Vikings amp up spending in quest for Super Bowl

[purplefaithful]

In the past two seasons, the Vikings have signed $209 million worth in total contracts to 15 unrestricted free agents, according to Spotrac.com.But there has been a major change in the Vikings’ spending habits the past two seasons as it becomes clearer that they view this window as their chance to win a Super Bowl, and the front office and team ownership are willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

In the past two seasons, the Vikings have signed $209 million worth in total contracts to 15 unrestricted free agents, according to Spotrac.com.
Compare that to the $267 million in contracts they signed 52 unrestricted free agents from 2011 to 2016, and you can see how focused they have become not just on giving out money but on giving it out in big numbers to key players.
The average contract for an unrestricted signing the past two seasons has been about $13.9 million per player, compared to about $5 million per player from 2011 to 2016.
Obviously, a lot of that recent money is in quarterback Kirk Cousins, whose three-year, $84 million contract is fully guaranteed. Other players from outside the organization to sign with the Vikings the past two years include Riley Reiff, Mike Remmers, Latavius Murray and Sheldon Richardson.




http://www.startribune.com/vikings-amp-u...484394961/

[Guest]

Questions --

When did the Cap increase for all teams? I'm wondering if that is simply part of an overall league cap increase vs the Vikings doing something remarkable or remarkably silly spending wise?

Remmer and Reiff - how much did we have to pay for OL in FA vs drafting OL better? Maybe over the long-run it shakes out the same?

[Guest]

The cap increases each year for all teams.  It is a league increase, per team.

[Guest]

Vikings have a talented roster, should be the deepest team in recent memory. 

[Guest]

They say "you win in the trenches"...I just wish we had found better OL players through the draft. That's the only thing other than Cousins we tried to scalp. Our D is likely complete and deserving of some amount of unabashed praise. But we need to address the OL in the draft. I know we got a OT who seems like  big time project (2nd) rd. Other than Kahlil 2012 we haven't spent another 1st rd pick...Bryant McKinney was the nearest in 2002. That's ridiculous!

[Guest]

@ATXVIKE said:
They say "you win in the trenches"...I just wish we had found better OL players through the draft. That's the only thing other than Cousins we tried to scalp. Our D is likely complete and deserving of some amount of unabashed praise. But we need to address the OL in the draft. I know we got a OT who seems like  big time project (2nd) rd. Other than Kahlil 2012 we haven't spent another 1st rd pick...Bryant McKinney was the nearest in 2002. That's ridiculous!

Not only does it look that bad drafting so few for so long. Other positions we constantly chase bite us in the a$$. Since 2002 we have drafted 5 QB's or WR's 1st round that were not even worthy of extending passed their rookie contract with this team. Threadwell might be the the 6th if he doesn't get it. I doubt many would argue he's lived up to a 1st so far. That and traded another 1st for a QB no longer on the team as well. That's alot of wasted opportunities.  The only one we got anything out of was Percy Harvin. Thank god the Seahawks were there to save us. I believe that pick was used to get Rhodes there was a score.

[Guest]

@suncoastvike said:

@ATXVIKE said:
They say "you win in the trenches"...I just wish we had found better OL players through the draft. That's the only thing other than Cousins we tried to scalp. Our D is likely complete and deserving of some amount of unabashed praise. But we need to address the OL in the draft. I know we got a OT who seems like  big time project (2nd) rd. Other than Kahlil 2012 we haven't spent another 1st rd pick...Bryant McKinney was the nearest in 2002. That's ridiculous!

Not only does it look that bad drafting so few for so long. Other positions we constantly chase bite us in the a$$. Since 2002 we have drafted 5 QB's or WR's 1st round that were not even worthy of extending passed their rookie contract with this team. Threadwell might be the the 6th if he doesn't get it. I doubt many would argue he's lived up to a 1st so far. That and traded another 1st for a QB no longer on the team as well. That's alot of wasted opportunities.  The only one we got anything out of was Percy Harvin. Thank god the Seahawks were there to save us. I believe that pick was used to get Rhodes there was a score.

In fairness we got our first and more back from harvin and Teddy woukd have certainly gotten another contract if it weren't for an unforseen catastrophic injury, and it's really not pertinent to bring up anything prior to the Wilfs amd Spielman as that's a completely different organization.

[Guest]

@JimmyinSD said: 

@suncoastvike said:

@ATXVIKE said:
They say "you win in the trenches"...I just wish we had found better OL players through the draft. That's the only thing other than Cousins we tried to scalp. Our D is likely complete and deserving of some amount of unabashed praise. But we need to address the OL in the draft. I know we got a OT who seems like  big time project (2nd) rd. Other than Kahlil 2012 we haven't spent another 1st rd pick...Bryant McKinney was the nearest in 2002. That's ridiculous!

Not only does it look that bad drafting so few for so long. Other positions we constantly chase bite us in the a$$. Since 2002 we have drafted 5 QB's or WR's 1st round that were not even worthy of extending passed their rookie contract with this team. Threadwell might be the the 6th if he doesn't get it. I doubt many would argue he's lived up to a 1st so far. That and traded another 1st for a QB no longer on the team as well. That's alot of wasted opportunities.  The only one we got anything out of was Percy Harvin. Thank god the Seahawks were there to save us. I believe that pick was used to get Rhodes there was a score.

