Who Stays? Who Goes?
Key Free AgentsKirk Cousins
QB | 35 | 2023 cap hit: $20.25 million
Both Cousins and the Vikings have indicated their interest in a reunion in 2024; whether it actually happens could come down to the structure of the contract they'd likely try to finalize before March 13.
If the Vikings work out a new deal with Cousins, they would count only $10.25 million of the dead money against their cap this season, in addition to whatever new money he receives.
Multiple sources have said Cousins sought guarantees through 2025 last year, and talks broke down when the Vikings were willing to offer only two years' worth of guarantees through 2024. A two-year contract this year could mean guarantees into 2025; if the Vikings offer such a deal and Cousins is willing to sign for a figure that's slightly below what he'd get on the open market, the two sides could find their way back to one another again.
Danielle Hunter
Edge | 29 | 2023 cap hit: $20.95 million
Hunter thrived in Brian Flores' defense, which turned him loose as a pass rusher again. His career-high 16½ sacks led the NFC, and he ranked third in the conference in quarterback pressures with 41. He signed a five-year, $72 million extension in 2018 that quickly became outdated, and Hunter's camp first expressed its disapproval over the deal in 2020.
If he returns to Minnesota, it could be because of his affinity for the coaching staff and a creative set of negotiations from Vikings Executive Vice President-Football Operations Rob Brzezinski.
Jordan Hicks
LB | 31 | 2023 cap hit: $5 million
The Vikings need to decide whether to offer a new deal to Hicks, who accepted a pay cut before 2023 and thrived in Flores' defense before a Nov. 12 injury that required emergency surgery to address compartment syndrome in his right leg. Hicks will be 32 in June, but ran the Vikings' defensive huddle while blitzing more than he had in years, recording 107 tackles in 13 games and scoring his first defensive touchdown since his rookie year. If he's open to an affordable deal, the Vikings could bring him back to play with Ivan Pace Jr. after Brian Asamoah II seemed to fall out of favor in the defense.
D.J. Wonnum
Edge | 26 | 2023 cap hit: $2.93 million
Wonnum became the counterpart to Hunter the Vikings hoped they were getting in Marcus Davenport, matching a career high with eight sacks while scoring his first career touchdown on a fumble return against Carolina. A torn quadriceps muscle on Dec. 24 ended Wonnum's season, and his free agent value could depend on teams' comfort level with his recovery.
The Vikings should have a better sense of that than any other team, though, and Wonnum could be a candidate to return if the Vikings believe he's likely to keep improving under Flores.
Dalton Risner
G | 28 | 2023 cap hit: $2.63 million
Risner stepped in as the starting left guard after Ezra Cleveland was injured (and subsequently traded) in October. He did not allow a sack in 12 games, and has said he wants to return to Minnesota in 2024. The Vikings could be interested in bringing him back, and after spending more than six months as a free agent in 2023, Risner could be looking to settle his 2024 destination earlier in the year.
If he can agree with the Vikings on a reasonable deal, he could return.
K.J. Osborn
WR | 26 | 2023 cap hit: $2.81 million
The Vikings drafted Jordan Addison 23rd overall last spring, knowing Osborn was headed for free agency in 2024, and even with Jefferson missing seven games, Osborn's numbers slipped in 2023 as he fell behind T.J. Hockenson and Addison in the offense. Osborn caught 48 passes for 550 yards, down from 60 and 650 in 2022.
Marcus Davenport
Edge | 27 | 2023 cap hit: $6.2 million
The Vikings signed Davenport to a one-year, $13 million deal last offseason, knowing he might become the replacement for Za'Darius Smith if the pass rusher left because of discontentment with his contract. The injury-prone Davenport played only 118 snaps, though, and as promising as he looked in his brief stints on the field, his extended absences because of ankle injuries would seem to make him unlikely to return in 2024.
