Metellus Aside, the Vikings Have Another Extension Candidate
The Minnesota Vikings have handed out some contract extensions this offseason, headlined by Pro Bowl cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and running back Aaron Jones. Safety Theo Jackson also got a new deal. He’s expected to step into a more relevant role on defense. Another defender, Andrew Van Ginkel, earned an extra year on his contract with a big raise.
The Vikings Have an Under-the-Radar Extension Candidate
Next in line could be Joshua Metellus, someone whose position designation as a safety might be more insulting than fitting. He’s entering the final year of his bargain contract, and he’s in some kind of a hold-in situation. For good reason, he’s the major talker among contract extension candidates.
However, Ivan Pace Jr. should also be on people’s radar. Drafted players from the 2023 class are not eligible for contract extensions until next offseason, but that’s where going undrafted could help: Pace Jr., and all other undrafted players, are eligible for a contract extension after the second season.
Undrafted rookies sign three-year contracts, not the four-year deals of their drafted counterparts. They are technically still under team control once the contract expires as restricted free agents.
The Vikings could sign the extension next offseason, similarly to Jackson in March. Furthermore, they can play the rookie tender game and match external offers. Long story short, there’s no need to hand out a new contract now.
But that’s where the Vikings might be better off doing it regardless. Pace Jr. has been a starting linebacker through two seasons, and he has been solid. His coverage skills leave some room to grow, but he is a great enforcer at the line of scrimmage as a pass rusher and run defender.
At this point, he is the LB2 behind Blake Cashman, but at age 24, he might make another step in his third year and could raise his asking price. If the Vikings consider Pace Jr. as a long-time contributor on their defense, why not just give him the extension now?
The Cincinnati product had a fantastic final college season, earning All-American honors following a campaign with 10 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, and 137 combined tackles. Size concerns led the entire league to ignore the dynamic tackler.
The hype train took off immediately after he signed with the Vikings in Brian Flores’ new defense. A blitzing linebacker paired with the most blitz-heavy defensive play-caller in the game seemed like a match made in heaven, and it sure was.
Pace Jr. immediately snatched a starting job and played in all 17 games in his debut season. He recorded 2.5 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, and 102 tackles. Last year, the young defender missed six games, but still accumulated 3 sacks, 72 tackles, and 7 tackles for loss.
Last year’s PFF grade pretty much uncovers his problem. Pace Jr. ranked in the top ten in each pass-rush and run-stop grade, but was dead last among 78 linebackers in coverage grade. Combined, he is listed 47th of 84 linebackers.
The bottom line is that the Vikings have all the leverage now because he is under team control for years to come, which is why this is the time to sneak in a bargain contract. The Vikings could negotiate a relatively low salary while Pace Jr. would surely appreciate the long-term guarantees, especially because his salary is ridiculous for NFL standards at only $905,000 per season.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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