Minnesota Vikings: Grades for 2016 Free Agency signings
"“The Skinny: The addition of 49ers guard Alex Boone gives them a nice addition to the offensive line. He will toughen that group up. Safety Michael Griffin will come in and compete with others for the job next to Harrison Smith. Linebacker Emmanuel Lamur played for Mike Zimmer with the Bengals and had his best year under him. He is an athletic kid coming off an injury. Re-signing Mike Harris was a solid move as well for the offensive line. B-: It wasn’t a big haul, but landing Boone will really help”"
"“Overall grade: B-plus. The Vikings were never going to be the most active team in free agency, and it remains to be seen if they’ve done enough to improve the safety position next to Harrison Smith, but they’ve made smart moves to improve the offensive line and add depth on defense, while taking care of their internal free agents.”"
More from The Viking Age
- 6 biggest draft steals in Minnesota Vikings history
- Former Vikings first-round pick could reportedly return to NFC North
- Bears analyst has extremely embarrassing Kirk Cousins take
- 6 Vikings who (maybe) won’t make the 53-man roster in 2023
- Predicting what the Vikings will do in the 2023 NFL Draft based on 2022
"“Though they have plenty of transactions on the books over the past week, the Minnesota Vikings are doing a whole lot of nothing in free agency. Their best moves involve cutting Mike Wallace and retaining a fullback. Emmanuel Lamur might be a solid contributor, and Kenrick Ellis might be a decent rotational player. Michael Griffin ranked 60th among safeties over at Pro Football Focus last season. Other than that, the Vikings spent time retaining 85th-ranked safety Andrew Sendejo on a four-year deal rather than nabbing a far better option in free agency. They also re-signed a cornerback who is best suited for returning punts (Marcus Sherels) and some other bit players. At least Mike Harris performed well on the offensive line last season. Grade: C+”"
"“The Vikings’ plan is easy to ascertain: Upgrade the offensive line after NFL rushing leader Adrian Peterson was held under 100 yards in five of the final six games of the 2015 season. To that end, general manager Rick Spielman added mauling guard Alec Boone and mammoth right tackle Andre Smith. Wide receiver remains a question mark after disappointing speedster Mike Wallace signed with Baltimore. Although Stefon Diggs exceeded expectations as a rookie, he’s more of a second fiddle as opposed to a legitimate No. 1 receiver. On defense, it will be interesting to see how much longtime Titans safety Michael Griffin has left in the tank after Tennessee released him in February. Grade: B-“"