It’s not just Dalvin Cook — there are plenty of players on the Vikings roster who might need new deals in the not-so-distant future.
Counting the Vikings starting running back, there are 13 players whose contracts run out after the 2020 season with the team and become unrestricted free agents.
Some players will command high prices and might not be worth re-signing. While others might not be worth it because they’ve become replaceable assets.
For the Vikings, the 2020 NFL season will give the team a better idea of what they can do with their talent in the offseason. However, it doesn’t hurt to look at who the team should focus on re-signing, and how Minnesota should prioritize its cap space.
Here are the players, followed by whether Vikings Wire thinks the team should try and make room to sign them:
(The information on the Vikings players’ free agency status after the 2020 season was courtesy of Spotrac.)
S Anthony Harris
If you’ve been reading about the Vikings this offseason, you’ve probably seen talks of Anthony Harris’ long-term future.
The safety is coming off a season where he had six interceptions, tied for an NFL lead. Harris is a great complement to safety Harrison Smith.
However, the Vikings will have to decide whether they want to spend big money on a safety, especially when the team already has Smith.
Here’s my verdict: With the young talent at corner, I think it helps the defensive back corps to have two players back deep who can erase some of other players’ mistakes. Harris might command a high price, but the Vikings should try to make a deal work.
Decision: Re-sign
QB Sean Mannion
Mannion was re-signed this offseason to a one-year deal. In his limited reps with the Vikings in 2019 vs. the Bears, he wasn’t spectacular.
He threw for 126 yards and two interceptions against Chicago. Granted, the Bears defense is pretty good, and gave Kirk Cousins and Co. problems earlier in the season.
But still, it’d be nice for someone like Mannion, Nate Stanley or Jake Browning to step up and be the clear No. 2 option behind center. If Mannion impresses in 2020, great. But I’m not so sure that will happen.
Decision: Don’t re-sign
WR Tajae Sharpe
Sharpe is a player whose re-signing prospects are really hard to guess as of now.
The free agency signing came over after tallying 1,167 yards in three seasons for the Titans. However, Sharpe was the victim of inconsistent quarterback play, and he has a chance to seize the wide receiver three spot for the Vikings this season.
He’s a wideout that could play his way into a new deal. We’ll have to see. If I had to guess, I’d say Bisi Johnson is the wide receiver three for most of the year, and if Sharpe comes back, it will be on a cheap, one-year deal like the contract he signed this offseason.
Decision: Hard to say but don’t re-sign
RB Dalvin Cook
So this one is a bit complicated.
Cook will refrain from team-related activities until he receives a revised contract, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
That means Cook could be looking at a deal this season as opposed to next.
The Athletic’s Chad Graff reported that Cook is looking for money similar to what David Johnson is getting, so about $13 million, which a report by ESPN’s Courtney Cronin corroborates.
If that’s the case, I think the Vikings should extend him. Here’s why.
Decision: Re-sign
G Pat Elflein
For this one, I’m leaning towards no, though Elflein could maybe show the flashes of promise he did in his rookie year.
If not, the Vikings left guard might fill out a platoon role for 2020. If that’s the case, and the Vikings do re-sign him, it’d be on a cheap deal.
I could see him wanting to go elsewhere for a change of scenery if that were to be the case, though.
Decision: Don’t re-sign
G Dakota Dozier
Dozier signed a one-year deal with the Vikings this offseason, for the veteran minimum of $910,000 plus a $90,000 signing bonus.
Now that the Vikings have terminated Josh Kline’s contract, Dozier will have a chance to compete for a starting guard spot. If he were to win and play well in 2020, then the Vikings got great value for the player they signed.
If not, he’s at least proven to be a solid reserve. A new contract would likely be another pretty small deal.
Decision: Re-sign
T Rashod Hill
Hill, once a starter on a very shaky Vikings offensive line, has become a solid swing tackle reserve.
Hill signed a one-year deal with Minnesota. He could possibly vie for a tackle spot if the team moves Reiff to guard and Cleveland isn’t ready for the NFL. However, Hill doesn’t look like the favorite to be a starter right now.
If Hill shows he can be a decent reserve, the Vikings should re-sign him. It would probably be cheap.
Decision: Re-sign
DT Jaleel Johnson
Linval Joseph signed with the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason.
Now that he’s gone, free agent signing Michael Pierce is likely to be one of the starting defensive tackles. However, the three-technique spot is wide open.
Shamar Stephen is the returning starter, but Johnson might be able to win the spot. He will be in competition with several candidates, such as Armon Watts, James Lynch, Hercules Mata’afa and others.
If he can win the spot or be high up on the depth chart, then he probably stays. If not, he might not be re-signed.
Decision: Don’t re-sign
DE Anthony Zettel
Zettel has only seen limited time in his NFL career. He has a chance to compete for the defensive end spot opposite of Danielle Hunter. However, Ifeadi Odenigbo seems like the favorite to win.
If Zettel is able to be a spark off the bench, he might be worth re-signing. But there could also be better options in free agency come next offseason.
Decision: Don’t re-sign
LB Eric Wilson
Wilson seems like the probable candidate to play linebacker alongside Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr.
Though that is technically a starting position, the Vikings play the nickel package so much — where they take a linebacker off the field and add a defensive back — that it’s probably a relatively inconsequential position.
However, some of the reason the Vikings have been able to play the nickel so much is because the team had a good nickel corner: Mackensie Alexander.
Now that Alexander is gone, Wilson could see more time if the young Vikings corners aren’t ready and the team utilizes a 4-3 base more often.
Either way, he’s shown to be a really good special teams player and a decent third option at linebacker.
Decision: Re-sign if they have the money
RB Ameer Abdullah
I think Abdullah re-signing is contingent upon a couple of things.
One, is he good enough to be a pretty good return man? And two, what does the Vikings running back corps look like after 2020?
It’s not set in stone, but I think K.J. Osborn will probably win at least one of the return spots, and I at least hope that Dalvin Cook and the Vikings will work out a deal. So that leaves Abdullah with little options other than near the bottom of the depth chart.
Decision: Don’t re-sign
C Brett Jones
Jones signed a veteran minimum this offseason, and his re-signing depends on what the Vikings want to do on the offensive line after 2020.
Jones wouldn’t be more than a reserve after 2020, and if the Vikings draft a center and/or decide that Pat Elflein might be the first platoon lineman up on the interior of the offensive line, then Jones might not have a great spot in Minnesota.
Decision: Don’t re-sign
LB Ben Gedeon
Similar to Wilson, Gedeon will compete for the third linebacker spot.
If a player like rookie linebacker Troy Dye proves to better, then he might be out of a job. If not, he could fill out a role as a linebacker off the bench.
I think some of Gedeon’s outlook depends on Wilson’s ability and what the Vikings want to do with the linebacker spot alongside Kendricks and Barr. Do they want to go with the nickel most of the time and just have an OK player there, or do they want to use the 4-3 more and rely on a third linebacker? We’ll see.
Decision: Don’t re-sign, unless there’s a schematic change
