Boost to Vikings Secondary on the Horizon
On Wednesday, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah held a press conference to discuss free agency. He provided a hint that a possible boost to the Vikings’ secondary is on the Horizon. KAM addressed several topics, including the Za’Darius Smith signing, Danielle Hunter, Kirk Cousins, and navigating the salary cap.
While he was not making excuses, he noted that the salary cap was a problem. However, he said, “There is no fear of a problem as long as you understand the depth of the problem and how to solve it.” In other words, he has done his homework and knows what moves need to be made to be competitive this year and in the future.
Something for fans to consider when evaluating the moves the Vikings are making under KAM’s leadership: not everything is going to be fixed this year. However, they will do their best to address the biggest holes. Eric Smith tweeted:
“Living in both worlds” is a balancing act. The Vikings clearly want to be competitive this year and like every other year. They will never be a team like the Jets that will trade away everything for parts, hoping to land the number 1 draft pick. This is not and never will be who the Wilfs are as an ownership team.
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Patrick Peterson Wants to Return to Secondary
Vikings fans will have to continue to exercise patience for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to address the secondary. It’s high on the priority list, but these contract negotiations take time. With each signing, KAM needs to find the money elsewhere by restructuring other deals.
However, there is a good chance that Patrick Peterson could be returning. Peterson has been very open about wanting to be part of the Vikings moving forward. Although, KAM continues to let us know that they must respect the salary cap.
That being said, P2 and KAM need to figure out a way to make this happen. Find the money. Signing P2 is not just about adding talent to the secondary. It is about the leadership he brings to the team and his ability to be a player’s coach to the Vikings’ younger cornerbacks.
Bringing in P2 is vital for the development of Cam Dantzler and (hopefully) Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner.
A Danielle Hunter Extension is Still Possible
Some other items that Kwesi touched on were Danielle Hunter’s contract and Anthony Barr. KAM said that the Vikings “feel great with where we are with Danielle.” The Vikings needed to restructure Hunter’s contract to make room to sign Za’Darius Smith.
However, it sounds like there are continuing discussions to come to terms with a long-term deal. This would be great as it would likely help the Vikings lower Hunter’s 2022 cap number even further.
As far as Anthony Barr goes, the team is eating a $9 million dead salary cap this year, which it cannot change now. As Chris Tomasson noted, it’s not going to be easy to work around the salary cap.
While it would be nice to have Barr in the locker room as a leader, it isn’t likely. Salary cap resources are scarce, and signing Barr doesn’t feel like a priority after the Vikings signed Jordan Hicks.
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