One thing that stands out when you look at the Vikings' free agent haul as a whole is just how many players they signed who are coming off of dealing with significant injuries last season. Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Ryan Kelly, and Will Fries — the team's top four FA additions — all missed between 7-14 games in 2024.
Those four are varying degrees of healthy right now, but they're all expected to be ready to go for training camp. At this moment, the one player who might not be in action when camp kicks off is wide receiver Rondale Moore, Kevin O'Connell said on Tuesday at the NFL's annual league meeting.
"The only one that I believe we'll be really looking to see if he has a normal training camp or not is Rondale Moore, as far as I've been told," O'Connell said.
Moore, a former second-round pick with some intriguing upside, tore his ACL last August while in training camp with the Falcons, so he'll be right around the one-year mark when Vikings camp begins in late July. Minnesota seems likely to take a cautious approach with Moore, whose effectiveness is predicated on burst and agility.
After an incredible freshman season at Purdue in 2018, Moore was slowed by injuries during his next two college seasons. The Cardinals still believed in his potential enough to take him 49th overall in the 2021 draft, and the electrifying 5'7" receiver showed off his ability in spurts during three seasons in Arizona (1,450 yards from scrimmage, 4 touchdowns).
Despite Moore missing all of last season after being traded to Atlanta, the Vikings took a low-risk flier on him this offseason. They signed him to a one-year, $2 million deal, which notably comes with just $250,000 in guaranteed money. Moore, who turns 25 this summer, has the explosive athleticism to be a very fun addition to the Vikings' offense if he's able to get his knee right and stay healthy.
O'Connell and the Vikings feel like their medical staff, led by VP of player health and performance Tyler Williams, is a real advantage for them. Last year, two of the marquee free agents they signed were Aaron Jones and Andrew Van Ginkel, both of whom dealt with injuries in the year prior. In 2024, Jones set a new career high in rushing yards and Van Ginkel was a second-team All-Pro. Neither one missed a game.
"More and more every year, it's like 'ah, Tyler and those guys, they got 'em. We're gonna be just fine,'" O'Connell said. "They've just proven, time and time again, (they're) world class down there with what they do."
Allen (pec) and Kelly (knee) were able to return from their injuries last season. In addition to Moore, Fries (tibia) and Hargrave (tricep) are still rehabbing from season-ending injuries. As is always the case with players on the mend, the Vikings have specific, carefully-crafted plans and timelines for each guy.
"Although injuries, as a whole, are very easy to paint with a broad brush of 'they signed a bunch of injured guys,' it's not that simple," O'Connell said. "It's more something where you have to treat each one as its own."
This offseason, the Vikings are once again betting on Williams and their medical staff. And by taking on the inherent risk that comes with signing talented players who have injury histories, they could end up reaping the reward of what happens if they stay healthy.
"We'll see how it goes," O'Connell said. "We've gotta have depth and we've gotta have other guys available to us, but ... I'll tell you what, when you put that group on paper, what it's going to look like up front on both sides of the ball, we feel really good about that."