The Minnesota Vikings have been having an eventful offseason. Ever since they were eliminated from playoff contention after their Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions, the Vikings have known there would be substantial changes to their team in the 2024 season.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins was a free agent at the start of the new league year, and he decided to leave the team after six years as the team's popular front man. The Atlanta Falcons gave Cousins a 4-year, $180 million offer, and that was too rich for the Vikings blood.
In addition to losing their most important offensive player, the Vikings also said goodbye to their best defensive player. Edge rusher Danielle Hunter signed a new deal with the Houston Texans and that means defensive coordinator Brian Flores won't have a dynamic player who had a career-best 16.5 sacks a year ago.
Vikings sign multiple free agents
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell did not take those losses without punching back.
The Vikings signed Sam Darnold to a 1-year, $10 million deal, and that means the Vikings have a veteran quarterback who can run the offense on a short-term basis. They also brought in Aaron Jones to man the running back position.
Minnesota was active on the defensive side, signing three solid players to make up for the loss of Hunter. They signed outside linebackers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel along with linebacker Blake Cashman, and all three should be impact players for the Vikings.
Whether they will make up for the loss of Hunter is another question, but at least the Vikings showed some fight after their best defensive player left for the Texans.
Greenard is a fine pass rusher who had 12.5 sacks last year for Houston, Van Ginkel was an impact player with the Miami Dolphins and Cashman was a solid tackler for the Texans .
Vikings add first-round draft pick in trade with Texans
The Vikings continued to make headlines Friday when they acquired the No. 23 pick in the first round of the upcoming draft in a trade with Houston.
The Vikings sent their second-round pick and a sixth-round pick this year and their second-round pick in 2025 to the Texans in exchange for the 23rd overall pick and a seventh-rounder this year.
As a result, the Vikings have two first-round picks available that they will be able to use to make potential trades that will allow them to move up in the first round.
The Vikings have the No. 11 pick and the No. 23 pick, and they could move up to the No. 4 or 5 spot in the draft, and that would allow them to select one of the high-profile rookie quarterbacks that are available in this year's selection meeting.
Plans to draft a new quarterback
There is a strong possibility that the Vikings would like like to add Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy since they lost Cousins.
The belief is that the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and the New England Patriots will select quarterbacks with the top 3 picks. Those quarterbacks include Caleb Williams of USC, Jayden Daniels of LSU and Drake Maye of North Carolina. Perhaps there's a chance that Washington or New England would be willing to make a deal with the Vikings, but it is unlikely.
However, the Vikings could make potential trades with the Arizona Cardinals or the Los Angeles Chargers for the No. 4 or 5 picks.
If Adofo-Mensah can swing such a deal, the Vikings would be able to draft quarterback J.J. McCarthy of Michigan, who led the Wolverines to the national championship last season.
While McCarthy may not be the finished product with all the skills of a top quarterback like Williams, he has shown he knows how to come through with winning plays when the game is on the line. He has been able to beat elite teams throughout his career, something Cousins was unable to do during his six years in Minnesota.
The Cardinals are likely to be in the market for a position other than quarterback, and if they could get two first-round picks, it would suit their needs. However, if they gave up their No. 4 position, they might not be able to draft wideout Marvin Harrison Jr, who appears to be the best pass catcher in this year's draft.
The Chargers have the No. 5 pick and they have a talented quarterback on the rise in Justin Herbert, so they are extremely unlikely to draft a signal caller. Getting two first-round picks for their pick would seemingly be a positive development for new head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Look for the Vikings to make a trade with the Cardinals or Chargers prior to the draft in late April.
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