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Minnesota Vikings News and Links, 23 February 2023

Happy Thorsday!

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Georgia v Kentucky Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The NFL Combine starts on February 27th.

Here is link to the schedule

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-combine-2023-schedule-dates-for-each-prospects-workouts/
https://www.profootballnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/nfl-combine-2023-schedule.jpg

Here is a list of players by position

https://www.nfl.com/news/2023-nfl-scouting-combine-invited-prospects-by-position

Only 223 out of 324 combine invites in 2022 were drafted.

Since our last Open Thread ...

Vikings, Dalvin Tomlinson agree to move contract void date

File this under duh from the Vikings side of things as wasting 7.5M in cap space is not ideal.

Vikings Happy Hour: Should the Vikings sign Robert Woods

Norse Code Podcast Episode 465: The Cookies Were Delicious

Kirk Cousins to be featured in upcoming Netflix documentary series

...

NFL “News”

2023 NFL offseason: All 32 teams’ WR situations ahead of free agency, draft

Restructure or release? Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott headlines NFC players to keep an eye on

Harrison Smith

Minnesota Vikings · S · Age 34

Smith’s 2023 cap number: $19,127,647

Smith’s dead cap number: $11,747,648

Vikings’ estimated cap space: -$24,424,174

Certain contracts are essentially designed to be revisited, and Smith’s pact certainly appears to fall into that category, with a massive increase in the cap hit ($7.4 million in 2022, $19.1 million in ‘23) and base salary ($2.95 million in 2022, $14.7 million in ‘23). You get it — it’s part of the caponomics game.

Having just turned 34, Smith is still a productive safety, as evidenced by his five interceptions and 10 passes defensed in 14 games last season. That said, Next Gen Stats had him allowing 5.8 receptions over expected as the nearest defender in coverage last season, which was the second-worst mark in the league.

On the whole, Minnesota’s secondary mightily in 2022. Restructuring Smith’s contract could free up more dough for the Vikings to address serious issues at the corner position, even if it’s just adding better depth.

Ms. Frelund is an astute analyst to say the least!

Five trades to watch out for in the 2023 NFL offseason

Agent’s Take: How to keep NFL players out of free agency; everything to know about franchise, transition tags

Titans releasing three-time Pro Bowler LT Taylor Lewan, WR Robert Woods, K Randy Bullock


Yore Mock

Per usual some moves first ...
Cap Space: ($24,424,174)
Trade Z. Smith to Browns for 4.9: Saves $12,156,861
Trade Cook and 5.41 to Dolphins for 3.21: Saves $5,898,727

...

Cut/Trade Thielen: Saves $6,417,647
Cut/Trade Smith: Saves $7,379,999
Cut/Trade Kendricks: Saves $9,500,000
Cut Hicks: Saves $5,000,000
Cut Ham: Saves $3,050,000
Cut Reed: Saves $2,500,000

...

Restructure O’Neill (10M): Saves $7,500,000
Cap Space: $36,949,648

...

Extend Hockenson 4 yr 58M: Saves $5,000,000
Extend Hunter 4 yr 88M: Costs $4,000,000
Extend Jefferson 4 yr 128M: Costs $8,000,000
Extend Tomlinson 4 yr 39M: Costs $0
Extend Shelley 2 yr 9M: Costs $1,329,167
Extend DePaola 2 yr 2.875M: Costs $545,000
Extend Schlottmann 2 yr 4.5M: Costs $780,000
...
Sign LB Drue Tranquill 3 yr 22.5M: Costs $2,210,000
Sign CB Rock Ya-Sin 3 yr 28.5M: Costs $2,710,000
Sign EDGE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo 2 yr 12M: Costs $2,021,000
Sign WR Darius Slayton 2 yr 10M: Costs $2,399,000
Sign K Eddy Pineiro 2 yr 4.5M: Costs $708,334

...

Remaining Cap Space: $17,436,314
2024 Cap Space: $58,654,562

TRADES
Trade Partner: Miami Dolphins
Sent: Dalvin Cook; Round 5 Pick 41
Received: Round 3 Pick 21
...
Trade Partner: Cleveland Browns
Sent: Za’Darius Smith
Received: Round 4 Pick 9
...
Trade Partner: Detroit Lions
Sent: Round 1 Pick 23; Future Round 1 Pick
Received: Round 1 Pick 6
...
Trade Partner: Kansas City Chiefs
Sent: Round 3 Pick 24; Round 4 Pick 17
Received: Round 3 Pick 32; Round 4 Pick 32; Round 5 Pick 32
...
Trade Partner: San Francisco 49ers
Sent: Round 3 Pick 32
Received: Round 3 Pick 38; Round 5 Pick 21
...
Trade Partner: Dallas Cowboys
Sent: Round 5 Pick 32
Received: Round 5 Pick 40; Round 7 Pick 27
...
Trade Partner: Las Vegas Raiders
Sent: Round 5 Pick 40
Received: Round 6 Pick 27; Round 7 Pick 3
...

6: R1 P6 QB Will Levis - Kentucky 6’3” 232


84: R3 P21 DL Keion White - Georgia Tech 6’4.6 280


101: R3 P38 C Joe Tippmann - Wisconsin 6’6” 317


111: R4 P9 S Ji’Ayir Brown - Penn State 5’11 208


134: R4 P32 CB Jaylon Jones - Texas A&M 6’2” 205


157: R5 P21 RB Chase Brown - Illinois 5’9.4” 215


160: R5 P24 LB Ivan Pace Jr. - Cincinnati 5’10.2” 231


204: R6 P27 WR Andrei Iosivas - Princeton 6’2.7” 212


222: R7 P3 C Juice Scruggs - Penn State 6’2.6” 308

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 02 Rose Bowl Game Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

246: R7 P27 EDGE Lonnie Phelps - Kansas 6’2.1” 251



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