Robison and Murray Cap Casualties?

Well, the Vikings’ days of having a comfortable salary cap cushion have come to an end. Or at least they will as soon as a certain QB deal is signed.

That leaves the Vikings needing to make some choices to bolster their roster, and trim it, as best they can to succeed and stay under the salary cap limits.

Chris Tomasson is reporting that DE Brian Robison and RB Latavius Murray could be approached about taking pay-cuts, or being released outright. Releasing Murray would free up about $5 million in salary cap, while creating about $1.2 million in dead money. Releasing Robison would free up about $3.5 million in salary cap, with no dead cap hit.

So, if the Vikings chose to part ways with both players, they could free up $8.5 million in salary cap space. Murray was only signed last year, while Robison is an 11-year veteran the Vikings picked in the 4th round back in 2007. He is the oldest original Vikings draft pick still on the roster, but was displaced on the depth chart by Danielle Hunter last year, which also involved his taking a pay-cut and restructuring his contract.

Given other needs, upcoming extensions of core players, and availability of replacements at those positions, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were both released.

We’ll see what happens as free agency officially opens tomorrow, and deals begin in earnest.