How has the 2025 free agent class fared for the Vikings?

27.10.2025    Pioneer Press    2 views
How has the 2025 free agent class fared for the Vikings?

This version of the Vikings was supposed to be able to win several different types of fights That was the vision laid out by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah this spring after spending in excess of million in free agency He tried to construct a roster that could do whatever it took to win any challenge on their schedule regardless of whether the Vikings had to totally control the line of scrimmage on offense pressure the passer without blitzing on defense or anything in between The process started with the Vikings spending to retain certain of their own talent before pivoting to the open realm They worked to fortify the trenches on both sides of the ball with a number of big investments The ultimate goal was building an infrastructure that made it so young quarterback J J McCarthy didn t feel like the weight of the world was on his shoulders It hasn t gone according to plan as the Vikings as of now sit in last place in the NFC North with a - record Let s just say the production for the free agent class has left something to be desired Here s a breakdown of particular of the new additions ordered by average annual value and how they ve performed so far Will Fries Position Right Guard Contract -year million Analysis After fully recovering from a broken tibia suffered last season Fries has played virtually every snap of consequence for the Vikings this season His best ability has been his availability The fact that has Fries has been a stalwart up front can t be overstated considering the injuries across the board The projected starting offensive line has yet to play together because every athlete other than Fries has missed at least a championship That makes it challenging to evaluate the impact Fries has made since joining the Vikings He has an overall grade of according to Pro Football Focus putting him firmly in the middle of the pack among qualifying players at the position He has graded out much better as a pass blocker than a run blocker Essentially Fries has looked much more like a single than a home run which isn t ideal given that the Vikings signed him to be elite Jonathan Allen Position Defensive Tackle Contract -year million Analysis The body of work that Allen has put together doesn t line up with the amount of money the Vikings committed to him He only has sacks to his name this season looking nothing like the dominant pass rusher he was at the peak of his powers To make matters worse he has been below average against the run playing a starring role in what has emerged as an issue for the defense Though an argument can be made that the Vikings have constantly been playing from behind which isn t necessarily conducive to Allen having success his production shouldn t hinge on the meeting script He was signed to dominate regardless of circumstance He hasn t done that to this point Javon Hargrave Position Defensive Tackle Contract -year million Analysis Similar to Allen Hargrave has not come close to the expectations the Vikings had for him After looking like he might be a revelation with a pair of sacks in the opener he has slowly become nothing more than a rotational pass rusher The emergence of young defensive tackle Jalen Redmond has steadily taken away from Hargrave s playing time this season Not only has it been a bad look for Hargrave who looks well past his prime it s also been a bad look for the Vikings for thinking he could still produce at a high level Ryan Kelly Position Center Contract -year million Production Kelly s future with the Vikings is unclear as he s still on injured reserve while navigating the aftermath of his last concussion To be fair it was impossible to know that Kelly was going to suffer a pair of concussions nearly in succession That noted the Vikings ostensibly should have had a more viable backup plan for Kelly this season especially when considering he has battled his fair share of injuries throughout his career The extended absence of Kelly has forced both young center Michael Jurgens and reserve center Blake Brandel into action and it has not gone very well for either of them Isaiah Rodgers Position Cornerback Contract -year million Production Rodgers gives the Vikings something to hang their hat on when looking back on free agency He s been pretty impressive this season the highlight being a challenge in which he scored a pair of defensive touchdowns while also forcing a pair of fumbles As impressive as that performance was though he also has been beaten in coverage a number of times The price point already makes Rodgers a bargain he necessities to level up even more however to make up for several of the Vikings misses elsewhere Related Articles Former Vikings star Adrian Peterson arrested on DWI gun charges in Texas What did Max Brosmer prove as the backup for the Vikings The Loop Fantasy Football Update Week Last-minute moves What s going on with Vikings star left tackle Christian Darrisaw The Loop NFL Picks Week

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