Many NFL teams use free agency to get themselves over the top – making the gigantic, splashy signings that bring in elite talent, but often times alienate those who have worked for the organization for years without the benefit of a mid-eight-figure contracts in their hip pocket.

There are a small collection of teams that have been able to build their organizations through strong drafting and development. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the poster children for this model, followed not too far behind by Green Bay and Baltimore. Occasionally, they will dip their toe in the free agent water, but almost never do they skew the internal balance on contracts with players they drafted and developed.

The Steelers, Packers and Ravens have all given out big contracts, but typically they have been earned by players who proved themselves worthy by their high level of play for the organization that drafted them.

The Minnesota Vikings have officially joined that small list of teams that have found a way to build themselves from the inside and not depend on outside talent too much to get them over the top with the financial investment that big-name free agents require.

The only Viking remaining from the 2010 draft is Everson Griffen, a fourth-round pick who has panned out to be three-time Pro Bowler.

Fellow Pro Bowler Kyle Rudolph is the only remaining player from the 2011 draft, but sixth-round guard Brandon Fusco was a starter for the team for several years before being released by the Vikings following the 2016 season.

When General Manager Rick Spielman took over the full-time role as the final voice in the Vikings war room, the players they drafted became more numerous – as well as the number of players who became starters or key reserves.

The Vikings have two players remaining from the 2012 draft – safety Harrison Smith and wide receiver Jarius Wright – but had several players that made a roster impact, including tackle Matt Kalil, cornerback Josh Robinson, safety Robert Blanton, kicker Blair Walsh and linebacker Audie Cole – all of whom were signed by other teams after they left the Vikings, proof of their value.

In 2013, the Vikings used three picks in the first round on defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, cornerback Xavier Rhodes and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, sacrificing Day 2 of the draft. But, on the third day, they still added linebacker Gerald Hodges, punter Jeff Locke and linebacker Michael Mauti – all of whom were still in the league last year after their time in Minnesota. The Vikings traded Hodges for offensive lineman Nick Easton, who became a full-time starter last season.

When Spielman was paired with head coach Mike Zimmer, the process sped up and the results have been more impressive. With the exception of the 2016 draft class, the Vikings have built the foundation of a team that has won two of the last three NFC North titles and 32 regular-season wins over the last three seasons on the backs of those players.

In 2014, the Vikings added Anthony Barr and Teddy Bridgewater in the first round, Jerick McKinnon in the third round and Shamar Stephen in the seventh round, all whom have been full- or part-time starters.

In 2015, the Vikings added Trae Waynes (1st round), Eric Kendricks (2nd round), Danielle Hunter (3rd round) and Stefon Diggs (5th round), all of whom have ascended to the starting lineup and have become fixtures.

The lone misstep (so far) has been the 2016 draft. The Vikings haven’t found a full-time starter or star player in Laquon Treadwell, Mackensie Alexander, Kentrell Brothers, David Morgan, Stephen Weatherly or Jayron Kearse, but all of them remain on the roster. Their biggest issue is keeping their roster spots in 2018.

Despite not having a first-round pick in 2017 because of the 11th-hour trade necessitated by the injury to Bridgewater that brought Sam Bradford to Minnesota, the Vikings again found starting gold in the draft, including second-round running back Dalvin Cook, who was on a record-setting rookie pace before being injured midway through the fourth game of the season, starting center Pat Elflein and starting linebacker Ben Gedeon.

With the opening of free agency coming in less than four weeks, there is going to be a lot of speculation as to how the Vikings will potentially spend some of the estimated $60 million they will have available to them in the free-agent market. But the reality may well be that the Vikings’ best investment will be in people who have already wore the purple and gold and the majority of the new faces that will help comprise the 2018 roster will become Vikings the final weekend of April, when the annual draft takes place.

Like the Steelers, Packers and Ravens, it’s become their modus operandi (with a few exceptions) – build through the draft and pay the big money to those who have lived up to that investment. Only three starters in 2017 – Linval Joseph, Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers – were the result of big free-agent contracts, with those being the only three of their top-10 paid players for 2018.