Vikings mailbag: Will pending free agency reshape undercurrent of Vikings' D-line?

Every week send any Vikings-related questions to @Andrew_Krammer and I'll answer them here on Fridays.

A: Three of those four, not including Robison, are set to hit free agency this spring. I could see all returning except Floyd, who we'll get to later. So really it comes down to two key interior defenders. Johnson isn't blowing up the box scores, but he's improved his play against the run this season and would be an asset on any D-line. Stephen, the former seventh-round pick, has developed into a reliable role player. Given the time invested and Stephen's development, the Vikings may value him more than another team. Robison is likely to stick around after restructuring his contract this spring to add the 2018 season, potentially his last. He's still got it, posting a team-high five QB hits out of the Vikings' 13 on Packers quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Brett Hundley. Out of those three, Johnson would be the one most likely to go since the Vikings have long-term plans established at the other three positions along the defensive line.

A: The Vikings are playing a Ravens team hurting at receiver, where Jeremy Maclin didn't play last week due to an injured shoulder, Breshad Perriman hasn't practiced this week because of a concussion and tight end Benjamin Watson led the way with six catches in their overtime loss to the Bears. Oh, and Watson hasn't practiced this week due to a knee injury. So Mike Wallace could be a primary target for Joe Flacco, who has actually targeted backs and tight ends more often this year. If anybody shadows Wallace, it'll be Xavier Rhodes, who has tracked a receiver in every game so far except the win against the Bears.

A: We'll see if Stefon Diggs practices Friday, or misses his sixth session from the team since straining his groin Oct. 9 in Chicago. Diggs has said the injury isn't as severe as last year's, which took him a couple weeks to heal before returning. But he's missed the bulk of a second week, so the Vikings also may be a little thin at receiver against the Ravens. Michael Floyd has not practiced this week due to an injured hamstring.

A: I haven't seen Floyd around the Vikings facilities this season after he'd worked through his physical rehab alongside the team this summer. His return to the Vikings appears improbable at this point. The former first-round pick suffered a devastating turn when complications from knee surgery caused nerve damage affecting his quad muscle, a source told the Star Tribune this spring. Floyd said during OTAs he was still unable to run, about eight months after the September 2016 surgery that has kept him sidelined. It's a bad break for the talented Floyd, who had already overcome a tough childhood in Philadelphia to make it to the NFL.