6 free-agent defensive ends the Vikings could sign in 2021

Carl Lawson

2020 Team: Cincinnati Bengals

Carl Lawson is arguably the top free-agent defensive end on the market this year, so he should have a lot of interest from multiple teams around the NFL during the next few weeks. If the Vikings are one of the teams that would like Lawson to be on their roster, they better be prepared to give him an enticing offer.

Minnesota isn’t expected to have very much cap space when the new league year begins on March 17. But the Vikings have been creative with the salary cap numerous times in the past, so maybe they can figure out a way to give Lawson the money he’s looking for without crippling the rest of their roster.

Lawson has been in the NFL since 2017 and during this time, he’s accumulated a total of 20 sacks. This might not seem like a high total for someone who has been in the league for the last four years, but he’s also been able to put a ton of pressure on the opposing quarterback during this time.

With the Bengals last season, the 25-year-old Lawson finished with an impressive 44 pressures. Mike Zimmer has been someone who likes to make it known how much he enjoys when his defenders consistently generate pressure. With Lawson, Zimmer would be adding a pass-rusher to his defense who can deliver a suffocating amount of pressure to Minnesota’s opponents.