The Minnesota Vikings have a number of talented young players on their current roster that are worthy of getting an extension from the team in the near future.
Last offseason, we saw the Minnesota Vikings extend the contracts of Adam Thielen, Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, and Xavier Rhodes. Three players who are integral pieces to the Vikings’ championship goals.
This year, Minnesota has already locked down linebacker Eric Kendricks with a five-year extension. But the Vikings likely are not done with extending contracts before the 2018 regular season begins.
With Anthony Barr, Danielle Hunter, Stefon Diggs all scheduled to become free-agents in 2019, it would be wise for Minnesota to agree to an extension with at least one of these three before the upcoming regular season.
Even Trae Waynes is a candidate to get his current deal extended by the Vikings. It would likely be a better option for Minnesota to re-work and extend Waynes’ contract than pay him the $9.069 million he’s currently scheduled to make in 2019.
Of these four players, which one will be next to get an extension from the Vikings?
Anthony Barr – LB
If this question were to be asked after Barr’s first two seasons in the NFL, this would be an easy decision for the Vikings.
During his first two years in Minnesota, the linebacker established himself as a major disturbance for opposing offenses. Barr accumulated 7.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and one interception in his first two seasons with the Vikings.
Since 2016, however, the Minnesota linebacker has not been able to create as much havoc on the field. Despite appearing in every regular season game for the Vikings over the last two years, Barr only has a total of three sacks, one forced fumble, and no interceptions.
Stats don’t tell everything, but it is pretty easy to see that the young Minnesota linebacker provides a different value for the team’s current defense than he did during his first two seasons.
Despite his decline in numbers, Barr has still played a significant role in the Vikings’ defense evolving into one of the NFL’s best since Mike Zimmer was hired in 2014. If Minnesota were to let him leave as a free-agent in 2019, the impact of his absence would likely be tremendous.
Chance Barr gets an extension next: 75 percent
Danielle Hunter – DE
When the Vikings selected Hunter in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Minnesota was just taking a chance on an athletic freak. The young defensive end had just 4.5 total sacks in three years at LSU, but the Vikings clearly saw a ton of potential in him.
In the three seasons since he was drafted, Hunter has already racked up 25.5 total sacks as a member of Minnesota’s defense. During his first stint as a starter in 2017, the 23-year-old (yes, he isn’t even 24-years-old yet) pass rusher finished with seven sacks and 59 pressures.
Hunter has not even reached his full potential yet and that is pretty scary. Since good pass rushers are not that easy to replace in the NFL, he may be a little pricier for the Vikings to extend.
But if his production so far is any indication, keeping Hunter around for another handful of years will likely be worth every penny for Minnesota.
Chance Hunter gets an extension next: 50 percent
Trae Waynes – CB
During his first full season as a starter in 2017, Waynes performed well. Since he was the other corner on the field opposite of Xavier Rhodes, Waynes saw a lot more attention from opposing offenses who didn’t want to test their fate against Rhodes.
Overall, Waynes held his own. There were times when he would occasionally get beat by receivers, but in those moments he also showcased his recovery speed and his strength as a tackler.
Many forget that Rhodes didn’t make his first appearance in a Pro Bowl until he had four NFL seasons under his belt.
This year is Waynes’ fourth in the league since the Vikings drafted him in 2015. Maybe his fourth season in Minnesota will end with a trip to the Pro Bowl as well?
If the Vikings are interested in keeping Waynes around for a few more years and don’t want to pay him the $9.069 million he’s scheduled to make in 2019, an extension sooner than later may be in the team’s best interest to lower that yearly cap hit.
Chance Waynes gets an extension next: 25 percent
Stefon Diggs – WR
Diggs has been a pleasant surprise ever since he landed with the Vikings. He flashed his potential as a rookie during Minnesota’s preseason in 2015 and eventually got his first chance to play that year during the Vikings’ Week 4 matchup with the Denver Broncos.
All Diggs ended up doing was finish with more total catches and receiving yards in his first four career NFL games than any other player in Minnesota team history.
The young pass-catcher has not slowed down either. No receiver in their first 40 games with the Vikings has ever caught as many passes as Diggs (200). Not Randy Moss, not Percy Harvin, not Sidney Rice, and not Sammy White.
Next: Projecting the Vikings' final 2018 roster (Post-draft)
Minnesota has not had a ton of good luck when it comes to finding above average receivers recently. They already have Adam Thielen signed through 2020 and it may be a good idea for the Vikings to lock down Diggs for a few more years before his asking price gets too high.