In fairness we got our first and more back from harvin and Teddy woukd have certainly gotten another contract if it weren't for an unforseen catastrophic injury, and it's really not pertinent to bring up anything prior to the Wilfs amd Spielman as that's a completely different organization.

Sure I agree. Nothing we did 10-15 years ago has any bearing on today. I was going for the dangers of chasing the next big thing mentality that usually never works. Offensive lineman are not sexy picks. They're just nessisary to a good team. All the Troy Williamson's and Ponder's of the past are irrelavent to this team. Even if Teddy had not gotten hurt there wasn't enough evidence yet he woud have been great...imo. We got a very good team now. Talented and deep. Except a few positions. What we need is a little luck. Which as a long time fan I've nearly quit believing in or hoping for.

[Guest]

@suncoastvike said:

@JimmyinSD said: 

@suncoastvike said:

@ATXVIKE said:
They say "you win in the trenches"...I just wish we had found better OL players through the draft. That's the only thing other than Cousins we tried to scalp. Our D is likely complete and deserving of some amount of unabashed praise. But we need to address the OL in the draft. I know we got a OT who seems like  big time project (2nd) rd. Other than Kahlil 2012 we haven't spent another 1st rd pick...Bryant McKinney was the nearest in 2002. That's ridiculous!

Not only does it look that bad drafting so few for so long. Other positions we constantly chase bite us in the a$$. Since 2002 we have drafted 5 QB's or WR's 1st round that were not even worthy of extending passed their rookie contract with this team. Threadwell might be the the 6th if he doesn't get it. I doubt many would argue he's lived up to a 1st so far. That and traded another 1st for a QB no longer on the team as well. That's alot of wasted opportunities.  The only one we got anything out of was Percy Harvin. Thank god the Seahawks were there to save us. I believe that pick was used to get Rhodes there was a score.

In fairness we got our first and more back from harvin and Teddy woukd have certainly gotten another contract if it weren't for an unforseen catastrophic injury, and it's really not pertinent to bring up anything prior to the Wilfs amd Spielman as that's a completely different organization.

Sure I agree. Nothing we did 10-15 years ago has any bearing on today. I was going for the dangers of chasing the next big thing mentality that usually never works. Offensive lineman are not sexy picks. They're just nessisary to a good team. All the Troy Williamson's and Ponder's of the past are irrelavent to this team. Even if Teddy had not gotten hurt there wasn't enough evidence yet he woud have been great...imo. We got a very good team now. Talented and deep. Except a few positions. What we need is a little luck. Which as a long time fan I've nearly quit believing in or hoping for.

Would we have this talented and deep team if we had used those picks on offensive linemen instead of the defensive studs we do have?  Maybe maybe not.  Imo it's more important to note how many hits overall we get from those picks and not the fact that they weren't spent on a certain  position.  No gm gets them all right and every team has a lack of something. ...many are a lack of quality olinemen,  even ones that have spent first round picks on the position. 

[Guest]

@JimmyinSD said:

@suncoastvike said:

@JimmyinSD said: 

@suncoastvike said:

@ATXVIKE said:
They say "you win in the trenches"...I just wish we had found better OL players through the draft. That's the only thing other than Cousins we tried to scalp. Our D is likely complete and deserving of some amount of unabashed praise. But we need to address the OL in the draft. I know we got a OT who seems like  big time project (2nd) rd. Other than Kahlil 2012 we haven't spent another 1st rd pick...Bryant McKinney was the nearest in 2002. That's ridiculous!

Not only does it look that bad drafting so few for so long. Other positions we constantly chase bite us in the a$$. Since 2002 we have drafted 5 QB's or WR's 1st round that were not even worthy of extending passed their rookie contract with this team. Threadwell might be the the 6th if he doesn't get it. I doubt many would argue he's lived up to a 1st so far. That and traded another 1st for a QB no longer on the team as well. That's alot of wasted opportunities.  The only one we got anything out of was Percy Harvin. Thank god the Seahawks were there to save us. I believe that pick was used to get Rhodes there was a score.

In fairness we got our first and more back from harvin and Teddy woukd have certainly gotten another contract if it weren't for an unforseen catastrophic injury, and it's really not pertinent to bring up anything prior to the Wilfs amd Spielman as that's a completely different organization.

Sure I agree. Nothing we did 10-15 years ago has any bearing on today. I was going for the dangers of chasing the next big thing mentality that usually never works. Offensive lineman are not sexy picks. They're just nessisary to a good team. All the Troy Williamson's and Ponder's of the past are irrelavent to this team. Even if Teddy had not gotten hurt there wasn't enough evidence yet he woud have been great...imo. We got a very good team now. Talented and deep. Except a few positions. What we need is a little luck. Which as a long time fan I've nearly quit believing in or hoping for.

Would we have this talented and deep team if we had used those picks on offensive linemen instead of the defensive studs we do have?  Maybe maybe not.  Imo it's more important to note how many hits overall we get from those picks and not the fact that they weren't spent on a certain  position.  No gm gets them all right and every team has a lack of something. ...many are a lack of quality olinemen,  even ones that have spent first round picks on the position. 

Yep
I'm not complaining just observing. This defense was a mess 5 years ago. We got good value lately no doubt there.