Despite not having a ton of money to work with this year, the Minnesota Vikings have been pretty active since free agency for the 2023 offseason began a few days ago.
So far, the Vikings have been able to add three brand new players to their roster, and they’ve retained more than a handful of guys from their 2022 roster that became free agents this year.
Minnesota could still have some more signings in the works, but it seems like they might have already made the majority of their moves in this year’s free agency period.
For the most part, the Vikings fan base hasn’t been too vocal about the roster decisions the team has made during the last few days. However, there are some players that Minnesota fans probably wish the team would have made a bigger effort to sign this offseason.
Who are some of these players from around the NFL in 2023 that the Vikings might end up feeling some regrets about for not being unable to sign them?
T.J. Edwards – LB
Before free agency even began, the Vikings made the difficult decision to release linebacker Eric Kendricks, someone who had been with the team since he was drafted in 2015.
After Kendricks was let go, many expected the same fate for Minnesota linebacker Jordan Hicks. But instead of moving on from Hicks, the Vikings decided to keep the veteran defender after he agreed to a slight pay cut (2023 cap hit went from $6.5 million to $5 million).
Apparently, the Vikings appear to currently be fine with trotting out Hicks and 2022 third-round pick Brian Asamoah as their two starting inside linebackers.
Transitioning Asamoah into a starter always seemed like the plan for 2023. But Minnesota keeping Hicks around after an underwhelming 2022 season is a bit perplexing.
Instead of sticking with the veteran linebacker for another year, the Vikings could have cut him and used the money they saved on signing someone like T.J. Edwards.
Edwards just signed a contract with the Chicago Bears that will pay him an average of $6.5 million over the next three years. That is a contract that Minnesota could have easily afforded, and Edwards would have been an excellent upgrade over Hicks.
With the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, the 26-year-old Edwards accumulated 159 tackles (10 for a loss), seven pass breakups, two sacks, and one fumble recovery. Among qualifying linebackers, he received the sixth-best defensive grade from PFF after the 2022 season, just a year after finishing with the 10th-best defensive grade from PFF.
But instead of figuring out a way to sign Edwards, the Vikings are going to stick with Hicks for 2023 and just hope that his struggles last season were mainly due to the poor scheme that was used by former Minnesota defensive coordinator Ed Donatell.
Jamaal Williams – RB
On Wednesday, it was revealed that the Vikings had agreed to a new two-year contract worth $7 million with running back Alexander Mattison. Most expected Mattison to sign elsewhere this offseason, but instead, he’s returning to Minnesota for another two years.
For 2023, Mattison is expected to take over as the Vikings No. 1 running back if the team ends up moving on from Dalvin Cook. But if Minnesota was just looking for a cheaper option to be their top running back next season, signing free-agent Jamaal Williams is something they should have considered.
Williams is coming off the first season of his six-year NFL career in which he finished with at least 1,000 rushing yards. He also managed to find the end zone a whopping 17 times in 2022 as a member of the Detroit Lions.
Williams is very familiar with the NFC North, having spent the last two years in Detroit and another four seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Remaining in the division with the Vikings wouldn’t have been difficult for the 27-year-old running back.
Instead of joining Minnesota’s roster though, Williams is heading south to play for the New Orleans Saints. With Alvin Kamara still the Saints’ top back, the Vikings likely could have provided Williams with more of a lead role in their backfield for the 2023 season.
Minnesota would not have had to break the bank to sign Williams this year, but they clearly felt their money was better spent bringing back Mattison.
Matt Gay – K
Figuring out who their kicker would be for the 2023 campaign was. an underrated priority for the Vikings heading into the current offseason.
Greg Joseph has been Minnesota’s kicker for the last two years, but after missing a total of 13 kicks in 2022, some felt the team would replace him this offseason. However, the Vikings recently decided to re-sign Joseph to a one-year deal worth $2 million.
Matt Gay was the top kicker on the market this year, and for good reason. With the Rams in 2022, he only missed a total of three kicks, as he converted 93.3 percent of his field-goal attempts and 96.9 percent of his extra-point tries.
Gay certainly would have cost more than Joseph, but he would have likely been worth the money. And with their limited funds this offseason, it’s understandable why Minnesota chose to spend their money elsewhere. Still, investing in a reliable kicker like Gay would have provided the Vikings with a much more reliable option at the position than Joseph.