Well, free agency will be official at 4 pm today. Kyler Murray is supposed to visit. I do not believe it is a done deal. If they do not get Murray then we are looking at Cousins, Rodgers, or Jimmy G. It could happen.
I am guessing that the team really is not excited about any outside free agents besides Pierre. They are really going to need to hit on all their draft picks which is not exactly their strong suit. People can place all the blame on Kwesi but the same scouts and personnel people are running the draft that have done it since Kwesi’s 2nd year. I seriously doubt that Kwesi was scouting like Capt Stubing (er., Spielman) used to do. I am quite certain that Kwesi had to rely on those scouts and personnel people (whatever) to provide for him a “big board”. Kind of scary actually.
Some of the free agent deals were modest and I thought some of those players might interest the team. Apparently not. Now I am thinking they are playing the compensatory pick game. They could get a 3rd or more likely a 4th for Nailor. Ryan Wright probably gets cancelled out by James Pierre. Maybe Wentz and Skule will get signed by another team (or brought back by the Vikings).
So what is the plan? Yore guess is as good as mine.
I am going to go with released players in this plan.
A’Shawn Robinson 2 yr 7.5M
Anfernee Jennings 2 yr 8M
Nate Hobbs 2 yr 6M
Jabrill Peppers 1 yr 2.5M
Darnell Mooney 2 yr 7M
I do not see a center getting signed but I still like Austin Corbett on a 2 yr 5-6M deal. I am not sure about running back but I am intrigued by Joe Mixon. It is unclear if he is recovered from the foot injury though.
I would give Greenard a new deal (replacing his old one) of 4 yr 105.2M with one void year
He gets a 25M signing bonus and a 8M option bonus in 2027.
His salaries would be 1.215M, 15M, 26M, and 30M.
His cap hits would be 9.515M, 25.3M, 36.3M, 37M, and 7M (void year)
This lowered Greenard’s cap hit from $22.15M to $9.5M, creating $12.63M in space. His cap hit goes up by only 3M in 2027
I would give O’Neill a new deal (replacing his old one) of 3 yr 73.5M with two void years
He gets a 30M signing bonus
His salaries would be 2M, 17M, 24.5M
His cap hits would be 12M, 23M, 30.5M, 6M and 6M (void years)
This cleared $11.1M in 2026 cap space (dropping from $23.1M to $12.0M)
Between O’Neill and Greenard this creates 23.73M in cap space to NOT use.
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
While some teams have already spent like crazy, others have done very little. The Vikings fall into the latter camp. As of about 5 p.m. central on Tuesday, 30 hours into free agency, Minnesota has signed veteran cornerback James Pierre and re-signed long snapper Andrew DePaola. So far, that’s it.
If you’re upset about the moves former Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made to put the franchise in its current cap situation, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to now be bummed that interim GM Rob Brzezinski and company aren’t going out and signing big-name free agents once more.
The two best moves the Vikings made in free agency last year weren’t big splashes. The first was to sign Isaiah Rodgers to a two-year, $11 million deal. The second was to sign Eric Wilson to a one-year, $2.6 million deal. Sometimes huge contracts in free agency work out, but the value typically comes in the smaller deals for underrated depth players.
The Vikings hope they’ve found another such player in Pierre, who had a great 2025 season with the Steelers as a rotational cornerback. He has a history with new Vikings defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander and should be a nice fit in Brian Flores’ scheme. He also plays a ton of special teams.
More moves of that ilk are coming. The Vikings could use a running back, a safety, a defensive tackle, and a center. They’re also going to sign a quarterback at some point, with Kyler Murray looking like the far-and-away favorite.
Speaking on NFL Network’s The Insiders on Monday, league insider Mike Garafolo reported that McCown initially interviewed for the Giants’ offensive coordinator job. That opening ended up going to former Bears head coach Matt Nagy. After the OC job went elsewhere, that’s when the Giants returned with a lesser role, and the Vikings nixed those plans.
“[McCown] had an offer to go there, as the passing game coordinator, as well, and was blocked,” said Garafolo. “Minnesota wanted to keep Josh McCown in the fold there.”
It’s not an entirely surprising move by the Vikings. League rules stipulate that teams can’t block coaches from a promotion, but can step in and block lateral moves. Kevin O’Connell’s coaching staff has notably lost several important offensive coaches over the past couple of seasons.
Minnesota showed it could win 14 games with Sam Darnold, and if it were to sign Murray, head coach Kevin O’Connell would be looking to replicate that formula. Nonetheless, if Murray does come aboard, he’d likely need to beat out J.J. McCarthy for the starting job.
