Free agency is set to begin in a week and the Minnesota Vikings are set to be major players.

The first domino that needs to fall is with quarterback Sam Darnold and the franchise tag. There doesn't seem to be any form of consensus across the board on what the Vikings will or should do. Quite frankly, the Vikings probably haven't made a complete decision yet because the information they could get from the Scouting Combine would give them their decision.

The Vikings will not only actively try to sign free agents from other teams but also have many free agents of their own.

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Pat Jones II could get a major contract

The Vikings have a lot of free agents that they need to make decisions on over the course of the next week. Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., running back Aaron Jones, and safety Camryn Bynum are the highest-profile guys the Vikings need to retain.

The rest of them are more role players, but ESPN's Jeremy Fowler believes that one could surprise across the league when it comes to what kind of contract he can get: edger rusher Pat Jones II.

Jones had seven sacks as a situational rusher in Minnesota, which should enhance his profile.

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The only one of the Vikings' four third-round pick from 2021 to still be on the team after their rookie season, Jones carved out a nice career for himself in Minnesota mostly as a reserve.

This past season, Jones was EDGE3 on the roster and he played 459 snaps while missing essentially three whole games with a knee injury. He only had 24 pressures, but cleaned up well with 7.0 sacks and 24 pressures. He did have those on 315 pass rush reps, but with his role wasn't to be a great pass rusher. Jones did the dirty work to maximize his teammates.

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With the NASCAR package that defensive coordinator Brian Flores loves to use, Jones was used as the crasher in stunts. He would be the guy to spring Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel for their 23.5 sacks. His role is somewhat replaceable, as Gabe Murphy stepped in against the Atlanta Falcons and thrived in the same way Jones did.

His contract being more than what's expected is an interesting line from Fowler. There aren't currently any projections out there for Jones, but getting more than the D.J. Wonnum contract from last offseason makes a ton of sense.

Wonnum got a two-year deal from the Carolina Panthers worth $12.5 million, a $6.25 average annual value. Third-edge rushers are making substantial amounts of money in today's market. At that money, the Vikings would likely be out on him and he would be playing elsewhere in 2025.

Seeing how free agency plays out will be fascinating, especially how the Vikings' defense shapes up.