Minnesota Vikings Announce Roster Moves to Save Nearly $20 Million in Salary Cap Space
This spring, the Minnesota Vikings will have to be very careful with their money as they look to add new talent to the roster.
After the NFL set this year’s salary cap at $301.2 million, the Vikings are sitting at a touch over $45.5 million in the red, according to Over the Cap. That is the second-worst salary cap situation in the NFL this spring ahead of only the Dallas Cowboys, who are $56.1 million over the cap.
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However, on Sunday, March 1, the Vikings are preparing to make their first moves to change their salary cap fortunes. They announced to roster moves that will occur on the first day of the league year that will save them nearly $20 million against the cap.
Minnesota Vikings to Release Aaron Jones, Javon Hargrave
According to the latest reports from national pundits, the Vikings have informed both Aaron Jones and Javon Hargrave that they will be released on the first day of the league year (March 11) if they are not traded beforehand.
“Sources: Vikings have informed running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave that, barring a trade, they will be released at the start of the league year this month,” Adam Schefter of ESPN wrote in a post on X Sunday morning.
The Hargrave release in particular would have a pretty big impact on Minnesota’s cap space, slicing it by nearly 25% in one single swoop by saving the Vikings roughly $10.9 million. Meanwhile, the release of Jones will save the Vikings around $7.75 million.
In total, the two moves would give the Vikings about $18.65 million, trimming their salary cap deficit to right around $26.8 million. That would still give them, at least currently, the second-worst salary cap situation in the league, but it is a lost closer to bringing them above water heading into the new league year.
Additionally, if the Vikings are somehow able to find a trade suitor for either of them, that could bring their savings even higher. A Hargrave trade, maybe the more likely of the two given he can still help a defense provide a pass rushing presence at the defensive tackle position, could save just under $15 million against the cap.
Meanwhile, a Jones trade, less likely since he is a 31-year-old running back coming off an injury-riddled season for the second time in three years, could save the Vikings $9.75 million if a team talked themselves into taking on his contract.
If both trades somehow went through, the Vikings could save upwards of $24.7 million against the salary cap, bringing them to nearly 50% of the way to even.
Ultimately, the moves won’t bring Minnesota all the way back from the depths of salary cap hell, but the Vikings have begun their upward climb. We’ll see what other moves happen in the coming days.
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