Head coach Kevin O'Connell promised it after last year's playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and free from some notable financial shackles the Minnesota Vikings spent money and draft capital to fortify the trenches on both sides of the ball.
There are ways those moves could go bad, but it showed an effort (and ability) to devote resources to the rest of the roster around a quarterback who's on a rookie contract.
Still, there's an area of the Vikings' defense that looks questionable. Beyond Byron Murphy Jr., and to whatever extent Brian Flores' strong belief in free agent addition Isaiah Rodgers' untapped upside holds water, the cornerback room has question marks.
Flores' scheme can certainly mask some deficiencies on the back end, but almost any list of recommended further additions for the Vikings includes cornerback; in general as a position of need, or with mention of specific names who seem to fit.
Minnesota Vikings named as trade destination for Miami Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey
It was a "Good Morning Football" alumni segment on Tuesday's edition of "Up & Adams", as CBS Sports' Jason McCourty joined host Kay Adams.
Adams has declared herself as a noted believer in the high end of the Vikings' potential outcomes for the 2025 season. On the topic of potential landing spots for Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey, McCourty mentioned the Vikings.
"I think the one team, that I've seen some people mention....is the Minnesota Vikings", McCourty said.
After mentioning O'Connell being the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator in 2021 when Ramsey was also there, McCourty talked about Ramsey's fit in Flores' defensive scheme.
"What Brian Flores does with his defensive backs, Byron Murphy, a guy that plays outside, he plays inside, the way the safeties all move around", McCourty said. "Jalen Ramsey is so talented and can play so many different positions...slot, safety, corner. I think that would be a ton of fun, if you could see Brian Flores using him as a chess piece, and moving him all around, get him blitzing and doing different things, to show all the talents that he has."
The Vikings have indeed been mentioned somewhat as a potential landing spot for Ramsey. Mike Renner of CBS Sports went in a less-upbeat direction than McCourty with his idea the Vikings should trade for the 7-time Pro Bowler, calling Minnesota's cornerback group "ugly."
"I think they need to trade for a cornerback,” Renner said. “They’ve lost a lot of pieces from that secondary (in 2024), Stephon Gilmore, Cam Bynum. This cornerback group right now, like Isaiah Rodgers, Mekhi Blackmon, Byron Murphy — it’s ugly. If you really think you’re in a championship window, you need to be better than that at the cornerback position."
The guaranteed salary in Ramsey's contract runs out after this year, but his cap hits in 2026 and beyond are large. June 1 remains the date to watch, since the Dolphins can clear $9.9 million in cap space by trading him after that point. Trading him before June 1 would create a $25.2 million dead money hit and reduce their 2025 cap space by $8.8 million.
It feels unlikely the Vikings will trade for Ramsey, but if there's one more bold move in general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah this offseason, trading for a top-end cornerback would be the move to make.
It's very possible the Vikings are among the suitors who have been waiting for the timing to be right for the Dolphins to move him, and they're ready with an offer that would send a firm message to the rest of the NFC North.