Every set their clocks forward on Sunday night, and it appears the Minnesota Vikings might have taken that a little too litereally. After virtually no action for most of the first day of free agency, the Vikings ripped through a ton of moves on Tuesday morning.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah worked a few deals into the mix on Monday, but signing Ryan Kelly and bringing back Byron Murphy were moves that didn't happen until late in the evening. It turns out that was just the engine revving as the Vikings came out of the gate hot with two huge moves on Day 2 that help give a massive boost to the defensive line.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Vikings are working on a deal to add Javon Hargrave after his release from the 49ers. It's a move that continues an overhaul of Minnesota's defensive line and gives Brian Flores yet another massive piece to install.
This move comes on the heels of the Vikings adding two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen on a three-year, $60 million deal. Adding Allen and Hargrave goes a long way in rebuilding a defensive line that has been searching for plugs like these two guys for a few years.
Vikings went nuts on Day 2 of free agency, and it was a glorious thing to see
It seems that at every trade deadline, the Vikings are mentioned as potential landing spots for some defensive lineman, but if we hear that this year, something has gone horribly wrong. Fortifying the offensive line was a top priority this offseason and Kwesi has managed to do that without losing sight of making sure Brian Flores' defense doesn't take a step back.
Adding Ryan Kelly and Will Fries helps address a need at center but the combo signing of Allen and Hargrave might be the masterstroke of the offseason so far. Minnesota's defense ranked second in the league in rushing yards allowed, and now the line has somehow gotten even better than it already was.
Vikings fans were losing patience on Monday as the team resisted making moves, but it appears that the wait was worth it based on the flurry of moves the team pulled off on Tuesday.