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3 Best Offseason Moves From the Minnesota Vikings

By Jason Schandl

The best moves from the Minnesota Vikings' offseason, including extending Kirk Cousins' contract.
The best moves from the Minnesota Vikings' offseason, including extending Kirk Cousins' contract. / Chris Graythen/Getty Images
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Minnesota Vikings fans probably weren't expecting many splashy additions this offseason, as they came in without much cap space, but they also weren't likely expecting the team to trade away Stefon Diggs.

That one might sting for the Minnesota faithful, but they're now armed with a pair of first-round picks to shore up their still solid roster. That wasn't the only move they've made, either.

Here are the three best moves the Vikings have made in the 2020 NFL offseason.

3. Letting Xavier Rhodes Walk

Xavier Rhodes during the 2019 Wild Card Round.
Xavier Rhodes during the 2019 Wild Card Round. / Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

There are no two ways about it — Xavier Rhodes was terrible in 2019. It's easy to hold out hope for a return to glory, but looking at the $3.25 million salary he's getting from the Indianapolis Colts in 2020, it would not have been worth the cap space to roll the dice. Rhodes allowed 9.8 yards per target in coverage in 2019, giving up a 123.8 quarterback rating. For context, no qualifying quarterback had a passer rating that high this season.

2. Signing Michael Pierce

Michael Pierce during a 2019 game with the Ravens.
Michael Pierce during a 2019 game with the Ravens. / Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images

Likely losing some depth up front this offseason, bringing in former Baltimore Raven Michael Pierce was a great move. Pierce received a solid 70.6 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus in 2019, and he looked like one of the game's best interior defensive lineman (90.8 overall grade) in a limited sample of 388 snaps in 2018.

1. Extending Kirk Cousins' Contract

Kirk Cousins during a 2019 game against the Saints.
Kirk Cousins during a 2019 game against the Saints. / Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

There have always been some rumblings about whether or not Kirk Cousins could be a franchise quarterback, but his play in 2019 should go a long way to erase any doubts. He averaged a career-best 8.7 adjusted yards per pass attempt (AY/A), which was tied for No. 6 in the NFL. He threw interceptions on a career-low 1.4 percent of his pass attempts, while his 5.9 percent touchdown rate was his highest mark in a season with at least 50 pass attempts. Cousins can play at a high enough level to lead this team to a Super Bowl, and locking him up through 2022 was the right move.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.