Vikings 2023 Offseason Plan v3.0

In the last plan, the goal was to free up as much cap space as possible by unfortunately releasing several high paid players. It can be found here.

The Vikings $24,551,507 over the projected 220M salary cap according to over the cap. They have the team salary cap at $221,014,503 which has some carry over in it which is not worth discussing.

In the last plan I presented, I had some extensions that would include larger cap hit in future years. I did not detail those but I think it is worth including them in this next iteration. Also, releasing the high paid veterans was not met with enough approval so I am going to keep most of them in this one because many fans believe all we need is a new defensive coordinator and everything will be fine. Sounds familiar no?

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Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $245,566,010 $221,014,503 ($24,551,507)

2024 $157,434,143 $256,000,000 $98,565,857

2025 $77,346,128 $282,000,000 $204,653,872

2026 $19,873,892 $308,000,000 $288,126,108

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Restructures

Player - Amount - Cap Savings

Cook - 7.5M - 5M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $240,566,010 $221,014,503 ($19,551,507)

2024 $159,934,143 $256,000,000 $96,065,857

2025 $79,846,128 $282,000,000 $202,153,872

2026 $19,873,892 $308,000,000 $288,126,108

New cap hits: 2023 - 9.1M; 2024 - 18.1M; 2025 - 17M

New dead money: 2024 - 8.1M; 2025 - 2.5M

New cap savings: 2024 - 10M; 2025 - 13.5M

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H. Smith - 9M - 6M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $234,654,245 $221,014,503 ($13,639,742)

2024 $162,934,143 $256,000,000 $93,065,857

2025 $82,846,128 $282,000,000 $199,153,872

2026 $19,873,892 $308,000,000 $288,126,108

New cap hits: 2023 - 13.2M; 2024 - 22.2M; 2025 - 25M

New dead money: 2024 - 13.8M; 2025 - 6.9M

New cap savings: 2024 - 8.3M; 2025 - 18.1M

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Thielen - 7.5M - 5M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $229,654,245 $221,014,503 ($8,639,742)

2024 $165,434,143 $256,000,000 $90,565,857

2025 $85,346,128 $282,000,000 $196,653,872

2026 $19,873,892 $308,000,000 $288,126,108

New cap hits: 2023 - 14.9M; 2024 - 24.1M; 2025 - 4.75M

New dead money: 2024 - 12M; 2025 - 4.75M

New cap savings: 2024 - 12.1M; 2025 - 0

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Z. Smith - 8M - 4M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $225,830,716 $221,014,503 ($4,816,213)

2024 $169,434,143 $256,000,000 $86,565,857

2025 $85,346,128 $282,000,000 $196,653,872

2026 $19,873,892 $308,000,000 $288,126,108

New cap hits: 2023 - 17.17M; 2024 - 25.17M

New dead money: 2024 - 5.17M

New cap savings: 2024 - 20M?

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B. O’Neill - 13.32M - 9.99M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $215,870,128 $221,014,503 $5,144,375

2024 $172,764,143 $256,000,000 $83,235,857

2025 $88,676,128 $282,000,000 $193,323,872

2026 $23,203,892 $308,000,000 $284,796,108

New cap hits: 2023 - 9.7M; 2024 - 23M; 2025 - 26M; 2026 - 23.2M

New dead money: 2024 - 19.7M; 2025 - 11.7M; 2026 - 3.7M

New cap savings: 2024 - 3.3M; 2025 - 14.3M; 2026 - 19.5M

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Kendricks - 7.5M - 5M (by adding two void years)

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $210,870,128 $221,014,503 $10,144,375

2024 $175,264,143 $256,000,000 $80,735,857

2025 $91,176,128 $282,000,000 $190,823,872

2026 $23,203,892 $308,000,000 $284,796,108

New cap hits: 2023 - 6.43M; 2024 - 2.5M; 2025 - 2.5M

New dead money: 2024 - 5M

New cap savings: 2024 - 0

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Cuts

Player - Cap Savings

Hicks - 5M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $205,870,128 $221,014,503 $15,144,375

2024 $175,264,143 $256,000,000 $80,735,857

2025 $91,176,128 $282,000,000 $190,823,872

2026 $23,203,892 $308,000,000 $284,796,108

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Ham - 3.05M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $202,820,128 $221,014,503 $18,194,375

