Minnesota Vikings Set to Rob Packers of Pro Bowl Starter Next Offseason.

Nothing makes Sundays better than a Green Bay Packers loss, excluding the Minnesota Vikings winning their own games. We occasionally get both as well. And when the Packers are easily defeated by the Vikings, that is pure joy.

Nor are we limited to discussing on-field contests here. This border rivalry never takes a vacation. When a good opportunity arises, the Vikings have a tendency to steal Lambeau Field fans. I can immediately name Brett Favre (minus one club), Ryan Longwell, Darren Sharper, Greg Jennings, Za’Darius Smith, and, most recently, Aaron Jones.

Stealing from a division opponent to strengthen your own team? I’m all for that roster building tactic. There are still several months until the 2024 NFL season, but the interior defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings is a clear roster problem. While Harrison Phillips makes every effort, he is hardly a pile driver who can suddenly blow up the play.

As noted by Alec Lewis of The Athletic in his most recent Vikings mailbag, among the 187 interior defenders who rushed the passer at least 200 times in the previous season, Jonathan Bullard and Phillips came in at 176th and 185th, respectively. Even though I don’t have very sophisticated math skills, I can tell you that’s not good.

Although it’s encouraging to see some development, Incomer Jerry Tillery was ranked 88th. Do they have any other plans? They do have cap space, but there aren’t many desirable options available. Furthermore, it seems that it will be very difficult to find a trading partner.

Therefore, it’s possible that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will have to wait to see a noticeable improvement in the defensive line. Since the future appears rather promising if he succeeds. Even with Justin Jefferson’s record-breaking contract extension, the Vikings’ cap sheet for the upcoming season and beyond is extremely apparent.

There will be room taken up by further extensions for talents like Christian Darrisaw. That being said, it is insignificant. Overall, Minnesota is expected to have an abundance of cap room, allowing them to pursue aggressive free agency if they so want. And we’re quite sure the interior defensive line is one position they’ll want to improve.

Lewis brought up the possibility of obtaining three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark from the Packers as a possible option for the upcoming campaign. After this season, Clark, 28, will become a free agent; but, the Packers may have more important things to attend to, like paying Jordan Love.

When asked which high-profile free players the Vikings should prioritize signing in the upcoming offseason, Lewis had this to say.

Clark’s pay is fixed at $15.5 million for the remainder of the season, and if his play doesn’t suddenly deteriorate, he should be able to collect a comparable amount in the upcoming offseason. He did, however, just finish what may have been one of his best seasons in an eight-year career, with 7.5 sacks, 9 TFL, and 16 QB hits—all personal bests.

Although Clark isn’t quite as good as an interior pass-rusher as someone like Aaron Donald or Dexter Lawrence, he is still quite good, which is why he was selected to three Pro Bowls. Throughout his 123 games played, Clark has started 109 of them. He has also never missed more than three games in a season, demonstrating his durability over an extended period of time.

In addition to hurting the Packers, acquiring Clark would be a major signing for the Vikings since it would address one of the team’s most pressing needs. If not, it’s probably going to mean using a first-round pick to invest in the trenches, which is acceptable but always risky. There’s no doubting Clark.