The Minnesota Vikings have had a busy week as they prepare for their preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. The team is jockeying for players and roster moves as it prepares for its final live game action. When roster cuts loom, an NFL team can be a little busy.

The Minnesota Vikings are proving to be one of the busier teams as the preseason winds down.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his staff will face some critical choices over the next ten days. The moves they made this week will be the start, but they won’t be the end. Here are all the moves they made during a busy week for the team.

EAGAN, Minn. -- A steady rain fell upon the Minnesota Vikings during their final practice of 2024 training camp on Thursday. It may have been an appropriately gloomy symbol of outside expectations for the team, considering the tragedy that has befallen the franchise on and off the field this offseason. And yet there were also clear signs for optimism amid the cloudy skies, especially at premium position groups.

Here are some key takeaways as the regular season approaches:

To be fair, the question with Sam Darnold, the journeyman starter replacing Kirk Cousins, has never really been about talent as much as reliability. But there were several times Thursday when the former top-three pick reminded all in attendance that he has what you'd call a definitive NFL arm. A team scrimmage saw him chuck several passes into the grass while facing quick interior pressure, but he also layered a precision strike over the linebacker crew and lofted a perfect downfield corner shot for a touchdown.

To put it simply, there isn't a throw this guy can't make. Which is more than can be said for some placeholders or emergency starters at quarterback. The key will likely be how much support he has in the run game, up front and on defense to offset any risky throws he might attempt as a result of his live arm. The feeling here, for 2024, isn't necessarily that Darnold will make a seismic leap, but that he's got a chance to be a top-20 starter for a competitive group in the most advantageous starting gig he's had.

Justin Jefferson is a machine, and will remain the centerpiece of Kevin O'Connell's passing attack. It doesn't take a visit to practice to forecast that. As for what's behind him, Jordan Addison is a top-tier No. 2, but there are several reasons to anticipate he won't be active or at full speed when the season begins: In addition to an expected suspension for his off-field driving incident, he was seen only engaging in light stretching to the side of regular practice Thursday as he recovers from an ankle injury. In fact, tight end T.J. Hockenson, who's recovering from a torn ACL, appeared more aggressive in rehab, sprinting with resistance bands during portions of practice.

Who will step up if Addison and/or Hockenson are sidelined? Brandon Powell and Jalen Nailor register as the top candidates to serve as the No. 2 or No. 3 options, perhaps in rotation. The former is coming off a career year as a small but tough and shifty slot target, deemed the Vikings' “little bulldog” by Jefferson. The latter has shown chemistry with Darnold on splash plays, looking like one of the team's top deep-ball and red-zone options in summer practice.

The Vikings spent money on the front seven early in free agency, adding veterans like Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman before also using a first-round pick on pass rusher Dallas Turner. The most intriguing piece of Flores' defense may be the back end, however, considering the sheer volume of experienced cornerbacks and safeties vying for first-team reps out of the gate.

In 11-on-11 drills Thursday, Byron Murphy was the steadiest presence in the starting lineup at corner, one year after he made his Vikings debut. Recent Pro Bowl addition Stephon Gilmore, meanwhile, saw a heavy dose of starting reps just days after making his own Minnesota debut at camp. Fellow veteran Shaquill Griffin was also on the field with the ones during nickel packages, while journeyman Fabian Moreau joined the crop of rotating first-teamers. Throw in the safety foursome of Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, Josh Metellus and Theo Jackson, and this unit could have especially deep nickel/dime packages.

The Vikings’ effort to find help at cornerback has seemingly become a round-the-clock endeavor during the 2024 preseason, when they have added five cornerbacks to the roster.

Stephon Gilmore arrived in Minnesota on Sunday night, spending his first full day on Monday as a member of the team he’d visited the previous week. When Gilmore entered the Vikings’ facility, cornerback Shaq Griffin wasted neither time nor subtlety when telling the two-time All-Pro what his impact could be.

”When he first got here, I told him I think he’s the piece we need in this room,” Griffin said. “You talk about depth, you talk about the type of talent we have … adding him to this team, I think is going to do wonderful things for us.”

Gilmore, the fifth cornerback the Vikings have added since the start of training camp to upgrade the position, is also the most experienced, most decorated and highest-paid member of the group. The Vikings gave him a one-year deal reportedly worth $7 million, with incentives that could push its value to $10 million, in hopes Gilmore could help stabilize a position detoured by a menagerie of misfortune.

