The Minnesota Vikings have undergone changes from top to bottom during the 2022 NFL offseason. After going 8-9 last season and missing the playoffs, the Vikings decided it was time to switch things up. The front office, coaching staff, and roster have all seen radical changes in hopes that they will produce a postseason appearence in 2022.
Of course, it's worth noting that the Vikins have the misfortune of playing in the same division as Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. However, the Packers appear more vulnerable than ever, and Minnesota could be ready to pounce.
The Vikings have put in a lot of work this offseason, and soon enough, it will be time to find out whether or not the moves they made will lead them back to the postseason, and potentially on a deep playoff run. As we near the start of the 2022 NFL season, here are the three best moves the Vikings made this offseason that will put them over the top.
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Minnesota Vikings best offseason moves
3. Signing Za'Darius Smith
For a long time, it's seemed like the Vikings have had a lot of talented players on defense, but they could just never put it all together. It was clearly a goal of the front office's to develop more consistency on defense this offseason. That's why the signing of Za'Darius Smith was such an important move for Minnesota.
Smith initially agreed to terms with the Baltimore Ravens, but backed out at the last second, taking a bigger money offer from the Vikings. He ended up signing a three-year deal for $42 million, giving the Vikings another dynamic pass rusher to play alongside Danielle Hunter.
The problem with Smith is that he only played two games last season due to a back injury. It is encouraging that he made it back for the Green Bay Packers playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but he's going to have to be on the field if Minnesota wants to make it back to the playoffs. If both Smith and Hunter can stay healthy, they should be a dynamic pass rushing duo come next season, which is why the under-the-radar signing of Smith could turn out to be a huge move for the Vikings.
2. Hiring Kevin O'Connell as their new head coach
After another season where the Vikings failed to meet expectations, everyone felt like it was time for the end of the Mike Zimmer era in Minnesota. Unsurprisingly, Zimmer was fired shortly after the conclusion of the 2021 season, and Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell was hired to take his spot.
Hiring O'Connell was a shrewd move by the Vikings for a couple of reasons. For starters, he's an offensive minded coach, whereas Zimmer was more defensive minded. Minnesota's offense hasn't managed to fully get off the ground despite having an above average quarterback in Kirk Cousins surrouned by top tier playmakers in Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, and Adam Thielen.
Speaking of Kirk Cousins, O'Connell previously coached Minnesota's high-priced quarterback during his days with Washington. That relationship should serve both parties well, especially given how O'Connell helped the Rams transition to having Matthew Stafford as their quarterback so effortlessly in 2021.
Swapping Zimmer for O'Connell could be the move that ignites the Vikings offense. There's a ton of talent on Minnesota's offense that Zimmer could seemingly never figure out how to properly utilize. If O'Connell can solve that big issue for the Vikings, the sky could be the limit for them in 2022.
1. Extending Kirk Cousins
Much has been made about how Kirk Cousins continues to get paid inordinate amounts of money despite being an average quarterback at best. And while his agent does deserve a raise, calling Cousins an average quarterback is just blatantly incorrect. He's been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league ever since he became a starter back in 2015, and without him Minnesota's offense would be in trouble.
Cousins' passing numbers in 2021 were among the best of his career. He threw for 4221 yards and 33 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. Scoring points wasn't the problem for the Vikings, as Cousins led the offense up and down the field at will for most of the 2021 season.
Yet when the Vikings handed Cousins a one year extension on his current deal worth $35 million, fans everywhere freaked out. Despite the hefty price tag, this deal keeps Cousins in Minnesota through the 2023 season, giving them at least two seasons to see if he can elevate the Vikings back to their former playoff contender status.
With all the changes the Vikings made this offseason, keeping their consistency in Cousins felt like a very underrated move. Sure, he's expensive, but he's easily the Vikings best option at quarterback, and without him they would have no shot at success in 2022. But now that he's under team control for the next two seasons, and the rest of the organization has been fixed up, Minnesota has a good shot to make some serious noise in the NFC this season.
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