We aren’t done with the 2024 season yet, but looking ahead to the offseason is a smart move for the Minnesota Vikings.
Right now, the Vikings are 13-2, and they have a chance to win the NFC North and earn the number one seed for the playoffs if they beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday and the Detroit Lions the following week.
Through the first 15 games the Vikings have played, their newcomers have been huge factors in helping them win 13 games, including quarterback Sam Darnold, who is set to be a free agent this offseason.
Free agency has been a crucial part of the Vikings’ success this season. Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman have been huge parts of what the Vikings have built so far this season.
This offseason is going to be huge for the Vikings and finding a way to retain some of their free agents with their projected $76 million in salary cap space will be huge, but so will retaining their players.
Pro Football Focus released their top 50 free agents and the Vikings have five players who made the list.
9. QB Sam Darnold
The debate surrounding Darnold in the 2025 offseason will likely focus on whether he can be more than just a bridge quarterback. While his raw stats look impressive — 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions — his performance in key areas is more mixed, with 31 big-time throws balanced by 21 turnover-worthy plays.
17. LT Cam Robinson
Robinson was part of a Jaguars team that had a dismal start to 2024. But individually, he was a reliable option at left tackle before being acquired by the Minnesota Vikings at the trade deadline. His 95.5 pass-blocking efficiency rating so far this year would be his worst since 2019, but if anything, that’s a testament to his play over the past four years.
20. RB Aaron Jones
Jones took a one-year deal with the Vikings this offseason and looks set to be one of the top players available at the position again in 2025. His 74.0 PFF pass-blocking grade ranks tied for fourth among running backs, and he brings consistent rushing and receiving production to boot.
31. S Camryn Bynum
Bynum has made his fair share of game-changing plays through three and a half NFL seasons, with eight career interceptions and a career-best three through Week 13 of the 2024 campaign. Add in the fact that Bynum’s 104 solo tackles in 2023 led all safeties, and you have a trustworthy player on the back end to keep the offense in front of him and limit big plays.
33. CB Byron Murphy Jr.
Murphy signed a two-year, $17.5 million free agent contract with the Vikings in the 2023 offseason and has certainly played up to that deal, looking like a good fit in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ uber-aggressive defense. His six interceptions in 2024 are tied for the most among cornerbacks.
