The Minnesota Vikings last season went 8-7-1 and finished second overall in the NFC North Division. Overall, their offense was underwhelming. They averaged only 22.5 points per game which ranked 19th in the entire NFL.
Their starting quarterback Kirk Cousins had a pretty solid year. He started all 16 games, throwing for 4,298 yards with 30 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. His completion percentage was a very high 70.1 percent, and his quarterback rating was a very solid 60.6 rate. Pro-Football Focus ranked Cousins as the 14th best quarterback in the league.
All season long Cousins had his two wideouts, Stephon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Diggs caught 102 passes for 1,021 yards and nine touchdowns. Thielen, on the other hand, caught 113 passes for 1,373 yards for nine touchdowns. These two wideouts gave Cousins two elite weapons out in the backfield.
However, that is the teams only offense. Outside of the two pro-bowlers, not one wide receiver or running back on the roster caught more than 40 receptions and 400 yards.
The Vikings already have one of the best defenses in the league. In 2018, they allowed the least amount of points in the entire league. Last season, they ranked ninth overall. If the Vikings are to take the next step to be a playoff team, they need to solidify their offense while they still have a top defense.
One pickup that would make a lot of sense is Pierre Garcon. Garcon is an 11-year NFL veteran. He's had five seasons with over 60 receptions and 700 total yards. The last two years, he's played 30 games for the San Francisco 49ers. He's totaled 64 receptions and 786 reception yards. Pro-Football Focus ranked him as the 76th best wideout in the league, which would make him about your average wide receiver.
Per Over the Cap, the Vikings will have around $7 million of cap space coming into the offseason. They'll have enough money to grab a limited amount of assets in free agency. The 32-year-old isn't going to cost very much, and very likely will be a cost-efficient option for their budget.
Garcon may not be able to put up numbers like he once did. His best season came in 2013 with the Washington Redskins, grabbing 113 receptions with 1,346 yards and nine touchdowns. With a quarterback like Cousins under center, he may be able to be successful once again. Jimmy Garapolo and limited backups didn't do the trick with the 49ers.
They both have played together on the 49ers as well. They have previous chemistry, and that could help the team even further with their offensive efficiency.
The Vikings are in a win-now situation. Bringing in someone like Garcon would allow them to finally have the full amount of depth for their offense to succeed. It will be intriguing to see how they attack this offseason.
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