Vikings’ First Free Agent Move Might Tip Their Draft Hand
· Yahoo Sports
The Minnesota Vikings have plenty of holes to fill this offseason, and they only want to allocate so much money through free agency. After making the necessary moves to be cap compliant going into the league year, their focus can turn to spending.
Minnesota Gains Flexibility before the Draft
James Pierre’s deal won’t be official until Wednesday, but grabbing a cornerback right away sends a message. Not only is it possible the Vikings got a steal after the former Pittsburgh Steeler had a breakout season, but they do so at just an $8.5 million outlay.
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Beyond replacing Jeff Okudah with a much higher upside option, the addition of Pierre is notable. Plenty of mock drafts had the Vikings looking at cornerbacks with the 18th overall pick in April’s draft. What sort of player would be there, and which options would be available, is uncertain.
Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell introduced new Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores from the TCO Performance Center on February 15th, 2023. Flores coached for the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, and Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the Vikings in 2023.One thing that is for certain is that Minnesota does not need to be pigeon-holed into a position. By grabbing Pierre, the Vikings have their starting cornerbacks accounted for at this point. That shouldn’t stop them from adding developmental depth, but they aren’t forced into grabbing a Day 1 starter.
The more situations that Rob Brzezinski and Kevin O’Connell can find like this before the draft, the better. With the 18th pick, the available options will be fluid for the next handful of weeks. Having the opportunity to draft the best player available or to change strategy to move around is something a team needing to get younger should be excited about.
Vikings executive Rob Brzezinski speaks with Vikings.com’s Gabe Henderson during a sit-down interview on Feb. 17, 2022, discussing organizational philosophy, front-office strategy, and the hiring of head coach Kevin O’Connell while outlining Minnesota’s leadership structure and long-term football operations vision in a detailed digital feature segment. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.It’s already clear that Minnesota is interested in adding running back help, and they could address that position through the draft as well. There are rarely targets worthy of a first-round pick at that position, and this year’s crop is plenty deep.
If the Vikings could grab a center in free agency, they would also knock off a position of need with a pay scale that is often affordable. Pierre was the start of that line of thinking, and replicating more of it through the deals ahead may set the stage for a draft that rights the wrongs of the former general manager.