Jonathan Bullard
DL | 30 | 2023 cap hit: $1.07 million
Bullard played a career-high 644 snaps in 2023 and finished the season with two sacks. His deal in 2023 qualified for the veteran minimum salary benefit. The Vikings could look for upgrades along the defensive line that might reduce his playing time during his age-31 season, but could view Bullard as an affordable piece that adds value to their defensive line. It's reasonable to think they could bring him back on another veteran minimum deal.
Brandon Powell
WR | 28 | 2023 cap hit: $1.093 million
Powell played a larger role late in the season and set career highs in catches (29) and yards (324) as a result. His value on special teams could also pique the Vikings' interest in bringing him back on another affordable contract, and Powell's familiarity with O'Connell and Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips could make the Vikings an attractive spot for Powell.
Greg Joseph
K | 29 | 2023 cap hit: $2 million
Joseph improved on extra points in 2023, hitting 94.7% of them after making only 87% in 2022, but still struggled on longer field goals: all six of his misses were from 40 yards or more. The Vikings could look to bring him back on a similar deal to the one-year contract they gave him last year, but might explore competition for him again this spring.
https://www.startribune.com/vikings-kirk-cousins-danielle-hunter-justin-jefferson-free-agents-contracts/600336604/
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
Cut/trade/restructure candidatesHarrison Smith
S | 34 | 2024 cap hit: $19.22 million
The six-time Pro Bowler accepted a pay cut to return in 2023; if he's to return for a 13th season in Minnesota in 2024, he'd likely need to do so again. Smith said after the Vikings' final regular-season game he wouldn't make a quick decision about retirement; his immediate focus was on spending time with his newborn son, he said. If he plays again in 2024, it seems unlikely he'd be anywhere other than Minnesota. O'Connell and Flores have said they want Smith to return, and the Vikings could restructure his deal to save cap space. Smith will be 35 on Feb. 2; the decision about whether he comes back seems to be his to make.
Harrison Phillips
DL | 27 | 2024 cap hit: $8.83 million
Phillips accepted Flores' decision to move him from nose tackle to defensive end, where he started all 17 games, played 883 snaps and posted a career-high three sacks in 2023. If the Vikings are looking for more pass rush from their defensive ends, though, Phillips could be a candidate for a cut or restructure before the final year of his deal. He has no guaranteed money for 2024, and the team would save $6.5 million by releasing him; the Vikings could bring him back by guaranteeing part of a reduced base salary.
Dean Lowry
DL | 29 | 2024 cap hit: $4.6 million
Lowry played only 237 snaps in nine games before going to injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle he suffered in the Broncos game on Nov. 19. Lowry did not have a quarterback hit in nine games, and the fact the Vikings would save $2.2 million by cutting him would make him seem like a release candidate.
Byron Murphy Jr.
CB | 25 | 2024 cap hit: $11 million
The Vikings face an interesting decision on Murphy; he was their best cover corner in 2023, and could return as their most experienced cornerback again in 2024, but the team would save $5.4 million if it decided to release Murphy before the season. He missed the Vikings' final three games after finishing the Bengals game on Dec. 16 with a grade 3 MCL strain in his knee.
https://www.startribune.com/vikings-kirk-cousins-danielle-hunter-justin-jefferson-free-agents-contracts/600336604/
Extension candidatesJustin Jefferson
WR | 24 | 2024 cap hit: $19.74 million
The Vikings and Jefferson seemed close before the season on an extension that would have made him the league's highest-paid receiver at more than $30 million a year, but they paused talks the day before the opener. It's possible the deal won't be finished before the Vikings solve their quarterback question. Jefferson has repeatedly backed Cousins, and indicated a willingness to state his support for the QB to the front office, though he's stopped short of publicly demanding Cousins' return.
Still, it'd seem reasonable he would want to know the Vikings' QB plan before signing a long-term deal. The Vikings could use the franchise tag on him in 2025 and 2026 if he doesn't sign this year, but they'll likely make an extension before the 2024 season a priority.
