Cutting Cousins cap hit in half without adding money
Some in the Viking world have been talking about ways the Vikings can reduce Cousins' $45M cap hit. Here's one take from the OTC guy.
There is a way, though, that Cousins’ cap number for 2022 could be lowered by as much as $27.104 million without committing extra dollars to him. That could be accomplished by adding four voidable years to his contract to absorb additional money from 2022.
If Cousins were to agree to it, the Vikings could lower his base salary of $35 million in 2022 to as low as the NFL minimum contract amount of $1.12 million. Then they could pay immediately the remaining $33.88 million in a signing bonus that would be divided for cap purposes among 2022 and the four voidable years on his contract at $6.776 million per year. That would drop Cousins’ cap number in 2022 from $45.166 million to $18.062 million and would easily get them under the cap by Wednesday.
“He would have to cooperate for that, but if they were going to keep him for the year, I think he’d be fine doing that because it’s only going to benefit him if the team has better players there and he has a better chance to make the playoffs because he’s going to be a a free agent next year if he doesn’t make an extension,’’ said Jason Fitzgerald, a cap analyst who runs the website OvertheCap.com. “They could say, ‘We’ll give you a favorable date even on the void. We’ll give you five days after the Super Bowl, so you have clarity right away about doing an extension.’ … I think that’s a strong possibility if he’s going to remain on the team.”
Such a maneuver would commit the Vikings to Cousins for 2022. A trade would be off the table since any team that dealt for Cousins would be responsible only for his base salary.
The ability to put voidable years in contracts long has been in the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement and has been used by teams, including the Vikings, much more recently. That’s primarily because the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the cap being lowered from $198.2 million in 2020 to $182.5 million in 2021 and not being as high this year as it would be have been had there not have been so much lost revenue. But team officials know the cap will rise significantly in future seasons.
Fitzgerald projects the cap to be between $225 million and $230 million in 2023 and to be about $260 million in 2024 when the lucrative new television deals hit the books. So if the Vikings were to spread out Cousins’ money with as much as $6.776 million cap hits from 2023-26, even if he’s no longer on the team, that might not be a huge issue.
https://www.twincities.com/2022/03/12/vikings-could-lower-kirk-cousins-2022-cap-number-by-27-million-without-an-extension/
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@"Montana Tom" said: The gaslighting that has been going on the last few years is that Zim was a defensive guru, yet in reality A) the last two years, our D has been a bottom feeder, adn B) three out of the last four years years were actually Cousin's best statistical years, save for 2016 at the Redskins. In Zim's "run first" offense. Imagine if you will, a world in which the Vikings D would actually get more 3 and outs, could actually stop anybody, and put the Offense back on the field more. I'm on the fence about Cousins, but looking at the facts and the context of what he's been allowed to do by his coaches Offensive Coordinator(s), again, in the entire Offense, Defense and Special Teams...there are worse options. The grass ain't always greener.Good to see you posting.
@"MarkSP18" said: Still need Cousins to agree to adding void years and I do not think that it is in his best interests.There is a reason they did not allow them to be added into this current deal.
Surely we should expect that Brez would have thought to do so right?
He just did with Barr, Richardson, Hunter, and Tomlinson but those were before the pandemic lowered cap.
I disagree; I think it is totally in his interest. He is still paid the same this year -- he does not defer a cent. Meanwhile, the team is able to get some cap room to perhaps add a good Olineman. That, and the new coach more passing oriented, would help Cousins' stats. This would lead to him being more desirable next year to both the Vikings and the rest of the league when he becomes a free agent. Moreover, because of the dead Cousin cap $, the Vikings would be again in the position they are this year -- being over the barrel as it comes to Cousins.
@"VikingOracle" said:@"MarkSP18" said: Still need Cousins to agree to adding void years and I do not think that it is in his best interests.There is a reason they did not allow them to be added into this current deal.
Surely we should expect that Brez would have thought to do so right?
He just did with Barr, Richardson, Hunter, and Tomlinson but those were before the pandemic lowered cap.
I disagree; I think it is totally in his interest. He is still paid the same this year -- he does not defer a cent. Meanwhile, the team is able to get some cap room to perhaps add a good Olineman. That, and the new coach more passing oriented, would help Cousins' stats. This would lead to him being more desirable next year to both the Vikings and the rest of the league when he becomes a free agent. Moreover, because of the dead Cousin cap $, the Vikings would be again in the position they are this year -- being over the barrel as it comes to Cousins.
Everybody was bitching the reason Cousins sucked was because of our defense.
So I hope every bit of money we saved goes into building the defense. :)edit: Nevermind I see we are still 2 million over cap, even with Cousins deal.
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