Will Vikings Use Their Remaining Cap Space?
The Minnesota Vikings have not yet signed rookies Andrew Booth (CB) and Ed Ingram (OG) but should have around $9 million remaining in cap space once both men are under contract. And that’s about the 21st-most in the NFL, so it’s not a sizable figure.
But will they use that $9 million this summer?
When Rick Spielman was in charge as general manager, the Vikings didn’t usually roll over cash to the following season. However, with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah now in the saddle, most Vikings operations are unpredictable.
Indeed, Adofo-Mensah could save the money for a rainy day — which is 2023 — or he can spend it this summer in free agency.
A plethora of free agents remain available on the wire, some of the names star-studded like Julio Jones, Odell Beckham, or Landon Collins.
But Minnesota doesn’t necessarily need wide receivers or safeties, and exploration of those three men would merely make the team richer — not the worst idea in the world. Otherwise, the Vikings could focus on needs, which arguably include tight end, center, or EDGE rusher.
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The Vikings employ Irv Smith Jr. at TE1, but after him, the drop-off to TE2 is steep, at least per talent. The other tight ends are Johnny Mundt, Ben Ellefson, Zach Davison, and rookie Nick Muse. Outside of obsessed-Vikings-fan circles, nobody has ever heard of those four men.
If Adofo-Mensah wanted to ensure a plan in the event Smith Jr. was injured again, he could peek at Eric Ebron, Kyle Rudolph, Jimmy Graham, or Blake Jarwin in free agency. All of those men would be attainable for under $9 million.
Minnesota’s new coaching staff is apparently giving center Garrett Bradbury one final whirl, hoping to unlock his “secret” pass-blocking skillet with an offense-first mindset. Through three seasons, Bradbury was groomed by a hodgepodge of Mike Zimmer-appointed offensive coaching staff(s), and all eschewed rearing Bradbury’s pass protection to the optimal form.
Adofo-Mensah could get serious and sign JC Tretter, an upper-echelon pass protector who played center marvelously for multiple years in Cleveland, Adofo-Mensah’s former employer. But some have speculated that Tretter’s health isn’t right, insisting that he doesn’t practice with teams and is only available on gameday. We shall see. If Tretter’s level of performance from any of the past few seasons is available to the Vikings, they’d be fools to pass up a free-agent relationship.
Finally, the Vikings have mammoth names at EDGE rusher slated to start, Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith. That combo should wreak immediate havoc on the league. Yet, both men are coming off injury-riddled seasons, so Minnesota is banking on good health from two men recently beset by poor gridiron health.
Too, Ed Donatell’s new defense has oodles of reservist pass rushers like D.J. Wonnum, Patrick Jones II, Janarius Robinson, Andre Mintze, and Luiji Vilain waiting to earn the rotational pass rusher gig. Those men are hopeful maybes, though, for actual production in 2022. Free-agent pass rushers Adofo-Mensah could pursue include Carl Nassib, Ryan Kerrigan, and Justin Houston.
The Vikings have also been credibly linked to Ndamukong Suh, a defensive tackle, in the last few weeks. He should be available for under $9 million, too.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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