Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Vikings Get Mixed Grades For 2023 Offseason

The Vikings' offseason has been eventful, but not necessarily splashy or surprising.

The team chose not to do anything with quarterback Kirk Cousins, who will enter the final year of his contract. They moved on from veteran players like Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, Patrick Peterson, and Za'Darius Smith — with Dalvin Cook still in limbo as another trade or release candidate. They signed a modest free agent class headlined by Byron Murphy Jr. and Marcus Davenport, re-signed some important players on the margins, and took Jordan Addison and Mekhi Blackmon with their top two draft picks.

Hiring Brian Flores as defensive coordinator was among the Vikings' most notable offseason moves. Roster-wise, it was mostly about moving on from some veterans, getting younger, and doing what they could with minimal cap space. Things are now set up for the Vikings to have a very interesting 2024 offseason, when they'll have more cap space and a looming decision at quarterback.

GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and company received mixed grades for their efforts. SI's Gilberto Manzano gave Minnesota a C-.

The Vikings’ offseason report card seems incomplete with the pending dilemma of running back Dalvin Cook, who will likely be a post-June 1 cut to give the team around $9 million in cap space, according to OvertheCap.com. Losing Cook, who rushed for 1,173 rushing yards last season, would give this roster another hit. Also, it’s not likely the Vikings will be able to go unbeaten in one-score games in the regular season, and might find themselves near the bottom of the division standings after the 2023 season. But the duo of Jefferson and Addison should be fun to watch during Cousins’s potential final season in Minnesota. It appears the Vikings are sacrificing the short term to possibly make a splash next offseason.

PFF's Sam Monson was more forgiving, handing out a B+ to the Vikings.

It was more of the same for the Vikings. They are certainly pushing to get younger, and cheaper, but not necessarily better. They traded Za’Darius Smith to get his contract off the books, but that leaves 78 pressures to find from last season. Marcus Davenport will have a chance to step into that role after coming over from New Orleans. He has never exceeded 51 pressures in a single season.

First-round pick Jordan Addison should find success early opposite Justin Jefferson, and the opportunity is there for Mekhi Blackmon to start at cornerback if he carries his college play into his first NFL preseason. DeWayne McBride was one of the best value picks of Day 3 and could have an early workload if the team elects to move on from Dalvin Cook before the season starts.

What grade would you give the Vikings for their offseason?

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