4 Vikings role players who must be re-signed in 2021
By Dean Jones
Which Minnesota Vikings role-players should be re-signed in 2021?
The Minnesota Vikings are in a real predicament this offseason. This is down in no small part to their impending salary-cap woes that will be made worse judging by how much it’s going to come down due to revenue losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is going to be an eventful few months once the 2020 campaign concludes. Things won’t be easy for the Vikings as they look to keep a competitive roster in place. But the fact that Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman has accumulated so many 2021 NFL Draft picks tells us plenty about where reinforcements will be sought this spring.
The Vikings somehow find themselves in playoff contention after 13 weeks during a season that began in the worst possible fashion with a 1-5 record. A complete turnaround in fortunes since the bye indicates not only is head coach Mike Zimmer still the right man for the job but that there are some quality young pieces to build around ahead of another critical offseason period in the coming months.
Let’s look at a few of Minnesota’s current role-players that the team must re-sign in 2021.
Player No. 1
Hercules Mata’afa – DL
Hercules Mata’afa might be some way off the standard of star Vikings pass-rusher, Danielle Hunter. But there is nothing to suggest the young defensive lineman cannot become a valuable backup option moving forward.
The former Washington State standout has battled hard to work his way up from an undrafted prospect to earn a place in Minnesota’s plans and he displays the sort of effort and energy that is hard to root against.
Keeping him around isn’t going to break the bank, which is another big plus given the Vikings’ anticipated financial woes in 2021. So getting Mata’afa re-signed to further develop his skill-set would be a smart move.