphy Jr.

Top 150 ranking: No. 28

Reported deal: Three years, $66 million

Grade: A

Coming off his first Pro Bowl season after recording six interceptions, 14 pass breakups and 81 tackles, Murphy cashed in with his big, multiyear deal to stay in Minnesota. He displayed good versatility in Brian Flores’ scheme and should only continue to elevate his game.

C Ryan Kelly

Top 150 ranking: No. 74

Reported deal: Two years, $18 million

Grade: B

Injuries derailed Kelly’s 2024 season, limiting him to just 10 games. He did surrender just one sack, and the Vikings are hoping he can serve as a stabilizing force for a line that will be tasked with protecting first-year starter J.J. McCarthy. If he can stay healthy, the four-time Pro Bowl lineman should serve Minnesota well.

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Bottom Line

The Vikings are having one of the best free agencies of any team in the NFL, judging by the consensus of national media outlets. Winning free agency or the draft based on initial reactions doesn’t always translate to winning in the fall or making a deep run in the playoffs.

But clearly there is a consensus that the Vikings have done a good job improving their roster after a week of free agency transactions.