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Vikings 2022 Offseason Plan 3.0

Play it out

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: AUG 31 Georgia Southern at LSU Photo by Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Time for another plan. This one is the play it out version with very little changes in personnel. It is geared towards running it back and having tons of cap space in 2023.

I do not necessarily agree that the success on any side of the ball will translate from one season to the next but the hope is that it will.

The two previous plans are here and here.

The Vikings are currently 15.4M over the cap (otc keeps making adjustments).

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap/minnesota-vikings/

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2022 $224,323,598 $208,917,819 ($15,405,779)

2023 $143,694,074 $225,000,000 $81,305,926

2024 $89,412,731 $256,000,000 $166,587,269


Restructure 18M of Hunter’s roster bonus

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2022 $210,823,598 $208,917,819 ($1,905,779)

2023 $148,194,074 $225,000,000 $76,805,926

2024 $92,792,731 $256,000,000 $163,207,269

Saves 13.5M in cap space


Give Kendricks a new 4 year 48M deal

15M signing bonus (with one void year)

Salaries of 1.12M, 7.68M, 11.9M, 11.9M

Workout bonus of 100K each year

Cap hits would be 8.25M, 12.71M, 15M, 15M, and 3M (void year)

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2022 $205,543,598 $208,917,819 $3,374,221

2023 $149,474,074 $225,000,000 $75,525,926

2024 $107,792,731 $256,000,000 $148,207,269

Saves 5.28M in cap space


Restructure 6M of Smith’s of 8M roster bonus

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2022 $201,043,598 $208,917,819 $7,874,221

2023 $150,974,074 $225,000,000 $74,025,926

2024 $109,292,731 $256,000,000 $146,707,269

Saves 4.5M in cap space


Restructure 3M of Thielen’s 2022 salary

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2022 $199,043,598 $208,917,819 $9,874,221

2023 $151,974,074 $225,000,000 $73,025,926

2024 $110,292,731 $256,000,000 $145,707,269

Saves 2M in cap space


Restructure 3M of O’Neill’s 2022 salary

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2021 $174,708,771 $186,805,999 $12,097,228

2022 $196,643,598 $208,917,819 $12,274,221

2023 $152,574,074 $225,000,000 $72,425,926

2024 $110,892,731 $256,000,000 $145,107,269

Saves 2.4M in cap space


Restructure 3M of Cook’s 2022 salary

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2021 $174,708,771 $186,805,999 $12,097,228

2022 $194,393,598 $208,917,819 $14,524,221

2023 $153,324,074 $225,000,000 $71,675,926

2024 $111,642,731 $256,000,000 $144,357,269

Saves 2.25M in cap space


Restructure 6M of Pierce’s salary

by adding one void year (with his permission)

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2022 $190,393,598 $208,917,819 $18,524,221

2023 $155,324,074 $225,000,000 $69,675,926

2024 $113,642,731 $256,000,000 $142,357,269

Saves 4M in cap space


Give Peterson a new 3 year 24M deal

8M signing bonus (with one void year)

Salaries of 1.5M, 7M, 7.5M

Cap hits would be 3.5M, 9M, 9.5M, and 2M (void year)

Peterson was rated 60th by PFF so it is a gamble but veteran experience and all that jazz

Deal similar to the one Jackrabbit Jenkins signed last year at age 32 (2 year 15M)

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2022 $193,068,598 $208,917,819 $15,849,221

2023 $164,324,074 $225,000,000 $60,675,926

2024 $123,142,731 $256,000,000 $132,857,269

Costs 2.675M in cap space

(not 3.5M because the player at roster spot #51 making 825K is bumped out)


Give Jordan Berry a 2year 4M deal

1M signing bonus

Salaries of 1.25M and 1.75M

Cap hits would be 1.75M and 2.25M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2022 $193,923,598 $208,917,819 $14,994,221

2023 $166,574,074 $225,000,000 $58,425,926

2024 $123,142,731 $256,000,000 $132,857,269

Deal similar (between) to the ones signed by Sam Martin and Pat O’Donnell last year at age 30

Costs 855K in cap space

(not 1.75M because the player at roster spot #51 making 895K is bumped out)


Greg Joseph will get the minimum because he is an ERFA and this does not affect the cap enough to discus.

If he is not an ERFA then they probably have to offer 2M or so.

I could see the Vikings offering extensions to Conklin, Cole, Vigil, and maybe Woods but I think all four probably will test the market first.

