Vikings Defender Could Get a Sneaky Raise

The Minnesota Vikings have a long list of impending free agents who can depart from the organization on Monday. That list includes major contributors like Pro Bowlers Sam Darnold and Byron Murphy, as well as starters Cam Bynum and Aaron Jones.

Vikings Defender Could Get a Sneaky Raise

Of course, those guys get most of the attention, especially Darnold’s future is stealing all the headlines after his breakout season with 35 touchdowns.

One player who is also coming off a breakout season isn’t getting any fanfare: outside linebacker Patrick Jones II.

Jones, a 2021 third-round pick, is in the final days of his rookie contract and can choose his next destination. After four years of backup play, the 26-year-old could be in line for a sneaky payday.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweeted on Wednesday, “Another guy who could surprise with a big-money deal next week: Vikings LB Patrick Jones II. Seven sacks last year. Now heads to a market with pass rushers that are deeper into their career or with some other question marks. The 2021 third-rounder could cash in nicely.”

Jones was part of the strange 2021 draft class, the last one Rick Spielman delivered in his tenure as Minnesota’s GM. He selected Christian Darrisaw in the first round and then had four picks in the third round.

Despite having all that capital, he decided against trading up into the second and made four choices in that third round. Unfortunately, three of them were off the team rather quickly: Kellen Mond, Wyatt Davis, and Chazz Surratt.

Only Jones survived his second preseason with the club and ultimately played in 57 regular season games (five starts). In his rookie year, he logged 99 defensive snaps in nine games under Mike Zimmer’s guidance, and he elevated that number to 306 under Ed Donatell in 2022.

With Brian Flores’s arrival, he played 635 defensive snaps in 2023. Marcus Davenport missed almost the entire season, and D.J. Wonnum also suffered a season-ending injury later in the season. The problem? Jones pretty much was just a guy in 2023. One sack in 635 snaps was remarkably underwhelming.

When Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, and Dallas Turner arrived in the 2024 offseason, it was a realistic scenario that he might be the odd man out and end up on the chopping block so the team could keep a guy like Andre Carter or Gabriel Murphy around.

However, he survived the cutdown day and played ahead of first-rounder Turner in the rotation. Early in the year, Jones was red hot, practically collecting a sack weekly. He ultimately finished the season with seven sacks, more than in his previous three campaigns combined.

That will undoubtedly lead to some interest around the league. His strength is the play against the run, and if he can develop into a more consistent threat in the passing game, he might turn out to be a bargain.

The Vikings, meanwhile, are unlikely to be interested in re-signing their former draft pick. Turner will be a beneficiary of his departure because his snap count will rise as the team’s top reserve.

Jones, like all other free agents, can send his representation into negotiations with other teams on Monday, and he is eligible to sign a contract on Wednesday.

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt