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Happy Wednesday, everyone!
Well, it’s not a Wednesday that’s completely happy, as the Vikings released a player who has been with the team since being drafted a decade ago, and a man who has done many great things in and beyond the Minneapolis community. Kyle Rudolph is one of the guys who I am proud to cheer for, one of life’s good guys, and I’m thankful that he was a Minnesota Viking. Rudolph worked hard and achieved great success on the football field, and he took the rewards that come with that success, and gave a large amount of both his wealth and his time so that he could serve others. Rudolph donated more than most people realize to the Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, and he, along with good guys of the past such as Chad Greenway and John Sullivan, will always be toward the top of my list of all-time favorite Vikings. Rudolph penned a good-bye to Vikings fans, courtesy of the Player’s Tribune (thanks for the heads-up, Rob).
Rudolph was set to earn $9.45 million in 2021. In the end, Rudolph’s release saved the team a little over $5 million, as they incurred $4.35 million in dead cap in 2021. I don’t think the move was worth it, but those are the poor decisions that Rick is now forced to make after backing himself into a corner with the Cousins signing, and then caulking himself into the corner with the ridiculous extension he signed. You don’t allocate that much of your salary cap to one player, I can’t think of a player in the league who is worth what Cousins will be making over the next two years. Blech.
Poll
Do you think releasing Rudolph was a good move for the team to make?
This poll is closed
-
62%
Yes, they need the cap room
(171 votes) -
17%
Kind of, but the dead cap is a killer (get it?)
(48 votes) -
6%
I don’t know, have they fired Gone fishin’ or Rob yet?
(18 votes) -
8%
Not a fan of the move, too much dead money and too little gain.
(24 votes) -
4%
Horrible move, fire someone. Anyone.
(12 votes)
Around the DN since our last open thread:
Chris announced Rudolph’s release by the Vikings.
Arif brings you Norse Code Podcast Episode 367: Bees Above Replacement.
reidellr4 has their latest with Unbelievable! - Where Does the Vikings Defense Stand?.
Other Vikings/NFL news and random oddities and annoyances:
At Vikings.com, they take a look back at Kyle Rudolph’s ten years with the Vikings, and Ian Rapapport has details on the impact that releasing Rudolph will have on the cap.
When asked about Allen Robinson, Bears GM Ryan Pace said that ‘they want to keep their good players’, per NFL.com. I notice he made no mention of keeping Trubisky.
From FoxSports, Dak Prescott is said to be looking for a contract ‘right behind Patrick Mahomes’. Gee, I wonder why their contract talks haven’t gone anywhere. He crazy.
We come to today’s media selection:
Here’s a highlight reel that has every touchdown that Kyle Rudolph scored with the Vikings. Enjoy!
Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:
-No discussion of politics or religion
-No feeding of the trolls
-Take the gender hatred elsewhere, it won’t be tolerated
-Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
-If discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
-No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
-If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away
-While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm.
With that, the beer light is on and the bar is open. Belly up & tie one on, don’t forget to tip the cows and settle in, this part of the season gets long and boring.