Vikings Mock v4.08

We are 18 days away from the draft! Are the Vikings done in free agency? I think they can add more players still. I see corner and defensive tackle being positions where they may add a veteran especially corner.

Right now spotrac has the Vikings with 20.4 mil in cap space but it does not include King. His cap hit wont move the remaining amount too much because he would displace someone at the bottom of the roster (only the top 51 salaries count towards the cap now). I imagine he will get the veteran minimum of 790K for a player with 6 years of experience (he was drafted in 2013).

Including King they should have about 20 mil in cap space before signing the rookie which will ultimately cost another 2 mil or so. Let’s say 2.5 for rookies when it is all said and done.

That leaves 17.5 mil in cap space.

The real question going forward is when will they do the extensions for Barr, Diggs, Hunter, and Kendricks. They only can franchise tag one of them so they have to be proactive IMO. They cannot wait until after the season and then try to get them all done because you never know if they want to test the market at that point. They would almost be there. They could bet on themselves this year and wait it out but getting that security has to be important too.

Barr is already publicly stating that he wants to do an extension now.https://www.twincities.com/2018/01/30/lb-anthony-barr-wants-to-sign-long-term-contract-extension-with-vikings/

I think the timing is going to be key. If they give them all an extension this year then the offers could include a sizable signing bonus which spreads out over the years of the contract offer (up to 5 years) and that would include this year. Here is a good article on managing the cap from someone who actually held the job.

I think you need to do Barr as soon as possible. The question is how much is a fair offer? Spotrac thinks his value is 7.7 mil per year.

I cannot see his agent even willing to listen to that offer. He will probably laugh. Barr is already guaranteed 12 mil this year so that factors into the equation. The guarantee has to be beyond that amount. Otherwise they can just wait and see what the market has to offer next year. The franchise tag number for linebackers this year is 14.961 mil. In 2017 it was 14.55 mil. Next year it will be 15 mil to 15.3 mil or so. The Vikings will need to guarantee at least 26 mil.

Jamie Collins got a 4 yr 50 mil deal with 26.4 guar.

Telvin Smith got a 4 yr 45 mil deal with 20.051 mil guar.

Vontaze Burfict got a 3 yr 32.5 mil deal with 11.236 mil guar.

Anthony Hitchens got a 5 yr 45 mil deal with 25.09 mil guar.

Nigel Bradham got a 5 yr 40 mil deal with 14 mil guar.

So what to do? What to do?

Looking to 2019 the Vikings have 135.3 mil allocated for 39 players already. The cap next year might be 188 mil if it goes up another 10 to 11. That leaves about 53 mil to fit in the extensions for Barr, Diggs, Hunter, Kendricks, and Waynes likely 5th year amount of about 10 mil. And it does not include re-signing Richardson or giving Thielen a bump.

It is going to be very tricky to take the 17.5 mil this year and 50 mil next year and get extensions done. But we will try.

I would offer Barr a 5 yr 55 mil extension with a 18 mil signing bonus and 32 mil guar. His salaries would be 1.4, 3.4, 9.4, 10.4, & 12.4 mil. His cap hits would be 5.1, 7.1, 13.1, 14.1, & 16.1 mil.

By doing this move the Vikings actually save 7.2 mil in cap space this year since Barr’s current cap hit is 12.3 mil.

This brings the cap space UP to 24.7 mil.

I would offer Diggs a 4 year 52 mil deal with a 10 mil signing bonus and 27 mil guar. His salaries would be 8.905, 8, 13, & 14 mil. His cap hits would be 11.562, 10.6, 15.6, & 16.6 mil.

By doing this move the Vikings only take a 9.6 mil cap hit because his current cap hit is 1.962 mil.

This brings the cap space to 15.1 mil.

Are these extensions enough? May not be for Diggs but it is the same as what Alshon Jeffrey received from the Eagles.

I would wait on Hunter because he is going to be expensive and they may have to franchise tag him. I would extend Kendricks after this season or late in December when he is already paid most of his salary for 2018.

When you add the 2019 cap hits for Barr and Diggs it comes to 17.7 mil. That brings the 2019 allocated cap to 153 mil.

If the 2019 cap is 188 mil the Vikings would have the 35 mil plus the 15.1 mil carried over from 2018 bringing the available cap to about 50 mil. That should be enough to extend Hunter, Kendricks, Waynes, Richardson, and give Thielen a raise.

But I will speculate on more later.

In the draft, all the rage is that the Vikings need to draft a guard very high in the draft and most would say in the first round. Many would be OK with a tackle too. But I think the fact that they have not added any “real” corners leads me to believe corner has to be high on the list.

Heading to the draft the Vikings can go several directions. Obviously, the majority of fans want them to draft offensive linemen early and often. I can see them doing that very easily. But I am not sure the value will be there.

