Vikings Not Expected to Tender RFAs Mike Boone and Chad Beebe

The Vikings have until Wednesday to offer tenders to any of their three restricted free agents: defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo, running back Mike Boone, and receiver Chad Beebe. According to multiple reports, they won't be tendering either Boone or Beebe, and their plans with Odenigbo are unclear.

Update: they won't be tendering Odenigbo either, and he appears to be heading elsewhere.

While Boone is likely to head elsewhere in free agency, the Vikings would like to bring back Beebe, if possible.

Couple Vikings RFA notes: Running back Mike Boone isn't likely to get tendered, would thus hit free agency. Minnesota wants to keep receiver Chad Beebe in the fold but don't plan to tender him (lowest is $2.133 - right of first refusal).
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) March 15, 2021

These are the official tender amounts:

1st round: $4.766 million
2nd round: $3.384M
Original round: $2.183M
Right of first refusal only: $2.133M

Because Odenigbo was a seventh-round pick, the Vikings could use the original round tender of $2.183 million. But if a team then matched or exceeded that offer, they would only have to give up a seventh-round pick to pry Odenigbo away from Minnesota. Both Boone and Beebe were undrafted, although that doesn't matter since the Vikings won't be tendering either.

Bringing back Beebe could be good for WR depth. He's a capable route-runner out of the slot who has experience as a returner and put up a 20/201/2 receiving line last season.

Odenigbo is the key piece here. He had seven sacks in a rotational role in 2019 but just 3.5 last year in expanded playing time, although he still managed 42 pressures despite seeing the fifth-most double teams of any edge rusher in the NFL. Odenigbo would like be ahead of Stephen Weatherly and D.J. Wonnum on the depth chart if he returns.

Boone will make some other team happy as a backup or change-of-pace running back. He was stuck behind Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison with the Vikings but has plenty of ability.

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