5 extremely early Vikings cut candidates for the 2024 offseason
By Chris Schad
Harrison Phillips - DL
Harrison Phillips was the first free-agent signing of the new regime, signing a three-year, $19.5 million contract in March 2022. While he has been one of the most vocal players on Minnesota's defense – and could have an increased leadership role this season – his performance hasn't been above a replacement-level player.
Phillips's PFF grade ranked 21st out of 57 interior defensive linemen with at least 50 percent of the league lead in snaps. While he specializes in stopping the run, he doesn't bring much as a pass-rusher, generating just 24 pressures on 406 pass-rushing snaps.
The Vikings could still value Phillips, but those arguments could have been made for Dalvin Tomlinson, who signed with the Cleveland Browns this offseason. If the Vikings don't feel Phillips is worth keeping around, they could save $6.5 million as a pre-June 1 cut.