The current money needed to sign the rookies is 4.319M.

https://overthecap.com/draft/

That leaves about 10.6M to use on any other free agents.

Again, they could add more free agents on minimum deals but it is hard to speculate who those players will be.


In this plan, the theory is they leave Cousins’ deal as is and absorb the 45M cap hit. Then, in 2023, they have 58M in cap space according to this plan and a fresh slate. They can try to extend Cousins or look elsewhere. They can create another 8.5M if they move on from Smith, 10.1M if they move on from Thielen, 6.4M if they move on from Cook, and 7.5M if they move on from Pierce. That would be an extra 32.5M and would give the team 80.5M in cap space in 2023. One note about Hunter would be that they would eat another 5.7M in dead money if they do not extend him in 2023. Still, 75M is enough to work with no?


Heading to the draft, you have Bradbury still at center and Davis vs Udoh at guard. Brandel will be the swing tackle.

You have Kyle Hinton and Timon Parris on futures deals.

You have Zach Davidson at tight end who is developing.

There are plenty of developmental defensive ends so taking another mid to late round end is questionable strategy.

You may want to grab a defensive tackle but you have Tomlinson, Pierce, Watts, Lynch, Lyman, plus Jordan Scott & TJ Smith developing.

You may want to get a linebacker to replace Barr but, again, they drafted Surratt and Dye recently. Plus, you have Blake Lynch, Ryan Connelly, and Tuf Borland developing. not exactly heart-warming so linebacker is an area to address.

Cornerback is where the draft could give some more bodies and it does not have to be in the first round. You got Peterson and Dantzler as yore starters. You still have Kris Boyd, Harrsion Hand, and Parry Nickerson (futures).

Safety will need depth behind Smith and Bynum. You have Metellus and Dorn right now.


Onto the mock ...

Trade Partner: Indianapolis Colts

Sent: Round 3 Pick 13

Received: Round 3 Pick 18, Round 5 Pick 16

12: R1 P12 CB Derek Stingley - LSU 6’1” 200

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 04 LSU at UCLA Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

46: R2 P14 G Zion Johnson - Boston College 6’2.75” 314

NCAA Football: Colgate at Boston College Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

82: R3 P18 LB Chad Muma - Wyoming 6’2.375” 241

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: FEB 02 Reese’s Senior Bowl Practice Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

155: R5 P13 CB Tariq Woolen - UTSA 6’3.375” 205

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 19 Stephen F. Austin at UTSA Photo by John Rivera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

158: R5 P16 TE Greg Dulcich - UCLA 6’3.75” 248

UCLA v Washington Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

184: R6 P5 WR Calvin Austin III - Memphis 5’7.375” 173

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 25 UTSA at Memphis Photo by Chris McDill/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

192: R6 P13 DL Matthew Butler - Tennessee 6’4” 299

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 02 Bowling Green at Tennessee Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

208: R6 P29 S Bubba Bolden - Miami 6’3” 204

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 30 Virginia at Miami Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

230: R7 P11 LB Terrel Bernard - Baylor 6’0.5” 220

NCAA Football: Sugar Bowl-Mississippi at Baylor Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

I think it is quite possible for the team to just leave Cousins contract as is and adjust other deals in order to at least sign a couple of their own free agents and then do some bargain basement shopping.

I think that is probably the wisest strategy cap wise unless Cousins allows them to add one void year. That may not be necessary though because with all these restructures you would be doing the same thing basically in terms of dead money in 2023.

Now some may argue that they need to do more so that everything around the QB is good or at least average. The cap may not allow for heavy expenditures though.

I think we have to ride or die with the current offensive line and adding Johnson who practiced center at the Senior Bowl could be great.

I think Bradbury will have his best year next year due to him being older and stronger AND it being a contract year for him.

The defense can hopefully get better with the return of Hunter.

Well, enjoy.


An alternate mock ...

TRADES

Trade Partner: Philadelphia Eagles

Sent: Round 1 Pick 12

Received: Round 1 Pick 15, Round 4 Pick 19

15: R1 P15 CB Ahmad Gardner - Cincinnati

46: R2 P14 WR Jameson Williams - Alabama

77: R3 P13 DL Travis Jones - Connecticut

121: R4 P19 LB Leo Chenal - Wisconsin

155: R5 P13 C Nick Ford - Utah

184: R6 P5 LB Troy Andersen - Montana State

192: R6 P13 CB Mario Goodrich - Clemson

208: R6 P29 S Bubba Bolden - Miami

230: R7 P11 RB Pierre Strong Jr. - South Dakota State