To be clear, we’re talking about the regular season. The 12-2 Vikings are going to the playoffs, so there’s at least four more games — and maybe more — before it’s all said and done.
Plenty of notable Vikings players are moving toward free agency. The option exists, of course, for new agreements to arrive before free agency hits in March, but that’s a consideration for a different day. For now, consider a trio of players who could be moving into their final trio of games with Minnesota.
3 Vikings Who Could be Heading Into Final Stretch with Vikings
Player #1 — Camryn Bynum, Safety
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Going to come down to cost, folks.
Camryn Bynum is a good football player. It may be a stretch, though, to insist that he’s a great football player. PFF puts him at 54th in their safety rankings (93 qualify) with a modest 62.4 grade. Certainly, he’s never reached the level of prime Harrison Smith. Does he want to get paid top-tier money?
Last month, a piece on ESPN listed the NFL’s top pending free agents. Coming in at 16th on the list was Bynum, an appropriate placement for a defender who has proven to be a strong player. What may have raised a few eyebrows, though, was the insistence from Jeremy Fowler that Bynum could push for $16 million per season. At that price, the Vikings will walk away.
Bynum is 26. His season has featured 79 tackles, 3 interceptions, 9 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery.
Player #2 — Aaron Jones, Running Back
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No, Aaron Jones isn’t the perfect cure to Minnesota’s rushing woes, but he does function as a major help. The 30-year-old runner still has a lot of life left in his legs and lungs, giving Minnesota some much-needed balance that has largely eluded Kevin O’Connell since becoming the head coach.
The former Packer has had success as both a runner and pass catcher (he doesn’t get enough credit for his excellent hands). Jones has picked up 979 rushing yards in his 215 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He has scored 5 touchdowns on the ground. Plus, Jones’ 39 catches have gone for 322 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Another single-season deal would make a lot of sense. The $7 million he made during this past season would be a good starting point if the player and team negotiate a new deal.
Player #3 — Sam Darnold, Quarterback
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Could there really be anyone else in this final spot?
No shortage of digital ink has been spilled on this topic. Over on The Vikings Gazette, I made the case for retaining Mr. Darnold. Still others think that moving ahead with J.J. McCarthy, complete with his cost-controlled rookie deal, is the way to go. The debate will only intensify in the coming weeks and months, especially if Darnold leads the Vikings into some playoff success.
Sitting on 29 touchdowns, Darnold has a chance to tie or surpass the franchise record for touchdown passes in a single season. Currently, Daunte Culpepper has the top spot with 39 touchdown passes; no QB in Minnesota’s history has ever hit or surpassed 40 in a season. Would a year where Darnold hits that number and achieves playoff success make it impossible to move on?