Christian Darrisaw
LT | 24 | 2024 cap hit: $4.25 million
The Vikings will pick up Darrisaw's fifth-year option in May, and wouldn't need to sign him this year as a result. Still, they've likely begun budgeting for a deal with the left tackle, who's become a fixture at one of the game's most important positions and stands to become one of the highest-paid players in the league at his position.
Four left tackles (Laremy Tunsil, Andrew Thomas, Trent Williams and David Bakhtiari) are currently on contracts that average more than $23 million per year; Darrisaw seems in line to eventually join that group.
So many big decisions this offseason. Its why I say IMO this is the first real offseason where we will get to see the Adolfo-Mensah stamp in the roster and the direction he is taking the franchise. We are being lapped by the other teams in the division, have no clear answer at quarterback, haven't signed our best players to extensions, have a half dozen free agents who were contributors that we need to make decisions on. We need a huge draft.
@"supafreak84" said: So many big decisions this offseason. Its why I say IMO this is the first real offseason where we will get to see the Adolfo-Mensah stamp in the roster and the direction he is taking the franchise. We are being lapped by the other teams in the division, have no clear answer at quarterback, haven't signed our best players to extensions, have a half dozen free agents who were contributors that we need to make decisions on. We need a huge draft.We need a huge off-season period.
Most important off-season since 2017 imo.
@"purplefaithful" said:@"supafreak84" said: So many big decisions this offseason. Its why I say IMO this is the first real offseason where we will get to see the Adolfo-Mensah stamp in the roster and the direction he is taking the franchise. We are being lapped by the other teams in the division, have no clear answer at quarterback, haven't signed our best players to extensions, have a half dozen free agents who were contributors that we need to make decisions on. We need a huge draft. We need a huge off-season period.Most important off-season since 2017 imo.
And what happened in 2017? I just watched the Pack and Lions play this weekend and things are not looking good for us I am afraid
@"mblack" said:@"purplefaithful" said:@"supafreak84" said: So many big decisions this offseason. Its why I say IMO this is the first real offseason where we will get to see the Adolfo-Mensah stamp in the roster and the direction he is taking the franchise. We are being lapped by the other teams in the division, have no clear answer at quarterback, haven't signed our best players to extensions, have a half dozen free agents who were contributors that we need to make decisions on. We need a huge draft. We need a huge off-season period.Most important off-season since 2017 imo.
And what happened in 2017? I just watched the Pack and Lions play this weekend and things are not looking good for us I am afraidJust coming off the Minny Miracle and they pivoted off of Mr Horseshoe up his asz and signed Cousins...I liked Case too.
@"purplefaithful" said:@"mblack" said:@"purplefaithful" said:@"supafreak84" said: So many big decisions this offseason. Its why I say IMO this is the first real offseason where we will get to see the Adolfo-Mensah stamp in the roster and the direction he is taking the franchise. We are being lapped by the other teams in the division, have no clear answer at quarterback, haven't signed our best players to extensions, have a half dozen free agents who were contributors that we need to make decisions on. We need a huge draft. We need a huge off-season period.Most important off-season since 2017 imo.
And what happened in 2017? I just watched the Pack and Lions play this weekend and things are not looking good for us I am afraidJust coming off the Minny Miracle and they pivoted off of Mr Horseshoe up his asz and signed Cousins...I liked Case too.
We would have likely been better off if they had stuck with Teddy and Case vs bringing Cousins in. With those 2 they likely would have been looking sooner at a QBOTF and would have had more cap to keep the rest of the roster a little more competitive.
- Kirk Cousins - I'm so torn. Kirk is hands down the best QB we have had in as long as I can remember. That being said he is, who he is. What do we do without him though?
- Danielle Hunter - Torn once again. If we can make it work, I'm going to be happy.
- Jordan Hicks - I don't have a problem with Hicks, but I wouldn't beat the table to save him either.
- D.J. Wonnum - Not a Wonnum fan, not a hater either. I think he benefits from Hunter and he is coming back from injury.
