While several teams across the NFL added a plethora of new players in free agency, the Minnesota Vikings, who were one of the busiest clubs in that department a year ago, didn't really have the salary cap space to follow up with another spending spree.
That said, however, they were at least able to bring in Kyler Murray to compete with J.J. McCarthy and were able to do so cheaply, signing the seven-year veteran for just a league-minimum $1.3 million thanks to the fact that he's still being paid $35.3 million in 2026 by the Arizona Cardinals.
And they did also just sign wideout Jauan Jennings, so that was a little added bonus to help offset the loss of Jalen Nailor.
Minnesota, however, lost a ton of talent on the defensive side of the football, releasing both Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, and then trading Jonathan Greenard during the draft to the Philadelphia Eagles.
And while the Vikes ended up making an NFC-high nine selections during said draft, they came under heavy fire for using their first-round pick on Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks, who's been dealing with issues with his left foot since last summer.
As these were some of the biggest stories surrounding Minnesota over the last few months, Brett Sobleski of Bleacher Report naturally mentioned them when he recently handed out offseason report cards for all 32 teams.
And he clearly wasn't a fan of what the Vikes have done as a whole, giving them a "D" grade for their efforts.
Minnesota Vikings receive the lowest grade among NFC teams in B/R's offseason report cards
Here was Sobleski's reasoning behind why he gave the Vikings the grade he did:
"The Minnesota Vikings are still reeling from last offseason's Sam Darnold decision. While Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks are now reigning Super Bowl champions, the Vikings aren't settled at quarterback.
Minnesota did sign Kyler Murray this offseason in hopes of head coach Kevin O'Connell being able to unlock the best version of the 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick. JJ McCarthy remains on the roster, though questions about whether he can be an NFL starting quarterback now dominate the conversation.
The Vikings have the offensive pieces in place to succeed at a high level, as long as one of these quarterbacks perform to expected levels.
Defensively, coordinator Brian Flores will continue to have this group flying around and creating havoc. However, the organization made the rather suspect decision to draft defensive tackle Caleb Banks with its first-round pick.
Banks presents huge upside, but he also has a history of foot injuries, which doesn't bode well for a massive person. His selection should be viewed as a major risk.
Minnesota's general manager-less front office also cut defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, then traded Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles."
Yeah, that sure sounds like someone who dished out a "D," doesn't it? Now, a small silver lining is that none of Minnesota's rivals within the NFC North received a high mark either, as the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and Green Bay Packers each received a "C" grade. So, at least that's a little something.
Sadly, however, that doesn't change the fact that the Vikings received the lowest mark among all NFC teams and tied for the second-lowest mark among all teams alongside the Baltimore Ravens and the Miami Dolphins.
As you can see below in the full list of grades, the only club to receive an "F" was the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- Arizona Cardinals: C
- Atlanta Falcons: C+
- Baltimore Ravens: D
- Buffalo Bills: C+
- Carolina Panthers: B
- Chicago Bears: C
- Cincinnati Bengals: B+
- Cleveland Browns: B
- Dallas Cowboys: A-
- Denver Broncos: B
- Detroit Lions: C
- Green Bay Packers: C
- Houston Texans: B
- Indianapolis Colts: B
- Jacksonville Jaguars: F
- Kansas City Chiefs: C+
- Las Vegas Raiders: A
- Los Angeles Chargers: B
- Los Angeles Rams: B
- Miami Dolphins: D
- Minnesota Vikings: D
- New England Patriots: C
- New Orleans Saints: B
- New York Giants: B+
- New York Jets: A
- Philadelphia Eagles: C+
- Pittsburgh Steelers: C+
- San Francisco 49ers: C+
- Seattle Seahawks: C-
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B
- Tennessee Titans: B
- Washington Commanders: B
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