You can’t do much better than the Vikings did in free agency last offseason. Everything that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah touched turned to gold.

The masterclass was headlined by veteran quarterback Sam Darnold, who signed a 1-year, $10 million deal, then went on to completely revitalize his career while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record.

Now it appears that Darnold is in position to cash out this offseason.

After trading franchise quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders last week, the Seattle Seahawks have been reported as the most likely landing spot for Darnold. It wouldn’t surprise anybody if an agreement is in place on Monday when the legal tampering period opens up.

Though the Vikings had interest in keeping Darnold around for the right price, they will shift their focus to veteran quarterback Daniel Jones or maybe even future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They also have young quarterback J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo (29) watches the passer as he defends during an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Oct.. 13, 2024, in New Orleans, LA. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)

Some other players the Vikings could potentially lose this week include cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and safety Cam Bynum, among others. With so many areas of need on the roster, they can’t afford to get into a big bidding war for those players.

As the Vikings parse their options on the open market, they will do so with more than $60 million of cap space.

Here are five players the Vikings should target:

Will Fries, guard

Not the sexiest name out there by any means, Fries might be the best interior offensive lineman available.

Though he started his career as a backup, Fries slowly worked his way into a starting role with the Indianapolis Colts. He’s still only 26 years old and took the next step last season, getting off to an impressive start before a fractured tibia landed him on injured reserve.

After missing out on star offensive guard Trey Smith, franchise tagged by the Kansas City Chiefs, the Vikings would still feel pretty good if they could walk out of free agency with Fries under contract.

Indianapolis Colts guard Will Fries (75) lines up on the sideline before an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. Jaguars defeated the Colts 37-34. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Teven Jenkins, guard

Even if the Vikings sign Fries, they would be wise to add somebody like Jenkins to the mix, as well.

The interior of the offensive line was arguably the biggest reason the Vikings struggled in their playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The putrid performance in the trenches was enough for head coach Kevin O’Connell to voice his displeasure in the immediate aftermath, saying, “The interior of the pocket … we’re going to have to take a long look at.”

It doesn’t seem as if the Chicago Bears will be retaining Jenkins, who recently turned 27, after acquiring a pair of interior offensive linemen this week. That should give the Vikings a chance to swoop in and sign Jenkins to fix some of their issues up front.

Javon Hargrave, defensive tackle

There’s some risk associated with Hargrave considering he’s 32 years old and coming off a torn triceps. The flip side is the fact that Hargrave could likely be had without needing to break the bank. This is a bet the Vikings should be willing to make.

Though he’s probably past his prime at this point, Hargrave has proven himself as a pass rusher throughout his career, something the Vikings need from the interior of the line. If the Vikings go this route, they could also look to add a defensive tackle early in the 2025 NFL Draft.

D.J. Reed, cornerback

In the event that Murphy ends up costing too much, the Vikings should do everything in their power to convince Reed, who’s still in his prime at 28 years old.

The most intriguing part about Reed is his prowess in man coverage. That makes him a good fit for the Vikings, even if he might be a little bit smaller than defensive coordinator Brian Flores would like.

The other benefit of signing Reed is that he won’t cost as much as Murphy. That would give the Vikings more money to work with as they attempt to sign other players.

Paulson Adebo, cornerback

After signing edge rusher Jonathan Greenard last offseason, then immediately signing edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel to complement him, the Vikings could look to do the same thing on the back end with somebody like Adebo.

Not only does he have the prototypical size that Flores gravitates to at the position, Adebo also plays with the necessary aggression to produce at a high level. He’s still only 25 years old, so there could be another leap coming from him if he lands in the right situation.

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Aaron Jones said after the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams that he hopes to retire with the Vikings.

Now the 30-year-old running back appears to be in position to do so.

A source confirmed to the Pioneer Press that the Vikings are re-signing Jones to 2-year, $20 million contract, which, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, includes $13 million guaranteed.

It’s a nice reward for Jones, who finished last season with 1,138 rushing yards and 408 receiving yards, proving he still has a lot left in the tank. It’s also an important move for the Vikings considering how much Jones meant to the running game.

Though he figures to play a key role on offense once again next season, Jones probably shouldn’t shoulder the same workload. He set a new a career-high with 306 touches last season, and while he did so without missing a game, he battled through his fair share of injures in the process.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Vikings selected a running back at some point during the 2025 NFL Draft. Whoever the Vikings draft would be able to learn the ropes under Jones while simultaneously preparing to take over for him at some point down the road.