- Dalton Risner - Like what I saw. I think this is an easy call to bring him back.
- K.J. Osborn - I like KJ, but I don't want him back. Disappeared when we needed him. Could luck on your next team, I hope we regret letting you go.
- Marcus Davenport - GTFO, Hold the door open for Bullard.
- Jonathan Bullard - GTFO, Hold the door open for Joseph.
- Brandon Powell - WR3, bring him back.
- Greg Joseph - GTFO.
- Harrison Smith - Will go as one of my favorites to ever wear purple. That being said, it might be time. This one will hurt.
- Harrison Phillips - I don't have a dog in this fight. I just want a huge NT, and he isn't it. If he is working at end, then great.
- Dean Lowry - Non factor.
- Byron Murphy Jr. - Not worth the paycheck it seems.
- Justin Jefferson - Our future, provided we can put tools around him. Lock him up.
- Christian Darrisaw - I think that ankle bothered him through the end of the season. My faith is just as high as it was before. Lock him up, too.
- Adjusted Salary Cap$251,459,126
- Active Contracts:$218,033,580
- Dead Cap:$3,507,539
- 2023 Rollover:$8,959,126
- Total (All):$221,541,119
- Total (Top 51):$221,541,119
- Est. Cap Space (All):$29,918,007
- Est. Cap Space (Top 51):$29,918,007
- Kirk Cousins($39.4M) - 3 years 118 million
- Justin Jefferson($29.3M) - 4 years 117 million
- Christian Darrisaw($24.6M) - 4 years 100 million
- Danielle Hunter($20.0M) - 3 years 60 million
- K.J. Osborn($7.6M) - 2 years 15 million
- Joshua Dobbs($6.7M) - 1 year 6.7 million
- Cam Akers($4.1M) - 2 years 8.3 million
- Brandon Powell($1.7M) 1 year 1.6 million
I am for moving on from Kirk unless he gives us a big break/discount which the market will decide. According to Spotrac he is worth a 3 year, 39.4 per year and I say hell no to those numbers and length. I am for signing a guy like Ryan Tannehill who is estimated to be 1 year 4.1 million and drafting a QB first round. Not a fan of resigning Dobbs or Osborne and undecided on Akers/Powell.
That would leave us with a ton of cap space to reload at key positions. I would resign Risner but maybe look for a Center upgrade. We need a lot on Defense but we would have the $$$ to sign FA's and a the draft.
I'm not sure we have enough to work out deals with Kirk, JJ, Darrisaw and Hunter and if that is the case then I would pass on a 36 year old QB coming off achilles injury and go with a 25 year old JJ, 29 year old Hunter, and 24 year old Darrisaw.
@"minny65" said:Spotrac numbers: MINNESOTA VIKINGS CAP TOTALS
- Adjusted Salary Cap$251,459,126
- Active Contracts:$218,033,580
- Dead Cap:$3,507,539
- 2023 Rollover:$8,959,126
- Total (All):$221,541,119
- Total (Top 51):$221,541,119
- Est. Cap Space (All):$29,918,007
- Est. Cap Space (Top 51):$29,918,007
CALCULATED MARKET VALUESHarrison Smith's cap hit for 2024 is 19 million dollars. I think we cut him and use that 19 million to extend Jefferson and Hunter close to the numbers indicated. So Jefferson goes from 19 million last year to 29 million 4 years and increase of 10. Hunter goes from 15 last year to 20 million per year. Darrisaw's extension is going to be a huge bump becuase he made 4.2 last year and will demand 25 per.
- Kirk Cousins($39.4M) - 3 years 118 million
- Justin Jefferson($29.3M) - 4 years 117 million
- Christian Darrisaw($24.6M) - 4 years 100 million
- Danielle Hunter($20.0M) - 3 years 60 million
- K.J. Osborn($7.6M) - 2 years 15 million
- Joshua Dobbs($6.7M) - 1 year 6.7 million
- Cam Akers($4.1M) - 2 years 8.3 million
- Brandon Powell($1.7M) 1 year 1.6 million
I am for moving on from Kirk unless he gives us a big break/discount which the market will decide. According to Spotrac he is worth a 3 year, 39.4 per year and I say hell no to those numbers and length. I am for signing a guy like Ryan Tannehill who is estimated to be 1 year 4.1 million and drafting a QB first round. Not a fan of resigning Dobbs or Osborne and undecided on Akers/Powell.