2024 $175,264,143 $256,000,000 $80,735,857

2025 $91,176,128 $282,000,000 $190,823,872

2026 $23,203,892 $308,000,000 $284,796,108

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Reed - 2.75M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $200,320,128 $221,014,503 $20,694,375

2024 $175,264,143 $256,000,000 $80,735,857

2025 $91,176,128 $282,000,000 $190,823,872

2026 $23,203,892 $308,000,000 $284,796,108

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Updated Cap Space - 25.194M

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Extensions

TJ Hockenson gets a 4 year 58M deal with a 15M signing bonus

and a 5M option bonus in 2024 (includes one void year): saves 5M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $195,320,128 $221,014,503 $25,694,375

2024 $188,514,143 $256,000,000 $67,485,857

2025 $108,597,128 $282,000,000 $173,402,872

2026 $41,953,892 $308,000,000 $266,046,108

Salaries would be 1.3M, 9M, 13.17M, and 14.5M

Cap hits would be 4.3M, 13.25M, 17.4M, 18.75M, & 4.25M

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Dalvin Tomlinson gets a 3 year 39M deal with a 12M signing bonus (includes one void year): costs zero

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $195,320,128 $221,014,503 $25,694,375

2024 $206,014,143 $256,000,000 $49,985,857

2025 $127,097,128 $282,000,000 $154,902,872

2026 $44,953,892 $308,000,000 $263,046,108

Salaries would be 2M, 12M, and 13M

Cap hits would be 7.5M, 17.5M, 18.5M, & 3M

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Danielle Hunter gets a 4 yr 96M deal with a 20M signing bonus : costs 1.5M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $196,820,128 $221,014,503 $24,194,375

2024 $218,394,143 $256,000,000 $37,605,857

2025 $152,717,128 $282,000,000 $129,282,872

2026 $69,953,892 $308,000,000 $238,046,108

Salaries would be 5.5M, 15M, 20.5M, and 22M

Cap hits would be 18.12M, 25.62M, 31.12M, 27M, & 5M

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Justin Jefferson gets a 5 year 165M deal with a 20M signing bonus

and a 20M option bonus in 2024 : costs 4M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $200,820,128 $221,014,503 $20,194,375

2024 $244,394,143 $256,000,000 $11,605,857

2025 $184,717,128 $282,000,000 $97,282,872

2026 $101,953,892 $308,000,000 $206,046,108

Salaries would be 2.399M, 18M, 24M, 24M, 28M, and 31M

Cap hits would be 12.175M, 26M, 32M, 32M, 36M, & 31M

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Patrick Peterson gets a 2 yr 10M deal with a 4.5M signing bonus (includes one void year): costs 3.75M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $200,820,128 $221,014,503 $20,194,375

2024 $249,894,143 $256,000,000 $6,105,857

2025 $186,217,128 $282,000,000 $95,782,872

2026 $101,953,892 $308,000,000 $206,046,108

Salaries would be 1.5M and 4M

Cap hits would be 3.75M, 5.5M, & 1.5M

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Duke Shelley gets a 2 yr 6M deal with a 2M signing bonus : costs 1.15M

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $202,170,128 $221,014,503 $18,844,375

2024 $253,794,143 $256,000,000 $2,205,857

2025 $186,217,128 $282,000,000 $95,782,872

2026 $101,953,892 $308,000,000 $206,046,108

Salaries would be 1.1M and 2.9M

Cap hits would be 2.9M and 3.9M

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Blake Brandel gets ERFA amount of 940K

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $202,360,128 $221,014,503 $18,654,375

2024 $253,794,143 $256,000,000 $2,205,857

2025 $186,217,128 $282,000,000 $95,782,872

2026 $101,953,892 $308,000,000 $206,046,108

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Khyiris Tonga gets ERFA amount of 940K

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $202,549,295 $221,014,503 $18,465,208

2024 $253,794,143 $256,000,000 $2,205,857

2025 $186,217,128 $282,000,000 $95,782,872

2026 $101,953,892 $308,000,000 $206,046,108

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Andrew DePaola gets a one year 1.317M deal with a 152.5K signing bonus

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $202,996,795 $221,014,503 $18,017,708

2024 $253,794,143 $256,000,000 $2,205,857

2025 $186,217,128 $282,000,000 $95,782,872

2026 $101,953,892 $308,000,000 $206,046,108

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Nick Mullens gets a one year 2.25M deal with a 500K signing bonus (with one void year)

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space

2023 $204,126,795 $221,014,503 $16,887,708

2024 $254,044,143 $256,000,000 $1,955,857

2025 $186,217,128 $282,000,000 $95,782,872

2026 $101,953,892 $308,000,000 $206,046,108

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This plan brings everybody back since many fans want to see Kwesi be competitive while rebuilding via the draft. Apparently.

