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Minnesota Vikings News and Links, 25,26 February 2023

The Weekend!

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Kentucky v Missouri Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/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 well-represented on PFF Top 101 Players of 2022 list

Vikings add three new coaches to staff

NFL “News”

Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson says he lived in Bengals’ stadium for first two years of his NFL career

And we thought Cousins was frugal!

NFL Rumors: Rams’ Jalen Ramsey ‘Very Likely’ to Be Traded in ‘Coming Weeks’

No, the Vikings should NOT trade for Ramsey. We are further away than many want to believe.

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

Top RBs under contract for 2023: Dalvin Cook, Kene Nwangwu, Ty Chandler

Key free agents: Alexander Mattison (UFA)

Cook provided a stable force from the Vikings’ backfield and proved his tackle-breaking prowess in 2022, dashing for 1,173 yards and eight TDs in 17 games. But the 27-year-old saw his attempts curtailed to 15.5 per game under Kevin O’Connell — his lowest in a season since 2018. With a salary-cap crunch in Minnesota, he could be a cut candidate. The Vikings would save nearly $6 million by cutting him outright. The current front office didn’t give the back the big extension he is currently on and could value the position differently than the previous administration. Minnesota could also attempt to get Cook to take a pay cut to remain, as the Packers did with Aaron Jones. If Cook exits, there will be significant questions about how the Vikes fill the void in O’Connell’s offense.


Yore Mock

Before doing some moves, a little reading ...

Fixing the 5 NFL teams with the least salary cap space: Cuts, extensions, restructures and more

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-fixing-teams-least-salary-cap-space-2023-free-agency

When you start to break down what the Vikings need to do this offseason, you realize just how old and bloated this roster currently is, and how much work new defensive coordinator Brian Flores has ahead of him. It’s very presumptuous to assume any player will willingly take a pay cut.

You’ll have to read it over at PFF but the writing for Kwesi should be on the wall. He decided against a Ryan Poles move last year to try and squeeze a better season out of the majority of the players and they accomplished that goal. They ultimately fell short in the usual most disappointing fashion. Losing in the playoffs was not unpredictable but losing to the Giants is unforgivable.

So, it is hard to imagine the offseason without cutting or trying to trade several of the high priced long time veterans. I would be much more excited with a bunch of new players rather than the same old same old dudes that supposedly only need better coaching (again) to get over the hump.

...

We need to make some moves first. This will be kind of a dream off season for me. I think the rebuild should begin now and I do not think the team should waste anymore time.

...

Cap Space: ($24,424,174)
Trade Cousins to the Jets for 1.13 and a 2024 3rd: Saves $17,500,000
Trade Z. Smith to 49ers for 3.37: Saves $12,156,861
Trade Cook and 5.41 to Dolphins for 3.21: Saves $5,898,727

...

Cut 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 Thielen - Base down to $7,817,647: Saves $4,500,000
Cap Space: $43,061,413

...

Extend Tomlinson 3 yr 42M: Costs $0
Extend Hockenson 4 yr 58M: Saves $5,000,000
Extend Hunter 4 yr 88M: Costs $5,000,000
Cap Space: $43,061,413

...

Extend Jefferson 4 yr 130M: Costs $7,000,000
Extend Shelley 2 yr 8.5M: Costs $1,710,000
Extend DePaola 2 yr 2.875M: Costs $545,000
...
Sign LB Bobby Okereke (26.5 years old) 3 yr 25.5M: Costs $2,210,000
Sign EDGE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (27.8 years old) 3 yr 18M: Costs $2,210,000
Sign CB Byron Murphy (25.1 years old) 3 yr 27M: Costs $3,630,000
Sign QB Gardner Minshew (26.9 years old) 2 yr 14M: Costs $3,130,000
Remaining Cap Space: $22,626,413
2024 Cap Space: $69,304,562

TRADES
Trade Partner: New York Jets
Sent: QB Kirk Cousins
Received: Round 1 Pick 13; Future Round 3 Pick
...
Trade Partner: Miami Dolphins
Sent: Dalvin Cook; Round 5 Pick 41
Received: Round 3 Pick 21
...
Trade Partner: San Francisco 49ers
Sent: EDGE Za’Darius Smith
Received: Round 3 Pick 38
...
Trade Partner: Las Vegas Raiders
Sent: Round 1 Pick 13; Round 3 Pick 24; Future Round 1 Pick
Received: Round 1 Pick 7; Round 4 Pick 7
...
Trade Partner: Houston Texans
Sent: Round 1 Pick 23
Received: Round 2 Pick 2; Round 3 Pick 10
...
Trade Partner: Cleveland Browns
Sent: Round 2 Pick 2
Received: Round 2 Pick 11; Round 3 Pick 35
...
Trade Partner: Green Bay Packers
Sent: Round 3 Pick 10
Received: Round 3 Pick 15; Round 5 Pick 15
...
Trade Partner: New England Patriots
Sent: Round 3 Pick 35
Received: Round 4 Pick 5; Round 6 Pick 10
...
Trade Partner: LA Rams
Sent: Round 5 Pick 24
Received: Round 5 Pick 36; Round 6 Pick 34
...
Trade Partner: Kansas City Chiefs
Sent: Round 6 Pick 10
Received: Round 6 Pick 20; Round 7 Pick 32
...

7: R1 P7 QB Will Levis - Kentucky 6’3” 232


42: R2 P11 EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah - Kansas State 6’4.6 280


78: R3 P15 CB Julius Brents - Kansas State 6’3” 202


84: R3 P21 S Jammie Robinson - Florida State 5’10.6 194


101: R3 P38 LB Owen Pappoe - Auburn 6’1” 225


107: R4 P5 C Olusegun Oluwatimi - Michigan 6’2.5” 308


109: R4 P7 WR Jonathan Mingo - Ole Miss 6’1.3” 226


119: R4 P17 DL Zacch Pickens - South Carolina 6’3.5” 300


151: R5 P15 RB Kenny McIntosh - Georgia 5’11.7 210


172: R5 P36 TE Davis Allen - Clemson 6’5.4” 246


197: R6 P20 EDGE Thomas Incoom - Central Michigan 6’2.2” 265


211: R6 P34 C Juice Scruggs - Penn State 6’2.6” 308

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 12 Maryland at Penn State Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

251: R7 P32 S Marte Mapu - Sacramento St 6’2.5” 217

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: FEB 01 Reese’s Senior Bowl Practice Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Crazy and surely very unpopular with at least half the fan base. I like it though!

Chances of it happening? Slim and none.

The roster gets a lot younger. You get your QBOTF (hopefully) and a bridge QB who has shown some capability when given the chance.

You keep Thielen so that Minshew and/or Levis has a solid WR group. The offensive line could still be a question but maybe there will be a late free agent veteran signing since there is plenty leftover.

You get a decent young corner in free agency, draft a 3rd round CB and Safety, and draft another Edge.

I wont quit my day job!



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