That would leave us with a ton of cap space to reload at key positions. I would resign Risner but maybe look for a Center upgrade. We need a lot on Defense but we would have the $$$ to sign FA's and a the draft.
I'm not sure we have enough to work out deals with Kirk, JJ, Darrisaw and Hunter and if that is the case then I would pass on a 36 year old QB coming off achilles injury and go with a 25 year old JJ, 29 year old Hunter, and 24 year old Darrisaw.
FWIW, the amount of cap savings we would have from Smith is 11.4M. I doubt that changes too much though.
@"medaille" said:@"minny65" said:Spotrac numbers: MINNESOTA VIKINGS CAP TOTALS
- Adjusted Salary Cap$251,459,126
- Active Contracts:$218,033,580
- Dead Cap:$3,507,539
- 2023 Rollover:$8,959,126
- Total (All):$221,541,119
- Total (Top 51):$221,541,119
- Est. Cap Space (All):$29,918,007
- Est. Cap Space (Top 51):$29,918,007
CALCULATED MARKET VALUESHarrison Smith's cap hit for 2024 is 19 million dollars. I think we cut him and use that 19 million to extend Jefferson and Hunter close to the numbers indicated. So Jefferson goes from 19 million last year to 29 million 4 years and increase of 10. Hunter goes from 15 last year to 20 million per year. Darrisaw's extension is going to be a huge bump because he made 4.2 last year and will demand 25 per.
- Kirk Cousins($39.4M) - 3 years 118 million
- Justin Jefferson($29.3M) - 4 years 117 million
- Christian Darrisaw($24.6M) - 4 years 100 million
- Danielle Hunter($20.0M) - 3 years 60 million
- K.J. Osborn($7.6M) - 2 years 15 million
- Joshua Dobbs($6.7M) - 1 year 6.7 million
- Cam Akers($4.1M) - 2 years 8.3 million
- Brandon Powell($1.7M) 1 year 1.6 million
I am for moving on from Kirk unless he gives us a big break/discount which the market will decide. According to Spotrac he is worth a 3 year, 39.4 per year and I say hell no to those numbers and length. I am for signing a guy like Ryan Tannehill who is estimated to be 1 year 4.1 million and drafting a QB first round. Not a fan of resigning Dobbs or Osborne and undecided on Akers/Powell.
That would leave us with a ton of cap space to reload at key positions. I would resign Risner but maybe look for a Center upgrade. We need a lot on Defense, but we would have the $$$ to sign FA's and the draft.
I'm not sure we have enough to work out deals with Kirk, JJ, Darrisaw and Hunter and if that is the case then I would pass on a 36-year-old QB coming off Achilles injury and go with a 25-year-old JJ, 29-year-old Hunter, and 24-year-old Darrisaw.
FWIW, the amount of cap savings we would have from Smith is 11.4M. I doubt that changes too much though.
Ok I see that on Spotrac after 19 million less about 8 million dead cap. But with cap creativity that we are known for you could use that 11 million and extend Jefferson and Hunter. The huge jump is for Darrisaw who made about 4 million last year and we need to get him in the 25 per range. Our overall positional spending will be heavily skewed towards offense vs defense in the 60/40% range with OT being the highest with Darrisaw/O'Neil.I don't think we can afford to pay a 36 yr old QB coming off Achilles injury who may miss the first few games 35 million +. Also, not sure Hock will be back week 1 either.
