Big changes could happen in Minnesota’s 2025 offseason, the fourth under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The coaching staff has largely remained intact. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has gotten his contract extension, and his defensive captain, Brian Flores, missed out on head coaching jobs.
Vikings May Unexpectedly Allow a Key Starter to Depart
That, of course, is unfortunate for Flores and his career, but it’s excellent news for the Vikings because it ensures maximum continuity.
Flores has elevated the defensive group to one of the top units in the league. However, in the upcoming free-agency period, the Vikings are scheduled to lose most of their secondary. The potential losses of Cam Bynum and Harrison Smith at the safety position could hurt, and so could the expiring contracts of the top four cornerbacks.
Shaq Griffin, Stephon Gilmore, and backup Fabian Moreau were one-year placeholders at cornerback, but top cover defender Byron Murphy Jr. was viewed as a long-term piece.
The problem? His two-year deal is also set to expire in March, and he can henceforth pick his next destination.
Murphy had an up-and-down first year under contract, but his absence in the final few games of the 2023 season showed he was more than just a guy. The defense fell apart without him. Last season, he elevated his game to the next level, and the six interceptions turned some heads, including those of Pro Bowl voters who nominated him for his first All-Star participation.
Because he played well last season and is the team’s top cornerback, the veteran defender was expected to be near the top of Adofo-Mensah’s offseason to-do list.
Jeremy Fowler (ESPN), however, doesn’t think continued employment is the likely outcome. Summarizing the upcoming free agency period, he wrote:
“Several free agents — Byron Murphy II, Camryn Bynum, Cam Robinson, Aaron Jones — could get cushy deals elsewhere, but GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has shown adaptability in adding new talent. (A prime example is last season’s pass-rush duo of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel.)”
And then, he added the relevant Murphy nugget, “In the secondary, the sense here is Murphy walks, but Bynum could stay under a new deal.”
His departure would leave the Vikinghs extremely vulnerable in the cornerback room. Mekhi Blackmon, a 2023 rookie who missed last season with a torn ACL and last year’s undrafted rookie Dwight McGlothern would be the starting cornerbacks until the club adds some new guys.
The good news is that there are some intriguing players available. D.J. Reed and Charvarius Ward are likely the two best CBs in free agency, but Paulson Adebo, Carlton Davis, and Rasul Douglas, and Asante Samuel Jr. could also fill that void.
In the draft, the Vikings own the 24th overall pick and expected to fly off the board around that pick are Jahdae Barron (Texas), Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame), and Shavon Revel Jr (East Carolina).
Last June, Murphy said in an interview with KSTP’s Darren Wolfson:
“I don’t think I’m going anywhere. That’s my mindset. I want to stay; I love this place. Since I’ve been here since day one, I have fallen in love. I want to go nowhere. I want to stay here for the rest of my career. I love these guys in the locker room and the coaching—everything about this place is great. I’m going to work my ass off to stay here.”
While he might love Minnesota, at the end of the day, it is a business and it’s possible another team is willing to pay more for his services.
Pro Football Focus has predicted his next contract to be a three-year deal worth $17.33 million per season.
In recent years, Adofo-Mensah tried to acquire tier-two players in free agency who could be viewed as bargains a couple of years down the road rather than throwing money at the top players on the market.
However, for the first time, he actually has some money to get one or two expensive veterans into the building. It just remains to be seen whether Murphy will be a priority.
