Today’s Report: Vikings Signed CB for Franchise Tag, Not Sam Darnold

Starting on Tuesday, NFL teams are able to place a franchise tag or transition tag on any of their eligible free agents. It’s the first important date on the NFL offseason calendar, and an especially notable one this year for the Minnesota Vikings.

That’s because, unlike most offseasons, head coach Kevin O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have a huge decision to make over the next few weeks on whether or not to use their franchise and/or transition tags on QB Sam Darnold.

Their 27-year-old 2024 MVP candidate is due to be a free agent and the MN Vikings don’t want to pay him long-term, after drafting JJ McCarthy with the 10th overall pick last April. That’s what brings these tags into play.

If tagged, the Vikings could keep Sam around for one season, but it would cost about $40 million and make building the 2025 roster much more difficult. But really good QBs in their mid-20’s are next to impossible to find, making both tags intriguing options, even if they’re rarely used most of the time.

So, placing either tag on Darnold would allow the Minnesota Vikings time to either (a) negotiate a short-term deal with Sam or (b) negotiate a trade that recoups them some draft capital, for such a high-demand offseason asset. What’s the problem? There is concern that demand for Sam Darnold on the trade market won’t be as high as the Vikings hope.

Minnesota Vikings looking to franchise tag Byron Murphy Jr., not Sam Darnold

That’s why, according to Kevin Seifert (ESPN), the Minnesota Vikings are not expected to use either the franchise tag or transition tag on the former No. 3 overall draft pick out of USC. The longtime NFL insider and current MN Vikings beat writer, reports that Kwesi & Co “seem more likely to let Darnold Sign elsewhere”. If they choose to use their tag, Seifert writes, they’re more likely to use it on pending free agent CB Byron Murphy Jr.

Using the franchise tag on Byron Murphy Jr would be a lot more palatable, from a 2025 financial standpoint. Murphy, who is projected by Spotrac to receive $22 million per season (4 years, $88M) in free agency, would get a projected $20 million this season if he plays on the franchise tag.

Byron Murphy Jr 2024 Stats & PFF Grades: 17 G | 81 TK | 6 INT | 14 PD | 72.8 PFF (72.6 COV)

The Minnesota Vikings have until March 4 to place either tag on Darnold (or any other player). For some context, it’s worth noting that the Vikings have only used their franchise tag three times in franchise history (it was created in 1993).

Safety Anthony Harris was tagged in 2020, Chad Greenway in 2011 and Jim Kleinsasser in 2003. The Vikings have never used their transition tag. NFL free agency officially begins on March 12. The negotiating (AKA: legal tampering) period starts on March 10. Buckle up…