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Organizers of the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, the state’s rainfall monitor volunteer program, are putting out a call for more volunteers to measure rain, hail and snow in their backyards.

The program, called CoCoRaHS for short, is coordinated by the State Climatology Office.

Data gathered by volunteers from around the state is invaluable to state climatologists as they work on drought monitoring, flood management and for verifying high rainfall totals, said Luigi Romolo, the state climatologist.

CoCoRaHS maps daily reports from more than 20,000 people nationwide. About 2,000 Minnesota residents participate, with about 800 to 1,200 regularly contributing data, Romolo said.

Rainfall and snowfall amounts can vary widely over a short distance, so a variety of reports is helpful in the same community or area, according to Romolo.

“We have stations all across the metro, but because of the spatial variability, the more stations we have, the more likely we are to understand how much rainfall we’re actually getting,” he said. “There are also lots of gaps in rural areas. We are trying to fill those gaps. Ideally, each year we would like to recruit at least two or three people from each county, but we could use at least 20 more just in northern Washington county and about 20 to 30 more in Dakota County.”

Volunteers are asked to use a standard 4-inch-diameter plastic rain gauge for official rainfall measurements; they can be found online for about $42, Romolo said.

Volunteers receive training on how to observe weather trends and how to submit their precipitation and weather-event reports; all training material is available online. Participants must have internet access to submit reports, he said.

To sign up or for more information, visit CoCoRaHS.org or contact Luigi Romolo at luigi.romolo@state.mn.us.

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Minnesota rallied from two double-digit deficits to force overtime, but did little right in the extra frame in a 75-67 loss Saturday to Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J.

Rutgers scored 10 of the first 12 points in overtime, hitting 3 of 4 field goals and all four of its free throws, while Minnesota turned the ball over twice and managed only a driving layup by Dawson Garcia to fall behind 71-63 with a minute left.

Luc’Eye Patterson made a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left but it was entirely too late to make much difference as the Gophers finished the season under .500, 15-16 overall, and 7-13 in the Big Ten.

Jordan Derkack sealed it for the Scarlet Knights (15-16, 8-12) with a slam dunk and 3 seconds left on the clock at Jersey Mike’s Arena.

The Gophers lost four of their last five regular season games but advanced to the Big Ten conference tournament on a tiebreaker courtesy of road victories over Southern Cal and Nebraska.

Dawson Garcia scored a team-high 19 points and added eight rebounds, and Frank Mitchell finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Gophers, who will start tournament play on Wednesday in Indianapolis as the No. 12 seed with a 2:30 p.m. tip against Northwestern.

Minnesota didn’t help itself with its details, missing 10 free throws (13 for 23) and committing 15 turnovers, two in the decisive overtime run that Rutgers turned into points.

“I thought some of the turnovers that we had were (because of Rutgers), but I thought some of them were us, just playing loose and playing off balance,” coach Ben Johnson told reporters after the game.

Dylan Harper had six points, a steal and an assist in overtime and scored a game-high 22 points for Rutgers, which also will play in the conference tournament.

The Gophers had a 21-18 lead with 7:41 remaining in the first half, but the Scarlet Knights clamped down and finished the frame with a 20-8 run for an 11-point lead at intermission. Jeremiah Williams’ jump shot to open the second half made it 40-29, but Minnesota began chipping away.

A pair of free throws by Garcia started a 19-6 run that he also ended with a hook shot that gave Minnesota a 49-46 lead with 9:23 left in regulation. Garcia made it 56-55 in favor of Minnesota with 2:48 left, and a layup by Mitchell gave the Gophers a 58-57 lead with 1:19.

After that, they never led again, tying the game 61-61 on a shot by Garcia with 7 seconds left, and Odukale stole the ball from Rutgers with 3 seconds left to ensure overtime.

“We’ve been in a lot of tight games like this. I just told them whoever’s gonna have more juice in overtime is probably going to end up winning — not cave to fouls and the fatigue part of it,” Johnson told reporters.

Six of the Gophers free throw misses came in the second half, one in overtime.

“We’ve been burned a couple of times by that this season, just not being able to always convert on the line,” Johnson said. “And when you leave … 10 points on the board, it’s going to come back and bite you, and today, I thought it got us a little bit.”

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