4 big-name free agents for Vikings to avoid like the plague

1. Leonard Floyd, EDGE

There are quite a few Super Bowl contenders who should be salivating over the prospect of inking Leonard Floyd to a lucrative, short-term deal in free agency. The Vikings are a team that could really benefit from signing him as a stop-gap solution but they should be looking for long-term answers instead. As such, allocating a significant amount of cap space to Floyd would be a serious mistake for Minnesota.

Things might be different if Floyd wasn't determined to chase the money on the open market. The veteran has made no secret of his desire to cash in one more time on the open market. He has the right skill set and track record to command a premium contract even at the game of 31.

The Vikings need to spend their resources trying to find players in the right age range to fit on their next team capable of serious Super Bowl contention. They might like to believe they're a player or two away from that sort of status but they need to be more realistic. Signing Floyd to a big deal would be a foolish miscalculation by a front office that needs to be more honest with themselves.

Instead of going for broke on a veteran like Floyd, the Vikings need to spread their resources out on multiple younger options. That should include at least one edge rusher via the draft and perhaps a gamble on a younger free agent like Zack Baun or Josh Uche. Floyd is a big-name free agent who should be allowed to go elsewhere.