The last time the Vikings defense ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in points allowed (2019) was also the last time they had a Pro Bowl cornerback (Xavier Rhodes). Since then, they’ve drafted six cornerbacks in the first four rounds of the draft; only Akayleb Evans has a chance to be on their 53-man roster to start the 2024 season. They’ve had only one corner — the 32-year-old Patrick Peterson in 2022 — start all 17 games in a season.

The Vikings’ effort to find help at cornerback has seemingly become a round-the-clock endeavor during the 2024 preseason after a left hamstring injury to Griffin and a season-ending ACL tear for Mekhi Blackmon followed the July 6 death of rookie Khyree Jackson in a car accident.

Coach Kevin O’Connell said Gilmore was one of the players the Vikings targeted in free agency; the cornerback won 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in New England during Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ final year there. During Gilmore’s visit last week, the team put him through a medical exam to verify he was recovered from offseason shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum.

It was unclear as of Monday whether Gilmore would play in the team’s preseason finale in Philadelphia on Saturday, but because Gilmore arrives in Minnesota with a head start on learning Flores’ defense from his time with the Patriots, he could find himself in the lineup quickly.

”I know our coaching staff, [Flores] and myself are very excited to have him added to that group, a guy as decorated as he is coming off a really strong year in Dallas,” O’Connell said. “We’ll only add to the group, as well as hopefully working Shaq back in as we roll through the week. We’ve been able to sustain, even though we’ve had some things at that position, throughout the summer and into training camp. We’ve had some setbacks and some significant losses. We feel good about where that group is looking now.”

It certainly sets up to be the Vikings’ most experienced cornerback group in years, with the 13-year veteran Gilmore lining up across from Griffin (now in his eighth season) and sixth-year man Byron Murphy Jr. in the slot.

“Harry will tell you we’ve got one of the oldest [defensive back] rooms [in the league] now,” Griffin said, referring to 35-year-old safety Harrison Smith. “We’ve got some guys who are 29 and up, and then some guys who are 25 and down. So yeah, we’ve got some older guys in this group. We’ve got a lot of guys who can learn from guys like that; shoot, I’m one of them.”

With Gilmore and Smith going into their 13th seasons, “the type of knowledge they have,” Griffin added, “I think it’s going to help this whole team.”

Gilmore aligns, too, with the Vikings’ stated goal to use more man coverage in 2024. While Flores’ schemes have changed some since they were together in New England, Gilmore said, he recognized many of the main tenets.

“He’s aggressive. Offenses are scared to go against his defenses,” Gilmore said. “He’s always had a good defense no matter what, and I’m just trying to be part of that.”

Adding Gilmore means corners like Evans, who started 15 games in his second season, could be fighting for playing time in 2024. O’Connell said the Vikings’ use of sub packages might offer roles to some of their younger corners, adding, “There’s a ton for guys still to be working toward.”

”I would just say it’s been a competitive situation, and that really doesn’t change,” O’Connell said. “We’re maybe not going to throw Steph right into a rep count, where it’s got to be minute-to-minute competition, but I think guys should feel confident. We’ve seen some really good performances out of that room throughout camp. They’ve been tough to go against every day. … If that stays the same, we now have the depth to allow ourselves to think about who’s going to play what role.”

The Vikings could lean heavily on three corners (Gilmore, Griffin and Murphy) they signed as free agents in the past two years, as part of a secondary that’s continued to evolve.

”Any time I step between those lines, I try to go hard and show people I’ve still got it,” Gilmore said. “Just keep proving it.”

The Minnesota Vikings were linked to veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore for weeks in NFL rumors before he took his free-agent visit. While it took time for the two sides to come to terms on a contract following that trip to Minnesota, the Vikings’ came out on top for his services thanks to some unique advantages.

As the 2024 NFL preseason demonstrated, there are plenty of teams in desperate need of help at cornerback. Gilmore played well last season and brings experience that makes him an excellent mentor for a young secondary. While he drew interest from plenty of teams this summer, Gilmore chose Minnesota for specific reasons.

Dane Mizutani, of the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, shed light on the influencing factors that led Gilmore to sign with the Vikings, when he had strong interest from two other teams that were not specified. While the $10 million contract played a role, Gilmore’s relationship with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and his appreciation for Flo’s creativity as a defensive architect helped sway the decision.

“I think offenses are scared to go against his defenses. He has always had a good defense no matter where has has been, and I’m just trying to be a part of that.”

Gilmore’s free-agent visit to Minnesota also played a role in his decision. The veteran defensive back came away impressed by the ‘functional space’ at the TCO Performance Center and believes it will help him stay healthy throughout the 2024 season.

