Vikings Falling Far Behind After Struggling Start In Free Agency

It is still very early in the offseason, so there’s still a chance for the Vikings to turn their fortunes around.

But through the start of free agency, if the Vikings are going to make the best of theirpursuits, they are going to have to do it by coming from behind.

In addition to trading their top receiver Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills for a slew of draft picks that could turn out to be a boon for the franchise, the early part of the free-agent signing period has not been tilted in the Vikings favor.

Cornerback Trae Waynes has agreed to a three-year, $42 million deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, while defensive tackle Linval Joseph has taken his talents to the Los Angeles Chargers, agreeing to a two-year, $17 million contract. Defensive end Stephen Weatherly is not a star, but the Carolina Panthers have given him a two-year, $12.5 million deal, and safety Jayron Kearse has agreed to a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions.

Additionally, up-and-coming cornerback Mackensie Alexander has come to an agreement with the Bengals on a one-year, $4 million deal.

It’s not over, either, as defensive end Everson Griffen is looking for the best deal he can find, and safety Anthony Harris could be traded as well.

What have the Vikings done on the positive side of the ledger? They have brought in defensive tackle Michael Pierce from the Baltimore Ravens, and the two sides have agreed to a three-year, $27 million deal. Pierce, 27, earned a spot with the Ravens as an undrafted player and has been a solid run defender, but he does not appear to be the kind of player who is going to contribute as a pass rusher.

That’s a limitation that will hurt the Vikings if they are unable to bring back Griffen. One-dimensional players can be beneficial if they can dominate in their area of strength, but if Pierce is merely adequate, that will be a problem for head coach Mike Zimmer and his defensive staff, which includes veteran defensive guru Dom Capers.

Pierce is a bull of a man who should be able to plug the run effectively. He was at his best in the 2017 season, when he started 13 games and finished the season with 49 tackles and two fumble recoveries. He has been good since then, but he has not been able to match the productivity he had in that season.

Pierce followed with 32 tackles and one fumble recovery in 2018 and 35 tackles and another fumble recovery last year.

He has excellent initial quickness and the lower-leg strength and unrelenting power to plug the hole and shut off the interior run.

But the Vikings are going to need a lot more in this offseason. The defense was vulnerable throughout the 2019 season, and there were major issues to address once the Vikings lost their divisional playoff game to the San Francisco 49ers. It is in even more trouble now than it was then.

The secondary needs complete retooling, and while general manager Rick Spielman has the draft capital to make inroads, there are no guarantees that they are going to be any better than they were a year ago.

The spring of 2020 is not going to be remembered because the Vikings got off to a slow start in free agency. The coronavirus has basically stopped the entire world from going about its business, but the NFL is refusing to accept that verdict.

The new agreements between the teams and free agents will not become official until players take their physicals and their teams can be assured they are healthy. But the news to this point in the league year has not been good for Minnesota

The Vikings have had dreams of winning their division and advancing deep into the playoffs each of the last three seasons. Those dreams may no longer be valid for the 2020 season. For that to happen, Spielman needs to turn things around, and do it without hesitation.