4 free agents the Vikings will regret not signing in 2021
By Luke Parrish
The Minnesota Vikings were very active in free agency this spring but they still missed out on some important players.
It would be fair to say the Minnesota Vikings vastly improved their defense during the 2021 free agency period by adding several starters and rotational players. That said, the Vikings still could have been more active in improving the offensive side of the ball, and filling some depth on defense as well.
The additions of Patrick Peterson, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Mackensie Alexander will be huge for Mike Zimmer’s defense, a unit that was far from reliable last season. With the recent news about Jeff Gladney, the signing of Alexander looks even better as he can be the starting nickel if Minnesota needs him to be.
The Vikings spent big money on the defense this year while the offense was left with minimum contracts and iffy players returning for cheap money. While Chad Beebe and Dakota Dozier played a lot last season, that does not mean they are deserving of similar playing during the 2021 campaign.
In order to sign the bigger names on defense, Minnesota had to part ways with a few impactful players on the offensive side of the ball, most notably Riley Reiff. Reiff left Minnesota for a chance to protect Joe Burrow in Cincinnati and now the Vikings have a massive hole on the offensive line.
The offensive line, as we all know, is the biggest question mark for the Vikings heading into this year’s NFL Draft and eventually into next season. They can definitely add one or more starting-caliber linemen in the upcoming draft, but there is no guarantee they will get the guys they want.
So who are some of the free agents Minnesota will regret not signing in 2021?