With the Super Bowl now over, the start of free agency will be the next big event during the 2023 offseason for the Minnesota Vikings and the rest of the NFL.
In a few weeks, more than a handful of players that contributed to the success of the Vikings in 2022 will become free agents. Currently, seven members of Minnesota’s 2022 roster that started at least one game during the regular season are scheduled to hit free agency in March.
For some of these players with expiring contracts, the Vikings are going to make an attempt to bring them back for at least one more season. For others, Minnesota will gladly hold the door open as they leave the organization.
We know that it’s possible that the Vikings could attempt to re-sign some of their notable free agents this offseason like cornerback Patrick Peterson, defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson, and center Garrett Bradbury. But who are some of Minnesota’s impending free agents this year that won’t be missed when their contract with the team officially expires in March?
Player No.1: Greg Joseph – K
(Photo by Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports) Greg Joseph
Despite missing nine kicks, including four extra-point attempts, during the 2021 season, the Vikings decided to bring back Greg Joseph as their kicker for the 2022 campaign.
Things didn’t go very well for Joseph in his second season with Minnesota. The 28-year-old kicker missed a total of 13 kicks in 2022, much worse than his performance for the Vikings in 2021.
Luckily, Minnesota was able to remain focused after a miss or two by Joseph during the 2022 season, as they went 8-1 during games in which Joseph missed at least one field-goal attempt or one extra-point try. He finished the 2022 campaign with a field goal percentage of 78.8, which ranked 28th in the NFL.
With Joseph scheduled to become a free agent this year, there’s no need for the Vikings to bring him back for the 2023 season. There will be plenty of other opportunities in free agency and the NFL Draft for Minnesota to find someone who won’t miss more than 10 kicks in 2023.
Player No.2: Chandon Sullivan – CB
(Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Chandon Sullivan
Whenever the opposing team made a big passing play against the Vikings during the 2022 season, it felt like Chandon Sullivan had something to do with it more often than not.
After signing a one-year deal with the team last March, Sullivan emerged as Minnesota’s starting slot corner for the 2022 campaign. With the way that he performed, there’s a good chance that the Vikings won’t be attempting to bring him back when he becomes a free agent in March.
During the 2022 season, Sullivan allowed the second-most receiving yards on Minnesota’s defense and opposing quarterbacks had a 102.7 rating when throwing in his direction. In addition to those underwhelming numbers, his PFF defensive grade for the 2022 campaign ranked 96th out of 118 qualifying cornerbacks in the NFL.
It’s safe to say that new Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores won’t be pounding the table for the team to re-sign Sullivan this offseason.
Player No.3: Irv Smith Jr. – TE
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) Irv Smith Jr.
Since he was drafted in 2019, Irv Smith Jr.‘s tenure with the Vikings has been defined by a number of what-if moments.
Smith had decent first and second seasons with Minnesota, but they were nothing spectacular. Then with the departure of veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph in 2021, he was in line to become the No. 1 option at tight end for the Vikings. Unfortunately, a knee injury prevented Smith from playing in a game during the 2021 season.
He recovered in time to suit up for Minnesota at the start of the 2022 campaign, but then he missed more than two months of the season due to a high ankle sprain that he suffered in Week 8.
The Vikings made their feelings on Smith very clear when they acquired tight end T.J. Hockenson in a trade with the Detroit Lions during the middle of the 2022 season. Hockenson will be Minnesota’s No. 1 tight end moving forward and Smith’s journey of attempting to reach his potential will likely continue in a different NFL uniform in 2023.