The most notable pending free agent for the Vikings is undoubtedly veteran safety Harrison Smith. His contract is set to expire at the end of this season, and while he’s going to contemplate retirement, if he wants to keep playing, the Vikings would welcome him back with open arms.

Outside of Smith, there aren’t many household names in position to hit the open market.

There’s veteran fullback C.J. Ham, who made it pretty clear that he’s ready to hang up the cleats for good, and veteran long snapper Andrew DePaola, who should be sticking around after saying he thinks he has more left in the tank.

There’s also linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., a restricted free agent, and punter Ryan Wright, an unrestricted free agent. They will more than likely sign to stay if the price is right.

But it won’t be as easy with some Vikings players fresh off breakout campaigns. Here are a few guys the Vikings will at least have to consider wrapping up long term with a pay raise:

Jalen Nailor

Not many Vikings made themselves more money this season than receiver Jalen Nailor; the Vikings will probably need to shell out a pretty penny if they want to convince him to return.

There’s little doubt that Nailor is going to test free agency after putting together an impressive resume this season. That included 29 receptions for 444 yards and four touchdowns while rarely serving as the first read on any particular route concept. After struggling with a host of injuries to start his career, Nailor has turned himself into somebody that could be a reliable option in any offense.

A key part of negotiating for the Vikings will be what they think of receiver Jordan Addison. There’s a chance that Nailor and the surplus value that comes with him could be viewed as a smarter long term contract than an extension for Addison.

Jalen Redmond

The short answer here is, yes, the Vikings will definitely be able to retain defensive tackle Jalen Redmond. He’s an exclusive rights free agent. All the Vikings have to do is extend Redmond a qualifying offer and he’ll be forced to play at that number.

It gets a little more nuanced if the Vikings want to negotiate something into the future.

After discovering Redmond as a diamond in the rough, the Vikings are in position to give him a legitimate contract extension. He was the best player on the defensive line this season despite being paid far less than defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.

That’s reason enough for the Vikings to move some money around to make sure Redmond remains in the trenches.

Eric Wilson

One could make a legitimate argument that the Vikings would have been lost this season without linebacker Eric Wilson. After signing on to be an ace on special teams, Wilson wound up playing more than 90% of the snaps on defense.

The numbers spoke for themselves as Wilson finished with 115 tackles, 6½ sacks, and 17 tackles for a loss while playing in every game. Some of Wilson’s success can be attributed to how defensive coordinator Brian Flores used him, but Wilson also seemed to take the next step independent of scheme, reaching a level he hasn’t yet reached in his career.

If Wilson is willing to take something of a hometown discount to stay with the Vikings, they should sign on the dotted line as fast as they possibly can.

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