It would have been more beneficial in terms of cap space and dead money to trade defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, and the Minnesota Vikings presumably tried. But the inevitable move to release him landed when the new league year officially started.
Despite proving to be a less-than ideal fit for Brian Flores' defensive scheme last season, self-proclaimed even, Hargrave was not likely to be available on the open market for very long. And sure enough, ESPN's Adam Schefter quickly reported he has agreed to a two-year, $23 million deal with the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers had a clear need at defensive tackle, which was only made worse by trading Colby Wooden. So Hargrave was an obvious fit from the moment he was officially available, and they wasted no time agreeing to a deal to bring him aboard.
Hargrave's pass-rush acumen remained last season (70.0 grade from Pro Football Focus), but it just didn't yield a lot of sacks in Flores' system (3.5; 1.5 after Week 1). His run defense was lacking with a 57.3 PFF grade, and it just wasn't palatable for the Vikings to carry his $21.4 million cap hit for this year.
Minnesota Vikings fans should be fine with seeing Javon Hargrave in a Green Bay Packers uniform
Hargrave looks like a far better fit in Green Bay's defensive scheme, now run by former Vikings' assistant Jonathan Gannon.
For the last part of his time between Minnesota and his stint as the Arizona Cardinals' head coach, Gannon was the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive coordinator for two seasons in 2021 and 2022.
Hargrave made the full transition from primarily being the run-stuffing nose tackle he was early in his career to a pass-rushing 3-technique under Gannon's guidance in Philly, totaling 18.5 sacks over those two campaigns.
But Hargrave was also a a good bit younger during his first go-around with Gannon as his defensive coordinator. He's now 33 years old, with a general downward trend in his production and a significant injury over the last three seasons.
There's a chance Hargrave finds a fountain of youth and is revived in a more ideal defensive scheme under the coordinator who initially unleashed him as a pass-rushing force.
But Vikings fans should have no fear that the current version of the two-time Pro Bowler will make a mess of Minnesota's interior offensive line twice a year for the next two years.