5 free agency bargains the Vikings should consider in 2021
By Dean Jones
Efe Obada – DL
2020 Team: Carolina Panthers
Efe Obada is no longer just a feel-good story. He is a tremendous NFL player.
The Panthers got some outstanding production from Obada as the season went on. The Nigerian-born player operated as a defensive end and as a three-technique on the interior with equal success. He seems to have brought his game on a significant amount in recent months and this might result in a long line of suitors when free agency rolls around.
To say the Vikings missed having someone like Obada in 2020 would be something of an understatement. Generating pressure from their defensive tackle positions was a key component behind their demise.
Even if Michael Pierce does have a big impact next season, much more will be needed on the rotation.
Whether Obada would commit to a move away from Carolina remains to be seen. He is a much-loved member of the locker room who owes the franchise a lot. But the promise of a longer-term deal and substantial reps elsewhere might be too hard to turn down.
Obada finished the season with 5.5 sacks, 18 tackles, 15 quarterback hits, one forced fumble, and 18 pressures from just 39 percent of the Panthers’ defensive snaps. This would be a great addition to Minnesota’s defensive front and one that could reinvigorate their fortunes.