The 2025 National Football League Scouting Combine is in the books and we have learned a lot about how free agency could end up going. For the Minnesota Vikings, we have more questions than answers.

There is still a cloud over the Vikings when it comes to quarterback Sam Darnold. Will they give him the franchise tag? Re-sign him? Tag-and-trade him? Time will answer that question.

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Vikings spoke with Trey Smith's representation

The NFL Scouting Combine isn't just about the measurements and the on-field testing. It's also a place for gossip and information gathering. The Vikings did just that over the course of the week. In turn, they spent time speaking to teams, players, and agents across the league.

The Athletic's Alec Lewis reported multiple tidbits about the Vikings, but one stood out above the rest: they met with Trey Smith's representation.

Trey Smith intrigued the Vikings, and Minnesota’s brass met with Smith’s representatives in Indianapolis. It didn’t take much digging, however, for the Vikings to know Smith would remain in Kansas City. The Kansas City Chiefs’ decision to franchise-tag Smith shifts the Vikings’ strategy (less money spent on a guard means more to spend elsewhere), but it also creates more competition for the next tier of players.

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It's been no secret that the Vikings had interest in Smith, as it was reported right after the Super Bowl. He was the best guard on the unrestricted free agent market before he got franchise tagged by the Kansas City Chiefs. Adding him to the roster would make a huge impact on the offense with J.J. McCarthy likely to take over.

There is another element at play here: meeting with his representation is tampering.

While technically against the rules, every team does it at the Scouting Combine. It's the unofficial tampering headquarters. Teams will only call out other teams when it's egregious, like when the Atlanta Falcons tampered with Kirk Cousins last offseason.

It's frustrating that the Vikings won't be able to get the top player on the market at guard, but it's also not the biggest deal in the world. There are other players they can target with their free agency wealth.

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