Vikings need to give top defender an extension before it is too late

The Minnesota Vikings have built one of the NFL's best defenses under defensive coordinator Brian Flores this season despite a lack of household names.

With aging veterans in the secondary, Minnesota needs to retain as much stability as possible beyond the 2024 season. That's where safety Camryn Bynum can become the unquestioned leader of this defense.

Bynum was an interesting prospect when he entered the NFL out of Cal in 2021. He primarily played cornerback in college, but his traits steered him toward a future at safety in the NFL. After adjusting in Minnesota, Bynum has become a very good safety and turnover machine under Flores.

It is time for the Minnesota Vikings to extend Camryn Bynum

Bynum is set to hit the free agent market at the end of this season unless the Vikings are able to strike a deal with him. Minnesota extending him is an absolute no-brainer in order to keep one of the leaders of this team around despite his potentially high price tag.

Minnesota could lose Harrison Smith to retirement after the season, which would leave a massive hole in the backend of the secondary. Smith is a hard player to replace, and the Vikings tried bolstering the safety room in the past with Lewis Cine, but it blew up in their faces.

In an ideal world, Josh Metellus will replicate more of the Smith role as a versatile defender who plays pretty much wherever he is needed. In fact, Flores has already been using him in that capacity.

Bynum's potential contract extension is projected to land him between $10-12 million annually, according to Spotrac and Over the Cap projections. That is essentially what Smith is making this year - but he has void years in his deal. That sort of contract would place Bynum right around 12th among all safeties.

With other players also up for deals, this would be a realistic and perfectly reasonable price tag for Bynum, given his importance to the defense. He has not missed a game in over two seasons, and he has been incredible under Flores.

Last season, Bynum recorded 137 tackles, nine pass breakups, two interceptions, and three forced fumbles. So far in 2024, he has two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and three pass breakups.

The Vikings are projected to have plenty of cap space in 2025. Even with other lingering questions heading into free agency, including cornerback Byron Murphy and quarterback Sam Darnold, this is an easy decision. Bynum should be extended as soon as possible and become the leader of this secondary for the future.

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