This is my ALL-IN mock ...

https://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/sharedraft.php?d=nhrdti

bigboard: Matt Miller

TRADES

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

SENT: ROUND: 1 PICK: 30, ROUND: 6 PICK: 44,

FUTURE ROUND 1 PICK, FUTURE ROUND 4 PICK

RECEIVED: ROUND: 1 PICK: 9, ROUND: 7 PICK: 22

ARIZONA CARDINALS

SENT: ROUND: 2 PICK: 30, FUTURE ROUND 2 PICK

RECEIVED: ROUND: 2 PICK: 15, ROUND: 5 PICK: 15

LA CHARGERS

SENT: ROUND: 3 PICK: 30, ROUND: 5 PICK: 30

RECEIVED: ROUND: 3 PICK: 20

DALLAS COWBOYS

SENT: ROUND: 5 PICK: 15

RECEIVED: ROUND: 5 PICK: 34, ROUND: 6 PICK: 19

9: R1P9 G QUENTON NELSON NOTRE DAME

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

47: R2P15 DL MAURICE HURST MICHIGAN

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

84: R3P20 LB LORENZO CARTER GEORGIA

Perry McIntyre

171: R5P34 WR TRE’QUAN SMITH CENTRAL FLORIDA

193: R6P19 CB HOLTON HILL TEXAS

204: R6P30 S DAMON WEBB OHIO STATE

213: R6P39 C SCOTT QUESSENBERRY UCLA

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

225: R7P7 TE JORDAN AKINS CENTRAL FLORIDA

240: R7P22 RB PHILLIP LINDSAY COLORADO

Getty Images

Adding Nelson, Hurst, and Carter would be a pretty dang good start. Quessenberry is another solid lineman who the Vikings met with at the combine and he provides center experience.

Now this would leave the Vikings with only 5 picks in the 2019 draft. The Vikings would only have two 3rd round picks (assuming they get one 3rd round comp pick), two 6th round picks (assuming they get one 6th round comp pick), and one 7th round pick. Gonna be tough to mock next year if this comes true that is for sure.

https://overthecap.com/compensatory-draft-picks-cancellation-chart/

Is it worth it to trade up for a guard who looks like he could be one of the best in the last 10 years? Maybe moving up for him is worth it? The second move up to get Hurst may have been too much no?

Here is an alternate that you can file under not going to happen because the rankings are unusual ...

https://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/sharedraft.php?d=bhdxoc

bigboard: CBS - Chris Trapasso

TRADES

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

SENT: ROUND: 1 PICK: 30

RECEIVED: ROUND: 2 PICK: 4, ROUND: 4 PICK: 4

BUFFALO BILLS

SENT: ROUND: 2 PICK: 30, FUTURE ROUND 2 PICK

RECEIVED: ROUND: 2 PICK: 21, ROUND: 3 PICK: 32

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

SENT: ROUND: 5 PICK: 30, ROUND: 6 PICK: 44

RECEIVED: ROUND: 4 PICK: 30

DALLAS COWBOYS

SENT: FUTURE ROUND 4 PICK

RECEIVED: ROUND: 5 PICK: 34, ROUND: 6 PICK: 19

36: R2P4 LB LEIGHTON VANDER ESCH BOISE ST.

53: R2P21 C BILLY PRICE OHIO ST.

94: R3P30 EDGE RASHEEM GREEN USC

96: R3P32 CB CARLTON DAVIS AUBURN

104: R4P4 WR CHRISTIAN KIRK TEXAS A&M

130: R4P30 RB RASHAAD PENNY SAN DIEGO ST

171: R5P34 TE HAYDEN HURST S. CAROLINA

193: R6P19 OT BRIAN O’NEILL PITTSBURGH

204: R6P30 DL FOLORUNSO FATUKASI UCONN

213: R6P39 QB LUKE FALK WASH. STATE

225: R7P7 S TERRELL EDMUNDS VA. TECH

UDFA

CB MICHAEL JOSEPH - DUBUQUE

CB DAVONTAE HARRIS - ILLINOIS ST.

WR JAKE WIENEKE - S. DAK. ST.

WR QUADREE HENDERSON - PITTSBURGH

S NATRELL JAMERSON - WISCONSIN

S TROY APKE - PENN ST.

DL BILAL NICHOLS - DELAWARE

DL LOWELL LOTULELEI - UTAH

QB CHASE LITTON - MARSHALL

RB PHILLIP LINDSAY - COLORAD

OG TONY ADAMS - NC STATE

OT COLE MADISON - WASH. STATE

P MICHAEL DICKSON - TEXAS

K DANIEL CARLSON - AUBURN

I like the second one better as usual.