{"id":488949,"date":"2026-02-19T00:12:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T00:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/488949\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T00:12:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T00:12:12","slug":"10-free-agents-the-vikings-could-target-when-nfl-free-agency-opens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/488949\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Free Agents the Vikings Could Target When NFL Free Agency Opens"},"content":{"rendered":"

NFL free agency officially opens with the legal tampering period at 3 p.m. on March 11, meaning we are exactly three weeks from rumor mill chaos \u2014 and the Minnesota Vikings are certain to be heavily involved. <\/p>\n

While it’s literally impossible for them to spend as big as they did last year in free agency, there are plenty of contract restructures and roster moves that could take place over the next few weeks to maximize Minnesota’s cap space situation to get aggressive in the open market. In advance of the moving and shaking, here are 10 free agents who should catch Minnesota’s eye. <\/p>\n

Tyler Lindenbaum, C\"Linderbau\"<\/p>\n

Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) with center Tyler Linderbaum (64) and guard Andrew Vorhees (72) at the line of scrimmage in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

There’s still a chance Ryan Kelly is starting at center for the Vikings next season, but it could be a long shot after he suffered three concussions last season and has since openly discussed retirement to protect himself from further traumatic brain injuries. If Kelly isn’t back, Linderbaum is the top center in free agency. <\/p>\n

Kelly signed a two-year, $18 million deal with Minnesota last year. Linderbaum is projected to receive four years and upwards of $70 million. There’s a strong chance that Minnesota can’t afford him, or they’ll simply losing a bidding war, so the odds of him wearing purple and gold in 2026 don’t appear to be very high. <\/p>\n

There’s also the question of whether he’s worth a massive investment after allowing the ninth-most pressures (26) among centers last season. He ranked 22nd as a pass blocker (among centers) last season, but was fourth as a run-blocking center.<\/p>\n

Connor McGovern, C\"Connor<\/p>\n

Oct 26, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Buffalo Bills guard Connor McGovern (66) prepares to hike the ball to quarterback Josh Allen (17) in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

McGovern, 28, is just a solid center, finishing 14th in run blocking and 12th in pass blocking among centers in 2025-26, according to PFF. He can also play left and right guard, so if worst came to worst, he would give Minnesota options, similar to what Blake Brandel has provided. <\/p>\n

He’s also more cost-effective than Linderbaum, with a contract projection coming in around $22 million over two years, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper. <\/p>\n

Cade Mays, C \"Cade<\/p>\n

NFL Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

If the Vikings can get Mays on a three-year deal for roughly $22 million, he’d give them a beast of a man in the middle of the offensive line. The 27-year-old is 6’6” and 325 pounds. He finished 14th in pass blocking grade (per PFF), but was way down at No. 33 as a run blocker. <\/p>\n

Mays is the kind of player who probably doesn’t scale all that much higher on the talent pole than Blake Brandel, so the Vikings might scoff at the idea of going any deeper into the center pool if they think Brandel could do just as well. <\/p>\n

Luke Fortner, C \"Luke<\/p>\n

NFL New Orleans Saints offensive line Luke Fortner | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Fortner might be the exception to going deeper in the center pool. At 28, he’s an experienced center who is projected to receive a three-year, $18 million deal in free agency. That’s affordable, and his PFF grades \u2014 21st in run blocking and 7th in pass protection \u2014 are encouraging. <\/p>\n

Rashid Shaheed, WR \"Rashid<\/p>\n

Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) makes a catch in the first half against the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

If Jalen Nailor is going to cost Minnesota $36 million for three years, then why not scale up a touch and go for Shaheed on a projected three-year, $39 million contract? Better yet, sign both and consider trading Jordan Addison for draft capital or a player at another position of need. <\/p>\n

Shaheed would give Minnesota an elite deep threat, while also immediately upgrading their return game on punts and kickoffs. He had 59 catches for 687 yards and two touchdowns between the Saints and Seahawks this season. He also had zero drops, according to Football-Reference. He instantly solves a few of Minnesota’s 2025 problems. <\/p>\n

Marquise Brown, WR \"Marquise<\/p>\n

Oct 6, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown (5) celebrates after a play during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Signing Brown to a one-year deal for a projected $6 million isn’t an awful deal. If Minnesota has the money, it should consider him as a quality third wide receiver. <\/p>\n

He had 49 catches for 587 yards and five touchdowns with the Chiefs this past season, which is miles more productive than Nailor’s 29 catches for 444 yards and four touchdowns, albeit he had Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball. <\/p>\n

Coby Bryant, S \"coby<\/p>\n

Nov 9, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant (8) looks on before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

With Harrison Smith likely retiring, the Vikings need more talent at safety alongside Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, and Tavierre Thomas. If Minnesota doesn’t think Jackson can be an every-week starter, then Bryant is the kind of player they should pursue. <\/p>\n

Bryant switched from corner to safety in 2024, and he’s been a stud ever since. This season, he had four interceptions on a stout, Super Bowl-winning Seattle defense. At a projected contract of three years and $30 million, his $10 million annual average value would compare to Smith’s 2025 cap hit of $9.9 million. <\/p>\n

He makes even more sense if the Vikings want to stay young (he’s 27) and avoid paying a higher price for safeties like Kam Curl (he’s 27 with a projected four-year, $65 million price tag) and Kevin Byard (he’s 33 and projected to receive a two-year, $25 million deal). <\/p>\n

Another option would be to trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has experience in Flores’ defense and was one of the top-rated safeties in the league this past season. <\/p>\n

Eric Stokes, CB \"Eric<\/p>\n

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Eric Stokes (22) warms up before the game against the New York Giants at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

With the depth lacking behind Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers, the Vikings have to address cornerback in free agency and the draft. Rookies aren’t guaranteed to make an impact, no matter how high they are drafted, so the Vikings would be wise to try to sign a corner like Stokes. <\/p>\n

His projected price tag is $20 million for two years. Not cheap, but not crazy-expensive for a former first-round pick (2021) who finished 20th among cornerbacks in defensive grade (per PFF) in 2026-26. <\/p>\n

Asante Samuel, Jr., CB\"Asante<\/p>\n

Nov 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. (22) walks the field before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

There will be bidders for a player of Samuel’s caliber, but for a projected price of a one-year, $5.5 million prove-it deal, Samuel could be an ideal addition to Flores’ defense. He returned from a career-threatening neck injury to play seven games with the Steelers this past season, and he performed admirably. <\/p>\n

He finished with a 70.1 defensive grade from PFF and a 68.0 coverage grade. He allowed seven catches on 10 passes into his coverage, and he also had an interception. <\/p>\n

Greg Dulcich, TE\"Greg<\/p>\n

Dec 7, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Miami Dolphins tight end Greg Dulcich (85) runs with the ball against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Anyone who says they know a lot about Dulcich is probably a liar, but he’s 6’4”, 26 years old, and finished second in yards per route, only trailing Buffalo’s Dalton Kincaid, last season. <\/p>\n

If the Vikings fail to restructure T.J. Hockenson’s contract, to lower his NFL-high (for tight ends) $21.2 million cap hit, and wind up cutting him, then they’re going to need a tight end with some wiggle. <\/p>\n

Dulcich could be had for a projected price of $12 million over two years, and he may have some upside after posting 26 catches for 335 yards and one touchdown. That’s not bad, especially since he only played in 10 games after being activated to the 53-man roster in Week 8. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NFL free agency officially opens with the legal tampering period at 3 p.m. on March 11, meaning we…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":488950,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[64,63,593,85],"class_list":["post-488949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=488949"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488949\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/488950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=488949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=488949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=488949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}