Stephon Gilmore’s addition means Vikings aren’t giving up on 2024 season

What does the Vikings’ signing of star cornerback Stephon Gilmore mean for the franchise?

— Despite low expectations for the 2024 season outside of the team headquarters, the Vikings aren’t interested in tanking, or soft-tanking, the season.

“Tanking” is losing intentionally to improve draft position, and perhaps even land the top pick in the draft. It’s a difficult, painful and sometimes misguided approach in football, when the first pick in the draft could wind up underachieving or being injured, but it has occasionally worked, giving a team its franchise quarterback.

The Vikings were never going to do that.

“Soft-tanking” is privately acknowledging that your team can’t make the playoffs, and so might as well reserve assets, whether draft picks or money, for the future.

The signing of Gilmore indicates that the Vikings aren’t interested in that approach, either. They are spending up to $10 million on a one-year contract, meaning that even if Gilmore plays as well as expected, he isn’t guaranteed to be around in 2025, when the Vikings should have J.J. McCarthy at quarterback and a lot of money to spend.

Credit the Vikings brain trust for not giving up on the season because history tells us that surprising teams make the playoffs every year.

— Roster health could be the key to competitiveness in 2024.

Gilmore pulled a Brett Favre-style negotiation, agreeing to terms after the Vikings finished training camp and completed their long stay in Cleveland.

The problem with missing training camp is that missing actual football snaps can lead to soft-tissue injuries.

If the Vikings have Gilmore healthy and at his best, and can get tight end T.J. Hockenson back early in the season, and can keep their best players and offensive line healthy, they’ll at least have a fighting chance to win some close games, even if their limitations at quarterback mean they aren’t capable of being as explosive offensively as coach Kevin O’Connell would prefer.

— If the Vikings are to contend in 2024, the most important people in the building might be running back Aaron Jones and defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love thrived when Jones was in the Green Bay backfield last year. Jones has the ability to turn simple plays into big gains, in both the running and passing games, and the savvy and cutting ability to make his offensive line look proficient.

If Jones, Ty Chandler, Kene Nwangwu, an offensive line that should be built for running the ball and a strong group of blocking tight ends can dramatically improve the running game, quarterback Sam Darnold’s job will be far easier.

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Flores is without star pass rusher Danielle Hunter, who signed with the Houston Texans, but now has an intriguing array of versatile talent at his disposal.

Gilmore allows Byron Murphy Jr. to avoid facing the top wideout on the other team and to play inside, which plays to his strengths. Gilmore’s arrival also means that the Vikings won’t have to depend on their young corners. Gilmore, Murphy, Shaq Griffin and Fabian Moreau are all capable veterans.

Flores has three potentially dynamic pass rushers this year — Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and first-round pick Dallas Turner. Now he has a secondary that has a fighting chance to cover if the rush doesn’t get home.

Instead of relying almost solely on Hunter to create pressure, Flores should be better able to keep offenses off balance with his preferred variety of rushing and coverage schemes.

— The Vikings’ early schedule is daunting.

If you’re looking for justifications for optimism, the first four quarterbacks the Vikings will face are young: the Giants’ Daniel Jones, the 49ers’ Brock Purdy, the Texans’ C.J. Stroud and the Packers’ Love.

Of course, Purdy and Stroud played exceptionally well last year, and Love played exceptionally well late in the season and in the playoffs, but Flores’ defense tends to do well against young and inexperienced quarterbacks.

If the 2024 Vikings are going to be competitive, Flores and his new defenders will have to excel early and often.