The sting of the Minnesota Vikings' 27-9 loss against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card game is still felt which led to changes within the roster.
Minnesota spent $300 million on free agency, adding talent to the offensive line and defense. While the big storyline of the offseason was about J.J. McCarthy being in line to start at quarterback, it was some of their key losses that has experts asking questions during the offseason.
PFF writer Bradley Locker gave one question that still needs to be answered about each NFL team after the NFL Draft. For the Vikings, it's about who will replace Cam Bynum in the secondary after departing for the Indianapolis Colts.
"Even after finishing 14-3 in 2024, the Vikings didn’t rest on their laurels. The team was one of the biggest spenders in free agency, landing Will Fries, Ryan Kelly, Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, coupled with re-signing Byron Murphy. Still, a bit of a void has been left at safety.
Bynum (61.6 PFF overall grade) ranked third among Vikings defenders in total snaps last season, playing at least 128 at free safety, in the box and in the slot. With Bynum now in Indianapolis, Minnesota didn’t sign or draft someone else to contribute at safety, which feels a bit odd, considering the Vikings led the NFL with 338 dime snaps a season ago.
It’s possible that Brian Flores could turn reserve Theo Jackson (79.2 PFF overall grade on 79 total snaps) or lean into more cornerbacks instead of sprinkling in a third safety, but how the team responds after losing one of its prevalent coverage defenders will be revealing."
Bynum's loss is felt, but the Minnesota Vikings have backup plans for his replacement
Last season, Bynum racked up 96 tackles, 10 pass deflections, a career-high three interceptions, and two tackles for loss in 17 games. He had the second-best season of his four-year career with pass coverage stats, including a completion percentage allowed of 61.5% and a quarterback rating of 77.6.
Losing Bynum was a gut punch to a Vikings' secondary that was ranked 28th in pass defense, surrendering 242 yards per game. Minnesota does have two clear solutions that can step in and perform just as good, if not better than Bynum.
Josh Metellus appears to be the front-runner to take over for Bynum, as he is playing on the final year of his contract. Metellus had a better PFF grade from Bynum last year, as his 67.6 was ranked 57th. He also showed his skills last season with high PFF grades on his pass rush (71, ranked 17th) and run defense (84.3, ranked tenth).
Jackson is another option, but hasn't gotten the playing time to gain the confidence to start right away at safety. The team could turn to Isaiah Rodgers or Jeff Okudah to move from cornerback to safety if needed.
Minnesota can at least be relieved that Harrison Smith is back for another season, which gives the secondary a much-needed veteran. Metellus or Jackson must be ready to step up, as the pass defense's improvement can make or break the Vikings' season.