3 Vikings who won’t be back next year and best options to replace them
By Mark Powell
Vikings rumors: Is this it for Patrick Peterson?
Patrick Peterson’s market value is expected to increase from his current $4 million contract. At that rate, he was a solid buy for a Minnesota team that needed experience on the back end. Unfortunately for the Vikings, it’s questionable whether Peterson is really worth the projected $3 million increase in his contract for next season. At that price, the Vikings could probably do better.
Minnesota has plenty of hole on defense, including the secondary. If Adofo-Mensah is smart, he’ll invest some of Peterson’s money into replacing him, as well as depth at the position. Minnesota’s pass defense was exposed all year long. Even with Peterson in place, it simply wasn’t good enough.
With that in mind, acquiring a replacement like Cam Sutton of the Pittsburgh Steelers would be perfect for a Vikings team which preaches flexibility in its secondary. Sutton has experience on the outside and as a slot corner. He’s vastly outplayed his contract, which makes him a good candidate to leave Pittsburgh for a more lucrative deal this offseason.
Sutton in purple makes a lot of sense, especially on a multiyear deal, as Spotrac projects.