7 cheap free agents that make sense for the Vikings in 2023
By Darcy Weiss
Who are some of the more affordable free agents for the Minnesota Vikings to consider adding to their roster during the 2023 offseason?
As the 2023 NFL free agency period approaches, the current Minnesota Vikings roster is somewhat in flux, and there is still plenty of roster maneuvering forthcoming to help general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah add cap space to fill holes.
The Vikings will likely be restricted in their spending, but there are several intriguing free agents projected to earn $3 million or less who could help them in 2023.
Let’s look at seven affordable free agents that make sense for Minnesota in 2023. Player values were taken from OverTheCap.com’s Valuation data.
Free Agent No. 1
Nik Needham – CB
2022 Team: Miami Dolphins
The current Vikings cornerback room includes Cameron Dantzler, Andrew Booth Jr., Akayleb Evans, and the recently signed Kalon Barnes.
Patrick Peterson, Duke Shelley, Kris Boyd, and Chandon Sullivan will all be free agents this year, but Minnesota will likely find a way to get Peterson back, and Shelley has earned another contract after filling in admirably last season. However, Boyd and Sullivan are not guaranteed to be back, so Nik Needham could be another inexpensive option.
The 27-year-old former Dolphins corner has played in 51 career games, with 27 starts, and has held his own so far into his career. Holding a completion rate of 60.4 percent and 25 passes defended during his career, the 2019 undrafted free agent has the potential to be a very useful cornerback for the Vikings.
Unfortunately, he was only able to play in six games in 2022 (five starts) due to a serious Achilles injury that he suffered in Week 6 against Minnesota.
Over The Cap’s valuation for Needham in free agency is $1.4 million dollars, making him an affordable and viable depth option in a position of need.
Other affordable corner options for the Vikings include Fabian Moreau ($2.2 million valuation) and Emmanuel Moseley ($3.1 million valuation), but Needham is a good low-risk option to bounce back and contribute in dime packages or if Dantzler and Evans continue to struggle to stay on the field in 2023.