4 Vikings role players who must be re-signed in 2021
By Dean Jones
Eric Wilson – LB
Eric Wilson has done well for the Vikings this season. Minnesota’s defense lost some key names this year and they’ve also been without stud defensive end Danielle Hunter and linebacker Anthony Barr for almost the entire 2020 campaign to further complicate matters.
Wilson might only be considered a role player for Minnesota considering the star names elsewhere on the roster. But that might not be the case for much longer if he continues his eye-catching trend upward.
The undrafted product out of Cincinnati has 90 tackles (five for a loss), three sacks, five passes defended, and seven quarterback hits to his name this season. Wilson has thrived with extra responsibility on his shoulders and the Vikings can now feel confident in the player’s ability to become even better in the coming years.
Minnesota finds itself in a precarious situation from a salary-cap perspective this offseason. Big decisions and sacrifices will need to be made in order to preserve the long-term aspirations of the franchise and if some more established names are let go for the greater good, then it’s vital that the front office keeps progressive young individuals such as Wilson.
However, given how well Wilson has played this season, it might come with some significant interest in the free-agent market.