The Chicago Bears have a way of winning the offseason. They did so a year ago when they drafted Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick and optimism abounded. The Bears were going to make a run at a playoff spot and potentially join the Detroit Lions in the playoffs.
The reality of the situation was that their offseason victory had nothing to do with what happened during the year. A 4-2 start was the precursor to a 10-game losing streak and a last-place finish in the NFC North.
The Bears have been doing what they do best in the offseason. They are winning once again, first with the hiring of Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as head coach following the disastrous Matt Eberflus regime. In addition to hiring their loquacious new sideline boss, the Bears have attempted to repair their brutal offensive line performance by trading for OG Joe Thuney of the Kansas City Chiefs and OG Jonah Jackson of the Los Angeles Rams.
These are serious moves that will improve the team’s offensive line performance. The Bears are not the only NFC North team that needs help at the guard position. The Minnesota Vikings are in the same boat and they could certainly use a player of Thuney’s ilk. Jackson would also represent an improvement for the Vikings, but Thuney is a star.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah demonstrated he knew what he was doing a year ago when he signed key contributors Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard during free agency to upgrade the team’s defense. Those turned out to be decisive and winning moves for head coach Kevin O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
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Wouldn’t trading for Thuney or Jackson have been a winning move for the Vikings? The Bears sent a fourth-round draft pick to the Chiefs for Thuney and that was not an exorbitant price. The Vikings have just three draft picks at this point, but couldn’t have Adofo-Mensah found an agreeable deal involving a player or future picks? Thuney is not only an excellent offensive lineman, he is also a winning player who could help the team’s leadership accomplish major goals.
Vikings must be ready for start of free agency
Quarterback Sam Darnold seems likely to find a new home during free agency. (Photo by Stephen ... [+] Maturen/Getty Images)Getty Images
Adofo-Mensah certainly has other issues as free agency is set to begin with the legal tampering period March 10 and the actual signing of players two days later.
Concluding the Sam Darnold saga is one of those issues and that apparently is going to be decided by what kind of offer comes Darnold’s way. The Vikings clearly want J.J. McCarthy to be the starting quarterback in 2025 even though Darnold was brilliant last season. If the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders or Tennessee Titans offer Darnold starting quarterback money -- $35-40 million per year – the Vikings will bid Darnold adieu.
However, if the Vikings can bring Darnold back for $20 million (or less), this would be much more acceptable.
Cornerback Byron Murphy is about to hit free agency and he would be an important player for the Vikings to bring back. The 27-year-old Murphy was a Pro Bowl player for Flores last season and he has clearly stepped up and become a consistent performer.
The six-year veteran had a career-high 6 interceptions last year and an eye-catching 14 passes defensed. He deserves a contract that pays him $18-20 million per season and the Vikings need to bring him back.
Many observers believe the Vikings need to upgrade at the RB slot, but they received a strong performance from Aaron Jones. The former Packer was not dominant, but he ran for a career-best 1,138 yards and 4.5 yards per carry. Fumbling was an issue as he put the ball on the ground five times, but he is an effective and instinctive runner as well as a highly skilled pass catcher.
Moving on from Jones could turn out to be a big mistake for a team that has not had a top-level running back since Dalvin Cook ran for 1,557 yards in 2020.
The Vikings missed out on trading for a pair of outstanding guards. They must be ready for the start of free agency.