Harrison Smith Wins Day 1 of Vikings Free Agency
The first day of 2023 NFL free agency was home to one of the most legendary tweets in Vikings history.
That’s right. In addition to the Vikings signing EDGE rusher Marcus Davenport from the New Orleans Saints and tight end Josh Oliver from the Baltimore Ravens, veteran safety Harrison Smith, with a little help from the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson, stole the show late Monday night.
Harrison Smith Wins Day 1 of Vikings Free Agency
Smith, 34, is under contract with the Vikings but has reportedly been targeted for a restructure or paycut amid the last week. Vikings fans are on “Hitman Watch” regarding his decision. He may stay with the team that drafted him in 2012 or waltz to a different contending team.
But reasonable hints seem to point toward Year 12 for Smith in purple, and no better evidence exists than a tweet from the aforementioned Tomasson. The Vikings reporter tweeted Monday, “When I recently texted Vikings safety Harrison Smith to ask about his contract situation, he simply sent back this photo of Prince. Since Prince is a Minnesota icon, I asked if that means he’s sticking around. But I didn’t hear back.”
And here’s the tweet in the flesh:
Minnesota icon, Prince, meets Minnesota icon, Smith, in the tweet while suggesting the Vikings safety will be back in 2023 to patrol Brian Flores’ new defense. Everything about the Tomasson tweet is glorious, from the photo, Tomasson’s investigative skills, the Smith-related 2023 implication, to the final sentence.
VikingsWire’s Judd Zulgad tweeted last Friday, “A new Scoop with Darren Wolfson to be posted today on SKOR North — Lead Vikings note was that as of noon it appeared to be trending toward Harrison Smith being released. As Doogie said, it’s very fluid and there have been ongoing talks, but the Vikings brass isn’t playing around.”
That was the first real hint Smith could depart the Vikings. Most believe Smith could wreak havoc inside a Flores blitz-happy defense, perhaps confirming his job security for 2023. Still, his pricetag and cap hit of $19.1 million is evidently too high for the Vikings front office’s liking.
One source told VikingsTerritory Friday the trade pay reduction request was around $8 million, a non-starter for Smith — for obvious reasons. Cutting Smith before June 1st would incur an $11.7 million dead cap against the Vikings books, with $7.3 million cap savings. After June 1st, the numbers change. The dead cap would be $3.9 million, with $15.2 million in cap savings.
Smith was the NFL’s 37th-best safety in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus, but the Vikings defense often bumbled without him. And with Lewis Cine injured for the season early in October, Minnesota would’ve been down to nubbins without Smith on the depth chart.
If a Smith release does emerge– which seems unlikely after the Prince tweet — signing a safety in free agency or drafting one in the NFL draft may increase with urgency. Life without Smith would demand a healthy and prosperous Cine this September, which leaves a lot to chance. Smith’s 2022 running mate at safety, Camryn Bynum, played decently in his second year as a pro but wasn’t considered a standout performer.
The Tomasson post, on the whole, implies Smith will be back this September. But even if he is not, the tweet is still quite memorable.
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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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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