The hope is that Cine, Booth, Asamoah, and Evans step up more.

The fan favorites get one more go at it.

The new defensive coordinator will prove to be just what the doctor ordered (like last year).

This is the worst plan ever but heh, all we need is good draft picks that contribute and better coaching.

The real eye opener in this scenario is the 2024 cap number which is at about 2M. They will save 50M by cutting Thielen, Cook, H. Smith, and Z. Smith which almost a certainty in this plan. They’ll eat 5M for keeping Kendricks another year by adding void years.

I am confounded as to how any fan could think brining them all back is going to produce different results. Two years straight with different coaches and the defense still stank. Let’s go for three though right?

One addition that I would like to see is the team adding a linebacker like Germaine Pratt, TJ Edwards, Tremaine Edwards, Bobby Okereke, or Leighton Vander Esch. I did not include it here but there is enough cap space to do it.

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Onto the draft.

The cornerback group would be Peterson, Shelley, Dantzler, Booth, and Evans.

The safety group would be Smith, Bynum, Cine, and Mettelus.

The defensive tackles would be Tomlinson, Phillips, Tonga, Lynch, Otomewo, TJ Smith, Blacklock.

The edge rushers would be Hunter, Z. Smith, Jones II, Wonnum, Vilain, and Weaver.

The linebackers need some depth with Kendricks, Asamoah, Dye, Kwenkeu

The QB spot is good with Cousins but competition with Mullens would not be bad.

The RB spot will be OK although adding another youngster is wise.

The WR spot is good through the top 3 with JJ, Thielen, and Osborn. Nailor, Reagor, Hennigan, Jackson, and Proehl round out the group.

The tight end spot could use another player to compete with Muse.

The tackles might need another body as Udoh was not re-signed in this plan.

The guards could use another body with Schlottmann and Reed not re-signed in this plan. They could be kept though.

The center spot will need a new body.

The team has a 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and two 6th round comp picks although overthecap is now projecting only one 5th round comp.

This plan is basically telling the team this is the last hurrah before the grenade is rolled in.

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TRADES

Trade Partner: Houston Texans

Sent: Round 1 Pick 23

Received: Round 2 Pick 2, Round 3 Pick 2

...

Trade Partner: Seattle Seahawks

Sent: Round 2 Pick 2

Received: Round 2 Pick 5, Round 5 Pick 17

...

Trade Partner: Kansas City Chiefs

Sent: Round 3 Pick 24

Received: Round 3 Pick 31, Round 4 Pick 31

...

Trade Partner: Kansas City Chiefs

Sent: Round 6 Pick 37

Received: Round 7 Pick 8, Round 7 Pick 36

...

36: R2 P5 G O’Cyrus Torrence - Florida 6-5 347

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65: R3 P2 C John Michael Schmitz - Minnesota 6-4 320

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94: R3 P31 QB Jaren Hall - BYU 6-1 205

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120: R4 P18 LB Dorian Williams - Tulane 6-2 230

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133: R4 P31 S Sydney Brown - Illinois 6-0 205

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152: R5 P17 WR Andrei Iosivas - Princeton 6-3 200

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159: R5 P24 DL Karl Brooks - Bowling Green 6-4 300

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214: R6 P39 G McClendon Curtis - Chattanooga 6-6 328

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223: R7 P8 RB DeWayne McBride - UAB 5-11 215

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251: R7 P36 CB Cameron Brown - Ohio State 6-0 192

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Does this draft address enough of the perceived needs? I’m not sold on Ingram or Cleveland for that matter. After 2023, Cleveland will be a free agent and could get 10M plus per year. Bradbury is already gone in this plan.

Having Schmitz at center, Torrence at right guard, and Curtis at left guard should provide plenty of beef so that the middle does not abused as much (provided they pan out). Hall is a flyer that may or may not pan out but I watched several of their games this year and last and he does have a good arm plus he is able to move which we need badly.

I am not a fan of this plan but I do like the mock (for now). This plan basically says that they are punting the inevitable cuts for another year and hope to win a playoff game in 2023.

Enjoy!