The legal tampering window has brought blessings and curses to the Minnesota Vikings. From the jump, the Atlanta Falcons and free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins came to a deal that would end his time in Minnesota. That was just one problem, as the Vikings also lost pass-rusher Danielle Hunter to the Houston Texans and still have to worry about DJ Wonnum as well. That's why they had to go out and grab free agent Jonathan Greenard.

By late Tuesday evening, the Vikings and Texans more or less flip-flopped their pass rushers, with Hunter going to Houston and Greenard going to Minnesota. Getting Greenard was a must for what could be a reeling team in 2024, with more questions about them than answers.

As mentioned, Cousins is already on his way to Atlanta, while Hunter is landing in Houston. That's not even mentioning what's to become of Jordan Jefferson, who is still looking for a new deal from the Vikings.

Greenard is signing a four-year deal for $76 million that includes $42 million guaranteed, per Ian Rapoport. So, how did this deal for Greenard to become a Viking grade out? Let's grade it.

Grading the Vikings and Jonathan Greenard's deal

Again, this was a must-need for the Vikings, as they had to replace 16.5 sacks, 83 tackles, 22 quarterback hits, and 12 tackles for a loss from Danielle Hunter last season. But it's not as if they got some scrub to replace the highly talented Hunter. Jonathan Greenard is coming off a 2023 season where he posted career-high stats. He had 12.5 sacks, 52 tackles, 22 quarterback hits, and 15 tackles for a loss, all coming during a contract season, which earned him the lucrative deal the Vikings signed him to.

The former Texan was also solid in the run game last season, having the third-highest run stop win rate among defensive ends with at least 200 snaps and a pass rush win rate of 22.4 percent, the sixth-highest in the league, per ESPN.

Greenard may not be the exact same player as Hunter, but he comes at a bit of a cheaper price tag on a longer deal than Hunter signed for with the Texans (two years, $49 million, with nearly all guaranteed). Greenard, 26, is also three years younger than Hunter, 29.

The red flag with Greenard is his health. In each of his four seasons in the league, Greenard has dealt with some injuries that have greatly impacted his playing time. He's played in 48 games in four years, with last year being his best, playing in 15 games. The season before he played in just eight games due to a calf injury. Overall, the pass-rusher is missing an average of five games a season, playing in 12.

Perhaps last year was a good indication that Greenard's career is turning around, in particular with his health. He still missed two games, but injuries in the NFL are commonplace, and even the game's best are not always on the field. If his good bill of health continues in Minnesota in 2024 and beyond, new defensive coordinator Brian Flores should love the new addition to his defense.

Plus, Greenard will now be part of a revamped defense that also brings in former Miami Dolphins linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and Texans linebacker Blake Cashman.

Depending on the structuring of Greenard's deal with the Vikings, the team should still be in good shape to make other deals should they want to, with enough cap space that started around $37.8 million before his signing.

If you're the Vikings, Greenard's signing, along with the others, shores up their defense in the wake of the great exodus from their key positions. If he stays healthy, this is a significant get for Minnesota.

Grade: A+