With the offseason well underway for the M

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innesota Vikings , it’s time to take a look at which members of the purple could be moving on in free agency. There are several big names that have played out their contracts with the Vikings and could, potentially, be hitting the road next season, so we’ll take a look at who those players are and which category of free agency they fall under. All player statuses are taken from Over the Cap.Unrestricted Free AgentsRB Ameer AbdullahK Dan BaileyLB Anthony BarrG Tom ComptonG Nick EastonS George IlokaDT Sebastian Thunderbucket Tom JohnsonC Brett JonesRB Latavius MurrayDT Sheldon RichardsonWR Aldrick RobinsonCB Marcus SherelsQB Trevor SiemianUnrestricted free agents are just what the name implies. . .they have fulfilled their contractual obligations to the Vikings and, without some sort of an extension, will hit unrestricted free agency when the new league year starts in March.The big names here are, obviously, Barr and Richardson. Nobody knows for sure whether the team will attempt to re-sign one or both of them, or let them both walk. They would both likely sign the sort of contacts that would bring high compensatory picks in 2020, if that’s how the Vikings want to play things.Robinson could potentially be brought back as a receiving option for the Vikings’ offense. . .he did manage to make the most of his snaps, after all. Murray has said that he wants a bigger role , and given that Dalvin Cook is going to be the lead guy for the Vikings, it’s unlikely he’d find that role in Minnesota. Sherels is Sherels. . .I’m not going to believe the guy isn’t going to be on the team until September comes around and he’s not there. Easton could get another look from the Vikings, but they certainly shouldn’t be counting on him as it appears they were last year.Restricted Free AgentsS Anthony HarrisOT Rashod HillA restricted free agent is a player that has three or fewer “accrued” seasons of NFL service. An “accrued” season is one in which the player participated in at least six games.Harris had a hell of a season after taking over for the injured Andrew Sendejo. I’d be pretty stunned if the Vikings didn’t bring him back, quite frankly. I’m not sure what to make of Hill, to be honest. He’s been pressed into service and shown himself to be okay at times, but with Brian O’Neill asserting himself at the right tackle spot, I’m not sure how much of an opportunity there will be for him here.Harris and Hill could each get “tender” offers, which would force any other team that would want to sign them to cough up draft compensation in exchange.Exclusive Rights Free AgentsFB C.J. HamOT Cedrick LangTE Josiah PriceP Matt WileAn exclusive rights free agent is a player that only has one or two accrued seasons in the NFL. They can’t negotiate with other teams. . .meaning their rights are exclusive to whichever team they’re currently employed by. Hence the name.I have no doubt that the Vikings will work something out with Ham and Wile. The team likes Ham’s versatility. . .I mean, who doesn’t like a good Ham, am I right? Wile was also fairly solid in the punt game, so I would be surprised if he wasn’t back , too.Those are all of the Vikings’ pending free agents, folks. Who do you think the Vikings are bringing back? Linval needs a friend" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteDaily Norsemana Minnesota Vikings communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsLibraryVikingsOddsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Vikings 2018 SeasonVikings 2019 OffseasonU.S. Bank StadiumMinnesota Vikings PodcastsFiled under:Minnesota Vikings 2019 NFL DraftMinnesota Vikings Top 5 Draft Needs: Defensive Tackle, #2New,22commentsLinval needs a friendCDTShareTweetShareShareMinnesota Vikings Top 5 Draft Needs: Defensive Tackle, #2Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty ImagesIn all the fun and excitement leading up to draft night tonight, I damn near forgot to complete the list of the Minnesota Vikings’ Top 5 draft needs that I had been working on. So far, we’ve looked at running backs, cornerbacks, and tight ends, but now we come to a spot where there’s a pretty serious hole, all things considered.While the Vikings seem to have an endless supply of talented edge players , the same (at least at this point) can’t be said for the interior. Sure, Linval Joseph is great, but the loss of Sheldon Richardson is one that’s definitely going to be felt unless the Vikings make a move to fill that spot. Let’s take a look at what the defensive tackle position looks like for the Vikings right now and what they could do over the course of Draft Weekend.Current Vikings defensive tackles: Linval Joseph (starter), Shamar Stephen (starter), Curtis Cothran, Jalyn Holmes, Jaleel Johnson, Ifeadi Odenigbo (I’m going to put him at tackle)Joseph remains one of the best nose tackles in the league, but if the season were to start today we’d likely see Stephen getting the start at the 3-tech spot, and that really isn’t super ideal, I don’t think. I always thought Stephen was much better against the run than he was in trying to generate pressure , but maybe the Vikings are seeing something I’m not.Holmes didn’t see a lot of action in his rookie season, but I still think he’s a better fit on the interior than he is on the edge. It seems like Jaleel Johnson spends the preseason destroying guys on the second team offensive lines of our preseason opponents, but to date that really hasn’t translated to the regular season. I’m actually pretty high on Odenigbo, and thought he should have made the team out of camp last season, but I’m happy he’s back and think he’s going to stick this time around. Cothran is probably headed for the practice squad again if the Vikings want to keep him around.Who could they take and when. Since I don’t think Ed Oliver or Quinnen Williams is falling to #18, the guy the Vikings might be eyeing if they want to use their first round pick at the position is Christian Wilkins out of Clemson. Wilkins reminds me a bit of Kevin Williams, since he’s got pretty decent agility for a guy that weighs in at 315 pounds. Providing that the Vikings immediately address the offensive line in Round 2, I wouldn’t hate a pick of Wilkins at #18, I don’t think.There are plenty of options if the Vikings want to wait until Day 2 as well. I don’t think the Vikings would be in on Mississippi State tackle Jeffrey Simmons or anything, given his injury and questions about whether or not he’ll be ready for the start of the season. Miami (FL) tackle Gerald Willis seems to be a popular player in the second or third round, as is Dre’Mont Jones of Ohio State. Khalen Saunders of Western Illinois could be a potential target , but he strikes me as more of a nose tackle than a 3-technique. It would be interesting to see what Andre Patterson could mold him into, though.I think the Vikings will address the defensive tackle spot at some point in the first two days of the draft, but if they want to wait until Day 3 there’s still some intriguing players out there. Kingsley Keke of Texas A&M is someone that’s shown some pass rush ability on the inside, as is Terry Beckner out of Missouri. Beckner comes with some pretty significant medical concerns, though, as he’s tore the ACLs in both of his knees during his college career.Obviously, there are significantly more players to keep an eye on for the Vikings than the ones I’ve just mentioned, but those are a few that I’ll be watching for when the Vikings want to address the defensive tackle spot in this year’s NFL Draft.

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