As for that relationship between Gilmore and the Vikings defensive coordinator, Flores shed light on why he is so fond of the former Defensive Player of the Year who he once coached with the New England Patriots (2017-’18).

“His career speaks for itself: the accolades and all, the talent. But Steph the person is a great human being, a great teammate. He’s going to be great for the young guys in our group: just understanding what it takes to be a professional, his maturity, his toughness and just his global understanding of the game.”

Gilmore is no longer an All-Pro caliber talent, but he did play very well last season as a 33-year-old. Across 17 games with the Dallas Cowboys, per Pro Football Reference, he held opponents to a 55.8 percent completion rate with just 4 touchdowns and 659 receiving yards allowed on over 90 targets thrown his way.

The veteran cornerback provides much-needed stability and leadership for the Vikings secondary. While Flores relied heavily on zone coverage last season, his historical tendency is to rely on man coverage. Gilmore is most comfortable playing man coverage and his presence will allow Flores to be more creative with the front seven.

The signing also makes life easier for everyone else in the Vikings secondary. Byron Murphy Jr. can be used as more of a matchup play depending on the opponents’ receivers and Minnesota can move its unproven cornerbacks into a smaller role. If the secondary holds up, Minnesota could have one of the 10 best defenses in football this season.

With only a few weeks left before opening day, the Minnesota Vikings have added a starting cornerback to the mix. On Sunday the Vikings signed veteran Stephon Gilmore to a reported one-year, $10 million contract with $7 million guaranteed.

Let’s break down what the addition of Gilmore means…

When second-year corner Mekhi Blackmon was lost to an ACL injury on the first day of training camp and saw Shaq Griffin go down immediately after that (with an injury that’s not expected to keep him out long term), the Vikings signed veteran Fabian Moreau. Since then we have seen Moreau mix in with the first team along with Akayleb Evans and Byron Murphy Jr.

Now that Gilmore is in the mix, he will be expected to start along with Murphy Jr. when they are in a two-corner personnel grouping and play the outside with Griffin and Murphy Jr. going into the slot when they are in a nickel package. Evans will likely be relegated to depth. It would seem that Moreau will also fall into that category but that depends on whether the staff liked what they saw from him in camp. They could elect to put standout UDFA Dwight McGlothern on the 53-man roster and cut Moreau.

The Vikings have talked about their desire to play more man coverage this year. If Gilmore is the same player that he was last season, it is more plausible that they will be able to do that. Gilmore ranked 10th in PFF grade among starting corners when playing man coverage. He also played man coverage on 43% of his snaps, per PFF, which is nearly 20% higher than anyone on the Vikings last year.

The football universe has come to understand that running backs hit a wall when they are in their late 20s but the same is somewhat true for cornerbacks. In 2021 PFF studied positional age curves and corners were second to running backs in terms of the least amount of WAR value generated after the age of 30.

Naturally that raises a red flag for any corner over 30 but especially heading into an age-34 season as Gilmore is. Since 2014 there have only been seven cornerbacks age 34 or older who have started at least 12 games in a season.

The actual performance by corners who make it to 34, however, has not been bad. Brent Grimes had a 74.1 PFF grade at age 34. Terence Newman had a 74.4 grade and then posted three more 70+ seasons after that. A 34-year-old Rashean Mathis managed a 78.0 grade. Johnathan Joseph was the only 34-plus player to clear an 80 PFF grade in 2018 (80.4). The only one who severely struggled was Josh Norman with the 49ers in 2021 (48.8 grade).

The point is that if a cornerback still has the ability to play in the NFL at age 34, chances are that he is still pretty good. It’s just rare that anyone ever makes it there. That small sample of history would tend to bode well for Gilmore in Minnesota.

After seeing what the Vikings’ defense did to the Cleveland Browns in joint practices this week, they had to think that adding Gilmore could make them dangerous. The defense has remained healthy during camp outside of the Blackmon injury and seen the edge rushers, linebackers and safeties shine. Improving their weak link gives the defense an opportunity to be a driving force and gives them a chance to face off with the likes of the 49ers, Texans, Packers, Lions etc.

While this year has been painted by some as a “rebuilding” season, the roster doesn’t reflect that type of approach. With players like Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Black Cashman added in the offseason and Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw receiving huge dollars in extensions, the Vikings have too much talent to spend 2024 looking toward next year’s first-round pick. Gilmore’s addition only adds to the idea that the Vikings’ management and ownership is pushing to return to the playoffs.

Of course, their postseason chances rest on Sam Darnold but a top-notch defense could take some pressure off Darnold and keep him from trying to play hero too often.