Vikings’ Offseason Plan, Part 3: Team Needs
The Vikings don't have a shortage of needs. Matt Fries breaks down what those might be and how to prioritize them as the Vikings move forward in a surprisingly eventful offseason.
In Part 1 of this series, we looked at how the Vikings can create enough salary cap space to operate in 2026. In Part 2, we looked at which of their various free agents the Vikings should bring back. With those decisions in mind, we will now look at what needs the team has heading into the offseason.
Obviously, the 2025 season did not go as planned for the Minnesota Vikings. Coming off a 14-3 season, going 9-8 and missing the playoffs was below the standard the team expected to reach.
QB issues were the main driver of the team’s regression, but that can’t be the only focus this offseason. Interim GM Rob Brzezinski and staff will evaluate the entire roster, including impending free agents, and see what they can do to put out a better team in 2026.
Let’s take a look at each position group for the Vikings and categorize it by level of need as free agency approaches. Some of the team’s needs will be personnel-based, as they will have to replace impending free agents. Others will be improvement-based, where they simply need to get better at the position than they were in 2025.
Of course, there are layers to each need: some positions simply require depth additions, while others require starters, which cost more.
To help us determine team needs, I’ve listed all Vikings players for 2025 and color-coded those who are free agents and those who might be cut. Let’s dive in.
Top Tier: Personnel and Improvement Needs
Safety
Assuming Harrison Smith retires, the Vikings are losing their second-biggest snap-taker at safety. Josh Metellus is a very good player, but he is at his best when the Vikings have three safeties on the field, as it frees him up to play a more versatile role.
With Theo Jackson disappointing after being asked to assume a larger role, and eventually losing his job, the Vikings don’t have anyone besides Metellus that I feel good about at safety.
Jay Ward did get run toward the end of the season, playing 128 snaps over the final three games, but I thought his best work was when he played outside CB and was asked to tackle in the flat — not exactly a glowing endorsement for his ability within this role.
If they want to maximize Metellus, the Vikings might need to add two playable safeties to the roster. At a minimum, they should add one, which could be Smith returning for yet another season. While it wouldn’t shock me if the Vikings did little at the position — Brian Flores has been incredible at cobbling together an elite pass defense with limited pieces in the secondary — it would be a lot more reassuring if they bolstered their safety room this offseason.
In free agency, the safety market is pretty robust. There are 18 players who played 50% or more of their teams’ snaps. I don’t love all of them, but teams like the Vikings should be able to find starting-caliber talent.
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