 prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Will-Fries-1.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=638,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Will-Fries-1.jpg”><figcaption> Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Eight weeks of the Minnesota Vikings’ offseason are in the books. <a href=)
NFL free agency is in full swing, and the 2025 NFL Draft is less than six weeks away.
The 3 Best Decisions of the Vikings Offseason So Far
The club has added new free agents, re-signed in-house players, and even shipped guard Ed Ingram to the Houston Texans via trade.
.</p>
<h2>3. Extending Kevin O’Connell</h2>
<div>
<figure><img loading=)
O’Connell has the NFL’s sixth-best record since he took over in 2022, and his oft-advertised quarterback whispering is simply fantastic.
Vikings fans don’t have to worry about any coaching stability or hot seats for quite some time.
2. Letting Sam Darnold Walk
 and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and fullback C.J. Ham (right) look on before the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/kevnandsam.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=639,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/kevnandsam.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/kevnandsam-788×444.jpg” alt><figcaption> Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.<span></span></figcaption></figure>
</div>
<p>To hedge the bet against J.J. McCarthy’s inexperience and meniscus injury recovery, temptation must’ve arisen to re-sign Darnold and play it safe.</p>
<p>He would’ve cost about $34 million per season as it turns out, but the Vikings wisely said, “No thanks.”</p>
<p>So, they turned around and used that money to do the next thing on this list — build the trenches with players like Will Fries, Ryan Kelly, Jonathan Allen, and Javon Hargrave.</p>
<p>If Darnold had remained in the Twin Cities, the Vikings probably would’ve signed <em>one </em>of those players — not four.</p>
<h2>1. Investing in the Trenches</h2>
<div>
<figure><img loading=)
” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Will-Fries-Ryan-Kelly.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=729,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Will-Fries-Ryan-Kelly.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Will-Fries-Ryan-Kelly-788×444.jpg” alt>
The Vikings have added these four players to the offensive and defensive lines:
- Will Fries (G)
- Ryan Kelly (C)
- Jonathan Allen (DT)
- Javon Hargrave (DT)
In years past, the solutions looked like this:
- Ed Ingram (G)
- Garrett Bradbury (C)
- Jonathan Bullard (G)
- Dean Lowry
Somewhere along the line, the Vikings got the memo to invest in the trenches, and that’s how Super Bowls are won. Fans weren’t sure if Minnesota’s leadership would ever “get it.”
They do. At long last. The trenches have been fortified.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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