Nonetheless, former NFL player Logan Ryan sees Murray not only winning the starting job, but potentially having an impactful season in 2026 should he head to the Vikings once he becomes a free agent.
“You’re talking about the quarterback position, the most valuable position in our sport,” Ryan said on March 10 on CBS Sports HQ. “You’re talking about a 28-year-old [and] you’re talking about two Pro Bowls, the Offensive Rookie of the Year, and the Heisman Trophy winner. I mean, that’s not potential. That’s just a Latin word for ‘haven’t done anything.’ That’s production. Kyler Murray has had a ton of it.
“Obviously, he hasn’t fallen off here. He has had some injuries, and that’s the reason why he is where he’s at. But you’re talking about the skill set of this guy. You’re talking about the ability. If you put him with the Minnesota Vikings right away, with that offensive staff and those receivers, that’s scary. Kyler Murray can get back to the Pro Bowl next year.”
Moreover, Ryan believes the Vikings should take the risk with Murray, given what he will cost them.
“The biggest kicker for why he’s the No. 1 free agent is that he’s only going to cost a team a million bucks,” Ryan added. “It’s not because he’s not commanding a market. It’s because when the Cardinals cut or release him, they owe him all that salary. So the next team is going to get him for the minimum, similar to Tua [Tagovailoa].
“Who would you rather have, Tua or Kyler Murray? I would rather have Kyler Murray at this point, at 28 years old, in a brand-new setting with brand-new scenery around him. So to me, this is the No. 1 free agent. Not only the talent at the position, but the price you’re getting him.”
As for where the Murray situation stands, NFL insider Albert Breer shared the latest regarding the QB’s future. He notes that Murray even has a preference once he becomes an official free agent.
“What I’ve heard is Murray is locked in on playing at the minimum, and using the circumstance he’s in to make this a football-only decision,” Breer wrote in his free agency notes column published on March 10. “My sense is that the Vikings would be his preference, and the Smith trade makes it more likely that Minnesota signs him.
“If the Vikings go another way, with someone like Cousins, then I think the idea of being the stopgap in Indianapolis, presuming Daniel Jones re-ups, while Jones is coming back from his torn Achilles would be appealing to him.”
Shortly after the trade was announced, insider Jordan Schultz said Smith “had real interest” from the Vikings, but the Jets were able to get it done. How real the Vikings’ interest in Smith may have been no longer matters. The question now becomes this: What will Minnesota do in the event that Kyler Murray ends up elsewhere?
…
Aaron Rodgers’ future is still unknown. The Steelers are reportedly “nosing around” the quarterback market for backup plans of their own as they wait for Rodgers to make his decision. Per reports, there were people in the Vikings’ building who wanted them to sign the four-time MVP last year. Could those conversations be revisited?
There’s also Kirk Cousins, who will be released by the Falcons on Wednesday. Cousins wouldn’t be a particularly exciting addition for the Vikings, but he knows Kevin O’Connell’s offense as well as anyone and is now a few years removed from his 2023 Achilles injury.
Beyond those two names, the likes of Joe Flacco, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Carson Wentz are still out there on the free agent market. Wentz is believed to be an option to back up Smith with the Jets. A trade for Mac Jones seems unlikely, with the 49ers’ asking price described as “astronomical.” If Derek Carr un-retires, the Vikings could look to acquire his rights from the Saints for a late-round pick.
All the signs point toward Murray being the Vikings’ guy. But then again, Daniel Jones looked like the Vikings’ guy last year after Sam Darnold departed. Until Kyler puts pen to paper with Minnesota, nothing can be taken for granted.
Yore Mock
Trade Partner: SteelersSent: Pick 1.18Received: 1.21, 4.121…
Pick 21. Caleb Banks DT Florida 6’6 1/4” 327Pick 49. Jadarian Price RB Notre Dame 5’10 5/8” 203Pick 82. Connor Lew OC Auburn 6’3 1/2” 310Pick 97. Jalon Kilgore S South Carolina 6’ 1 3/8” 210Pick 121. Harold Perkins Jr. LB LSU 6’1” 223Pick 163. Daylen Everette CB Georgia 6’1” 196Pick 196. Jeff Caldwell WR Cincinnati 6’5” 216Pick 234. Domani Jackson CB Alabama 6’1” 194Pick 235. Lorenzo Styles Jr. S Ohio State 6’0 1/2” 194Pick 244. Max Bredeson TE Michigan 6’2” 252
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