ESPN analyst makes strong statement about Vikings' free agency haul that bodes well for JJ McCarthy's future
The Minnesota Vikings have been excellent in free agency in attacking their needs across the board. They have also been one of the more active teams in free agency as well with the contracts they have given out. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spent his first three years as the general manager resetting the team's salary […]
The Minnesota Vikings have been excellent in free agency in attacking their needs across the board. They have also been one of the more active teams in free agency as well with the contracts they have given out.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spent his first three years as the general manager resetting the team's salary cap and it allowed the Vikings to make major waves. Doing so has essentially helped the Vikings build a Super Bowl caliber roster.
Vikings receive praise for their free agency haul
ESPN's Ben Solak wrote about the best free agency superlatives and he gave them the "QB Proof Award"
I think the Vikings are the winners of the free agent period. They double-dipped at defensive tackle with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, and they need just one of the two aging interior pass rushers to hit for them at one of the lone positions of weakness on the defense last season. Star corner Byron Murphy Jr. returns to the outside, and veteran running back Aaron Jones returns on offense.
Cover up the quarterback position, and the Vikings have built one of the league's most competitive rosters. Reveal that J.J. McCarthy is the current starting QB, and everything makes total sense. The Vikings got a first look at how their team would support an inconsistent, imperfect quarterback last season with Sam Darnold at the helm and have used that trial run to iron out the remaining wrinkles. Right guard was a big problem in pass protection, so they spent big money on ex-Colt Will Fries (five years, $88 million). Center Garrett Bradbury also often struggled when dealing with power one-on-one, so another ex-Colt in Ryan Kelly (two years, $18 million) was signed to provide competition.
There is no team better suited to incubate a first-year passer than the Vikings. They have an excellent, opportunistic defense that can create short fields. They have an excellent playcaller in Kevin O'Connell, who runs a QB-friendly system. They have an elite pass catcher in Justin Jefferson, along with excellent complementary pass catchers T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison. And now, they have an improved offensive line and likely improved running game as a result. If McCarthy is even an average first-year starting quarterback, the Vikings should win plenty of games.
Of course, the Vikings might decide to hedge their quarterback bets. McCarthy was QB5 in last year's draft and is coming off a major knee injury, after all. But even if they sign a veteran such as Aaron Rodgers, the theory will be the same: that a quarterback can't help but shine on a team like this.
Solak makes a really good point here. The Vikings have made a really good roster for McCarthy when he takes over likely at the start of the season. The entire point of the Vikings' last three offseasons was to get to a point where they can spend some extra money to fortify their weakest positions.
This year, the Vikings are ready to rock and their moves prove it.
Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Tracker: Updates on every Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signing for 2025 and beyond
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