Minnesota viking sign flying wing standout player on a three-year contract.
Assessing the Minnesota Vikings’ Key Free Agent Additions Here are the grades for Minnesota’s recent transactions, including Jonathan Greenard and Sam Darnold.
During the first two days of free agency, the Vikings signed five significant players, with at least four likely to start in the upcoming 2024 season. On Monday, they agreed to multi-year agreements with three dynamic, playmaking defenders, and on Tuesday, they added a bridge quarterback and an accomplished running back to one-year contracts to improve their offense.
There will most certainly be more, but for now, let us rate each of the Vikings’ five arrivals from a hectic two-day period.
The Vikings began free agency by promptly agreeing to terms with Greenard, who had an impressive 12.5 sack season with the Texans last year. Minnesota and Houston swapped pass rushers, with Danielle Hunter signing a two-year, $49 million deal in his hometown the next day. The moves make sense for both clubs; Houston is going for it this year with a great quarterback on a rookie contract, while the Vikings have gotten a younger replacement who they believe will play an important role in their future success.
Greenard is an athletic, long-armed pass rusher. He recorded eight sacks in 2021, an injury in 2022, then a breakout year last season. He is explosive off the edge and is still working on his complete range of tackle-breaking skills. The main concerns about Greenard are his injury history (he has missed 16 games in the last three seasons) and his unreliability as a run defender. The Vikings believe that his greatest football is yet ahead of him.
If Greenard is the Hunter replacement, Van Ginkel is the D.J. Wonnum replacement, and he’s probably a far better match for Brian Flores’ defensive scheme. Flores would know, having coached AVG for the first three years of his career in Miami. The Iowa native and former Wisconsin star is tough, versatile, and extremely productive in his five seasons with the Dolphins. He excels in all aspects of football. He can rush the passer, defend against the run, drop into coverage, and play special teams. Last season, Van Ginkel had a 91.1 PFF grade, ranking ninth among all edge defenders.
This feels like a no-brainer decision for the Vikings, given Van Ginkel’s playmaking skills and his experience in Flores” scheme. I love this pickup for Minnesota.
