Vikings' free-agency risks pay off early, but bigger test awaits in Week 2

Jeff Diamond

Vikings' free-agency risks pay off early, but bigger test awaits in Week 2 image

One of the most dangerous strategies an NFL general manager can employ is to enter the high-stakes world of signing premier free agents. It can be a quick ticket to either greater success or the firing line.

While one week does not represent a season, the Vikings and GM Rick Spielman are the early winners in the 2018 free agent sweepstakes, courtesy of strong performances by quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson in the opener.

Cousins was perhaps the most high-profile free agent on the market when Minnesota stepped up and signed him to a groundbreaking, fully guaranteed $84 million contract over three years. Richardson gambled on himself by signing a one-year, $8 million deal with some potentially lucrative incentives.

The Vikings generally prefer to avoid such splashy signings and instead spend big on their home-grown players, so Spielman clearly has pronounced the Vikings as all-in on their Super Bowl quest. The Cousins and Richardson additions this year came with expensive extensions for receiver Stefon Diggs, defensive end Danielle Hunter and linebacker Eric Kendricks.

This team is loaded with talented, highly paid players, which puts the pressure on coach Mike Zimmer and his staff to take the Vikings one step further than last season when they fell to the Eagles in the NFC title game.

With the 24-16 win over the 49ers and their now-human QB Jimmy Garoppolo, it's so far, so good for Minnesota.

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The expectations are enormous for Cousins after Case Keenum went 12-3 as the starting QB last season and then was booted out the door. But the former Redskin delivered a solid first performance with two perfect touchdown passes — one to Diggs and one to tight end Kyle Rudolph — and no turnovers while facing a lot of pressure from a talented 49ers defensive line.

Cousins completed 20 of 36 passes for 244 yards and the two TDs, and he earned high praise from his teammates for his 26 yards rushing, including a head-first dive into a couple defenders just short of a first down as the Vikings were running out the clock. Said All-Pro safety Harrison Smith: "I loved it. I don't know if our front office and coaches loved it, but I loved it."

Added Rudolph: "A lot of guys wouldn't have done that. Kirk is the biggest competitor I've ever been around.”

Cousins' leadership has been impressive early in his Vikings tenure. But it wasn't all perfect for him against the Niners, as his last eight passes fell incomplete. He does have his challenges working in a new offense while his offensive line has been in flux with injuries.

Richardson has had his ups and downs on and off the field. His career has taken him from first-round pick and Defensive Rookie of the Year with the Jets in 2013 to the Seahawks in a trade last season. In free agency this year, he found lukewarm interest before he opted for the one-year "prove it" deal.

Richardson was a disruptive force against San Francisco with six tackles, a half-sack and three hurries. With the Vikings needing to stop the 49ers' final drive, he contributed to the biggest defensive play of the game when he put the heat on Garoppolo and forced an errant throw that was intercepted by Smith to seal the game.

Richardson provided a consistently strong inside pass rush to complement Minnesota's excellent outside rushers in Hunter and Pro Bowler Everson Griffen. With DT Linval Joseph also in that mix, it reminds me of a group I saw early in my Vikings career: the Purple People Eaters, led by Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller, plus team captain Jim Marshall.

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During the preseason, Zimmer did not see the best of Richardson, the only new starter on a defense that was league's top unit last year. (That isn't unusual for veteran players.) But the coach made clear what he expects going forward.

"Now it's on tape and I know what he's going to look like and what he's supposed to look like," Zimmer said. "But he played very, very well. He made a lot of tackles. He played real hard, pushed the pocket. We need him to continue to play like that."

That high level of play or higher will be needed Sunday when the Vikings face a major test against the Packers at Lambeau Field … assuming Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers has recovered enough from the knee injury he suffered against the Bears.

The Vikings had some secondary breakdowns against the 49ers' creative, misdirection-filled offense. Packers coach Mike McCarthy surely took notes on the secondary issues after starting corner Trae Waynes left the game with a knee injury. (He's expected back this week.)

If Rodgers plays, McCarthy knows he'll have a highly motivated QB who wants to play against Anthony Barr, the Pro Bowl linebacker who derailed Green Bay's 2017 season in October with a hit that broke Rodgers’ collarbone. Rodgers and Barr exchanged unpleasantries after that injury.

If Rodgers gets the Packers’ offense rolling, it will fall on Cousins to put up enough points to win an important, early season divisional matchup between two presumed Super Bowl contenders.

The good news for Minnesota: Cousins has the best supporting cast of his seven-year career. The receiver duo of Adam Thielen and Diggs, plus tight end Kyle Rudolph, will test a Green Bay secondary that’s mostly young. On the ground, Dalvin Cook is one of the best all-purpose backs in the NFL, and Latavius Murray is a good No. 2. The Vikings would love to have that running game control the clock and keep Rodgers off the field, but they’ll need a more consistent performance from their offensive line.

All that shapes up to what will be one of the top matchups of Week 2. For the Vikings, the free-agency duo of Cousins and Richardson will seek to make an even bigger statement than they did in the debut.

Jeff Diamond is a former president of the Titans and former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He makes speaking appearances to corporate/civic groups and college classes on Negotiation and Sports Business/Sports Management. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.

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Jeff Diamond

Jeff Diamond Photo

Jeff Diamond is former president of the Titans, and former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He is former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL