We are just eight days away from the beginning of the legal tampering period and the Minnesota Vikings still have a lot of questions to answer.
The biggest one of those is the quarterback position. How will they handle it? What about the trenches? The secondary still needs a lot of work with just one guaranteed player to return to the team next season. Plus, the running back position is still in flux.
Franchise tag alters Vikings plans
The Vikings’ biggest factor right now is the franchise tag. Will they give it to Sam Darnold to either keep him or execute a tag-and-trade? That is the one thing that will determine their offseason strategy.
However, the use of the franchise tag for others could also change the course on how the Vikings approach free agency and the NFL Draft. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Dallas Cowboys have placed the franchise tag on defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa.
Defensive tackle is a major need for the Vikings, especially when it comes to rushing the passer. Now, Jonathan Bullard and Jerry Tillery were great at stopping the run, but offered little when it came to rushing the passer and are both free agents next week.
Odighizuwa getting the franchise tag does multiple things that impact the Vikings:
- Takes one defensive tackle off the market
- Potentially elevates the contract for others on the market
Odighizuwa was rumored to stay with the Cowboys ahead of getting the franchise on a large contract, but instead, he got the franchise tender of $25.122 million. That is a hefty contract for the former third-round pick out of UCLA.
This creates more of a shortage on the market for the Vikings and the rest of the NFL. Players like Milton Williams and Levi Onwuzurike are going to be able to ask for more money because of basic supply and demand. That will make things more difficult to get a good value.
It could also lead the Vikings to “ignore” defensive tackle in the first couple waves of free agency and use the draft to get that difference-maker. It’s difficult to find those players in free agency or late in the draft, which could lead to the 24th overall pick going to a defensive tackle.
This could be a blessing in disguise for the Vikings this offseason, as they try to retool their roster.
