Nobody understands the magnitude of this offseason for the Vikings more than general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

His future with the organization depends on it.

If Adofo-Mensah knocks it out of the park, he will be around for the foreseeable future. If he swings and misses, he could be out sooner rather than later.

“It’s of the utmost importance,” he said. “I can’t really run from that.”

There are a lot of moving parts, starting with trying to sign franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins, followed by figuring out who to select with the No. 11 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. There’s also the contract extension for star receiver Justin Jefferson that needs to get done.

All the while the Vikings have dozens of pending free agents. Here’s a look at the most important players the Vikings stand to lose:

Kirk Cousins

This is the big fish. Everything hinges on what the Vikings decide to do with Cousins.

His contract will void in a couple of months, and if it does, he will become a free agent, and the Vikings will be on the hook for $28.5 million in dead cap.

The only way to decrease that number would be to reach a new agreement with Cousins. That would allow the Vikings to spread out part of that $28.5 million in dead cap, creating financial flexibility in the short term at the expense of financial flexibility in the long term.

Whether the Vikings chose to bring him back or let him walk, they have to make a decision Cousins before they do anything else.

Danielle Hunter

After posting a career-high 16 1/2 sacks in 2023, pass rusher Danielle Hunter is looking to get paid. His price tag will likely top out with an average annual value higher than $25 million.

This is where it becomes a math problem for the Vikings. As much as they would like Hunter to stick around, they might not be able to afford him

It will up to longtime cap guru Rob Brzezinski to manipulate the books in a way that allows the Vikings to retain Hunter’s services. That’s going to be easier said than done.

Marcus Davenport

The impact of pass rusher Marcus Davenport has been minimal largely due to injuries. He was placed on injured reserve a few months ago with an ankle injury and never heard from again.

It’s a foregone conclusion that the Vikings are going to let Davenport test the market in the next couple of months. Though some other teams might have interest in him, the Vikings will probably keep their distance this time around.

Jordan Hicks

There is still a place for veteran linebacker Jordan Hicks on the field if he’s willing to make the money work. He recently played for $3.25 million, and while he was still very productive, he might have to take a little less than that to stay with the Vikings given their constraints.

Would that be something Hicks is willing to do? Would he be able to get more money elsewhere? Those questions will get answered in the next couple of months.

Dalton Risner

After signing for $2.625 million, left guard Dalton Risner did not allow a single sack in pass protection in 2023. That type of production up front could help the Vikings moving forward.

It’s going to come down to how much Risner wants to get paid. If he’s looking for a significant pay raise, the Vikings might not be able to do that. They have too many holes on the roster to commit much more than that.

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