The Vikings Just Cleared a Whole Bunch of Cap Space
The Minnesota Vikings made some big moves in the offseason. Pass-rusher Danielle Hunter received a raise to end his hold-in, making him one of the highest-paid edge defenders in the league. Tight end T.J. Hockenson signed a massive contract extension, but the organization failed to complete the most important move, to extend Justin Jefferson’s deal.
The Vikings Just Cleared a Whole Bunch of Cap Space
It was the central talking point in Minnesota’s offseason. Would the superstar become the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history, and how much would he get more than anyone else? Is it just over $30 million a season or closer to $40 million?
Regardless of the final number, the deal would’ve been huge, and the front office had to plan accordingly and free up the cap space in future years, but also in 2023, when part of the signing bonus would’ve hit the books.
To ensure that room, the Vikings restructured Brian O’Neill’s contract on Saturday, freeing up some major salary cap space, according to Field Yates, who reported that the Vikes opened $9.99 million. Many statements suggested that both parties were close to agreeing on a contract extension, but they set themselves a deadline to be done before the season kicks off.
Adam Schefter reported on Sunday, the day of the Week 1 contest: “Vikings’ All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson is not expected to sign a contract extension before Sunday’s opener, per sources. Both sides made a strong effort to get a deal done, but the plan now is to revisit after the season.”
But O’Neill’s restructure had already transpired, and the Vikings are now stuck with it. The good news, however, is that it was not a big deal, and many folks expected that to happen throughout the offseason. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah created the cap space by converting some of O’Neill’s base salary into a signing bonus, so the lineman will get paid the same amount, but he will receive it earlier. The almost $10 million will hit the books in the upcoming seasons.
O’Neill played a wonderful game in Week 1, his first game action since suffering a partially torn Achilles tendon in January’s matchup with the Green Bay Packers. He is a staple of the organization and signed a massive five-year extension in 2021.
With Jefferson’s extension falling through, the Vikings have roughly $13 million in cap space. Some of that will be used for the practice squad or the payment of injured players, but that leaves still about $10 million to spend.
Offensive guard Dalton Risner has signaled his interest in joining the Vikings, and Ed Ingram’s recent performance has only increased the fan’s interest in him. He had a visit with the Vikings during training camp and could be an alternative should the struggles continue.
The addition of another cornerback has also been the focus of speculation. Akayleb Evans and Mekhi Blackmon are starting next to Byron Murphy. The duo is inexperienced, which is undoubtedly a cause for concern, especially because the Vikings don’t have a solid depth cornerback besides Andrew Booth, who is also unproven.
Another interesting idea is that the money can be saved for one big move at the trade deadline. Adofo-Mensah has shown his affinity for trades. Just last year, he traded for Hockenson, and a similar move is possible with the available cap space. Some teams ship away players to tank, but the good veterans come with a serious salary cap hit, which is why the Vikings have rarely been able to make those trades. They haven’t had the necessary cap space in years.
The final option, of course, is that they just keep the cap room. That would be added to next year’s salary cap and increase the possibilities in the 2024 offseason, a year in which the Vikings may need to replace Danielle Hunter and Kirk Cousins.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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