Going into the 2025 offseason, the Minnesota Vikings were flush with cash and weren’t afraid to use it. They added four big name, high priced free agents in the trenches:

• DT Jonathan Allen
• DT Javon Hargrave
• C Ryan Kelly
• RG Will Fries

Of those players, the Vikings won’t have the first three on the roster in 2026, after cutting the first two and the third deciced to retire. Not exactly a banner year of free agency after landing an elite haul in 2024, led by edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.

2026 only saw two players signed by the Vikings, and the process behind them showed exactly what the Vikings want to do.

Grading first wave of Minnesota Vikings free agency

Let’s get this out of the way: the Vikings added cornerback James Pierre on the first day of free agency, and quarterback Kyler Murray three days later. The first signing is far and away the most intriguing.

Pierre came at an inexpensive contract at just $8.5 million over two years. It’s the same idea of the Isaiah Rodgers signing from last year, trying to get surplus value on an inexpensive contract. I broke down his film after the signing and this is the synopsis.

“One of the things we need to keep in mind is that Pierre likely won’t be a superstar. That’s not why they made this move. Pierre is a 30-year-old depth piece that can be a talented asset in a rotational role. He’s only played 1,356 snaps on defense in his six-year career, and expecting him to be a significant difference maker might be a stretch.

There is a real chance he can be a solid contributor over the course of his two years on defense as either CB2/3, but his real value might come on special teams. During his career, he’s played 1,393 snaps on special teams, giving the Vikings a much-needed gunner to potentially replace Tai Felton as he likely evolves into a WR3 role.

This is the latest rendition of taking a chance on a high-upside cornerback, and it’s pretty similar to signing Isaiah Rodgers last season. If he ends up being a solid rotational player, this will be a home run. If he doesn’t, you have a slightly expensive special teams player. It’s a great bet by interim general manager Rob Brzezinski.”

Getting eyes on James Pierre, and he's a very smart player in zone coverage. Keeps his eyes forward and has a good sense of where he is on the field to get the interception pic.twitter.com/11Xl7mLVuO

— Tyler Forness (@TheRealForno) March 9, 2026

The other angle is the one everyone is talking about. Murray didn’t just come to Minnesota to be a quarterback for the Vikings, he came to be the quarterback. It will be a competition with J.J. McCarthy, but Murray wouldn’t come to Minnesota for a competition if he didn’t think he would win it.

Now, will Murray be a fit for the Vikings? That’s going to be up to the eye of the beholder. He isn’t the prototypical quarterback for what head coach Kevin O’Connell likes to do in throwing over the middle, but he has the added element of mobility that he’s been searching for. Will this help the Vikings get that elusive first playoff win? Nobody knows for sure, but it’s a real effort into making that happen.

We all would have loved to see the Vikings be more aggressive to find talent to fill holes in the roster, but with their salary cap situation, it was never going to happen that way. They did a good job of adding two talented pieces who can make their team better. It’s not the splashiest free agency we’ve ever seen, but it will be effective.

Grade: B