After an offseason that saw an impressive amount of turnover, the Vikings are starting to turn their attention to the threats to leave in the next offseason. One such threat is that of starting safety Camryn Bynum who is about to begin the final year of his rookie contract in Minnesota. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Minnesota is working to extend the fourth-year safety. 
A productive player through his first three years as a Golden Bear, Bynum’s final season at Cal was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic limiting the school’s season to only four games. Still, Bynum’s production up to that point warranted a flyer in the fourth round of the draft. After only a year, Bynum established himself as a full-time starter, setting himself up for the position he finds himself in now.
Through three years in the NFL, Bynum’s production has been consistent with his collegiate career, continuing a trend of having at least one interception every year since he graduated from high school. His versatility earned him three starts in 14 appearances as a rookie, and he delivered an interception, three passes defensed, and a sack as a result.
Once a full-time starter, Bynum established himself as a tackler, as well. In 2022 he finished the year with 81 total tackles, two interceptions, six passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries. Last year saw him lead the team with 137 total tackles, record career highs in passes defensed (9) and forced fumbles (3), and reel in another two interceptions and a half sack. His efforts in 2023 saw him grade out as the league’s 21st-best safety in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
This offseason saw Antoine Winfield Jr. set a new mark for safeties in the NFL, earning a deal with an annual average value of $21.03MM, but Bynum is nowhere near as ballyhooed as Winfield or the other top earners at the position like Derwin James ($19.13MM per year) or Minkah Fitzpatrick ($18.4MM). Recent deals for Xavier McKinney ($16.75MM), Kyle Dugger ($14.5MM), Julian Love ($11MM), and Jabrill Peppers ($8MM) set a much more reasonable precedent for what to expect in a new deal for Bynum.
Extensions for the top-end safeties in the game have mostly been for four years, while the 12 safeties outside the top eight highest-paid players at the position all have three-year contracts. Assuming Bynum is held out of that top eight, a three-year deal averaging between $10MM-$12MM doesn’t sound out of the realm of possibility. Should Bynum warrant a bit more value, he could potentially earn as much as $15MM per year on a four-year contract, though the former seems more likely than the latter.
Regardless, Bynum seems like an excellent candidate to avoid playing on a career-year with a potential mid-year extension. The California-product has seamless worked into the starting lineup in Minnesota and has continued to establish a bigger role for himself in each year. The question remains: just how much will the Vikings reward him for those efforts?