The Minnesota Vikings are facing one of their most critical offseasons in recent memory. After winning the NFC North division in 2022, the Vikings struggled throughout much of last season and finished tied for third place with the Chicago Bears as both teams had 7-10 records.
That was quite a comedown for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell. Both men have huge questions to answer in the current offseason, and the biggest of those issues has to do with quarterback Kirk Cousins.
The quarterback suffered an Achilles injury that caused him to miss more than half the season, and the Vikings have to decide whether they want to bring back Cousins as their quarterback for the 2024 season. Cousins will be a free agent at the start of the 2024 league year, and while he has professed his interest in remaining with the team, he will have an opportunity to go elsewhere.
Difficult decision regarding Cousins
That decision will not be an easy one. While Cousins is an accurate passer who is admired and respected in the Minnesota locker room, the Vikings have regularly struggled when facing elite teams with Cousins under center.
If Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell believes that Cousins can now win those games, it would be worth it to bring him back. But such a decision would have to be based on facts — and not emotion.
Superb pass rusher Danielle Hunter is also scheduled to be a free agent, and he is coming off a 16.5-sack season. He is clearly the best player on defensive coordinator Brian Flores' unit, and losing Hunter would be a major blow to the Vikings.
So, there are major free-agent questions facing the Vikings. However, no matter how the Cousins and Hunter situations play out, the Vikings will have multiple moves to make.
They will need to get involved in the free-gent market and make some sneaky good signings if the team is going to return to NFC North title contention next year.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett
No matter how the Cousins situation plays out, the Vikings have learned that they need a competent backup quarterback.
Brissett would be an ideal player to fill that role. He is a quick study who has played in multiple systems over the years and he can make plays when the game is on the line. A sharp backup quarterback is capable of stepping in and keeping a team on track even when the starter goes down. The Vikings did not have that last year after Cousins suffered his injury, and the team stumbled.
If Cousins returns, O'Connell could feel confident that Brissett will keep the team focused if he has to man the position for several games. If the Vikings decide to draft a quarterback, they could use Brissett as the starter until the rookie is deemed ready to step into the position.
Teams that don't have solid backup quarterback are playing Russian Roulette with their season.
Linebacker Cliff Floyd
The 31-year-old Floyd has been an impact player for three teams in his career. He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears before moving on to the Los Angeles Rams for three seasons. He played with the Buffalo Bills last season.
Floyd has excellent athleticism and a very quick first step to the quarterback. He had 32 tackles, 10.5 sacks and 9 tackles for loss last season with the Bills.
Floyd has had two double-digit sack seasons in his career and he has had 9.0 sacks or more in each of the last four seasons.
If the Vikings could sign Floyd and hold on to Hunter, they could have a dynamic 1-2 pass rushing punch that would make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks.
Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie
The Vikings have needed help in the secondary for years, and if they could bring in a free agent like Awuzie from the Cincinnati Bengals, it would provide a major benefit for the Minnesota pass defense.
The 28-year-old Awuzie is accomplished in coverage, and he is coming off a season in which he had 57 tackles, 6 passes defensed and 1 forced fumble.
Awuzie has had 3 seasons with 10 or more double-digit passes defensed. He had 64 tackles and tied his career high with 14 passes defensed in the 2021 season.
Awuzie will play a physical game, can tackle strong running backs and he can also stay with solid receivers. He is not a huge interception threat — he has never had more than 2 picks in a season — but he understands how receivers want to attack and he can limit their effectiveness.
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