Every day we’ll take a look at one of the Minnesota Vikings heading for free agency, what he has meant to the team and a prediction on whether he’ll be back with the club in 2016. You can find the entire series here:
Free agent to be: Justin Trattou
Position: Defensive end
Age: 27
Years in the league: 5
What he made last season: $116,471 (cap number); $116,471 (cash value)
What he did last season: Trattou led the Vikings in sacks in the preseason, but dealt with an ankle injury for much of the season. He was released in the middle of the year, but then re-signed. He managed to intercept two passes -- one in Week 2, the other in Week 14.
His potential market value: He's stuck around in the league as a rotational player for five years thanks to his speed around the edge of the line, but Trattou would be looking at a modest market, especially considering how much time he missed with injuries in 2015.
Will he still fit the Vikings? There's always room for a player who can fit into the defensive line rotation, so he could return next season. It won't take the Vikings much to bring Trattou back, if they decided they wanted him for another season, but they could continue to target young players for their defensive line group.
What happens: After 2 1/2 years with the Vikings, the guess here is Trattou moves on as the team looks to add another young lineman somewhere along the way. But if the Vikings wanted to bring him back, they'd likely have the opportunity to do so.