It's time for a reset at QB - IMO. Sign a guy like Tannehill for the Spotrac expected 4.1 million for 1 year or make it 2 years 9 million. This alone makes room for getting all the contracts above done. Then go all in on the draft for a QB. If the rookie QB stinks up the joint, we will know in 2 years or so and we will still have most of these key pieces signed and then we have another shot at a QB.
We have been stuck in a competitive rebuild for years and the results have been 0-2 in playoffs and 50-39-1 record under Kirk ( zimmer and KOC). Not blaming or crediting it's just a fact.
I am tired of status quo. If we resign Kirk to 35+ we will probably lose Hunter and have trouble getting the other extensions done. All that for a 36 yr old coming off a major surgery who has been an above average QB, in 6 seasons, record wise. I do think Kirk was a Top 10 QB and good enough with all the pieces. Well we didn't have all the pieces and we don't now. In fact we would be losing pieces if we resigned him. Too risky for my liking.
It is time for a new chapter in Viking history.
If I remember correctly, we are on the hook for $28 million next season whether Cousins is on the roster or not, so that does complicate things. In the case of Smith, I think it makes sense to let me go, since there are good safeties on the roster in Bynum and Metellus and maybe we can finally see something out of Cine. At QB, we unfortunately saw what the alternatives on the roster look like. All the backups showed flashes, but then came crashing back down to Earth. I think there's a case for using Cousins as a bridge for 1-year, but regardless of signing him, QB should remain the top priority in the draft. Maybe a guy like Tannehill would work as a bridge QB, but the hard part is that at 11 we are in range of taking a QB, but far from assured of getting whichever QB they want. The other thing that concerns me is that with Chicago picking again at 10, that teams will try to trade up with them to leapfrog us for a QB.
I don't really care what the timing of everything is, whether things happen today or a year from now, but re-signing Jefferson and Darrisaw should be the top priorities for this franchise, along with finding a longterm solution at QB. Period. If I were GM, that's the lens I'd be looking through. Every other transaction should be executed with those three things in mind.
@"pattersaur" said: I don't really care what the timing of everything is, whether things happen today or a year from now, but re-signing Jefferson and Darrisaw should be the top priorities for this franchise, along with finding a longterm solution at QB. Period. If I were GM, that's the lens I'd be looking through. Every other transaction should be executed with those three things in mind.
Oh, hell yea if we could find a reasonable way (none crippling) to extend JJ, Hunter, Darrisaw and Kirk I am all for it. But when you stack the 4, I lean on signing the young ins as opposed to a 36-year-old injured QB. Maybe Bryz can work his magic which would be wonderful but I think it is time to move on from Kirk. Overall, I think Kirk has earned his money, but he does need all the pieces, like most, and we have never been able to give him that. Right now, we are missing a lot of pieces (IMO). Now we have a predicament which we could all see even before Kirk's injury, right? The injury just makes it crystal clear to me. New Chapter in Viking Lore.
@"minny65" said:@"pattersaur" said: I don't really care what the timing of everything is, whether things happen today or a year from now, but re-signing Jefferson and Darrisaw should be the top priorities for this franchise, along with finding a longterm solution at QB. Period. If I were GM, that's the lens I'd be looking through. Every other transaction should be executed with those three things in mind.
Oh, hell yea if we could find a reasonable way (none crippling) to extend JJ, Hunter, Darrisaw and Kirk I am all for it. But when you stack the 4, I lean on signing the young ins as opposed to a 36-year-old injured QB. Maybe Bryz can work his magic which would be wonderful but I think it is time to move on from Kirk. Overall, I think Kirk has earned his money, but he does need all the pieces, like most, and we have never been able to give him that. Right now, we are missing a lot of pieces (IMO). Now we have a predicament which we could all see even before Kirk's injury, right? The injury just makes it crystal clear to me. New Chapter in Viking Lore.
The Vikings have more than enough cap space to sign everyone plus a couple top free agents. People always seem to forget that most of these cap numbers go down with an extension. That house clearing the Vikings did last year with Cook, Thielen, etc did a LOT of good.JJ's cap number for 24 is $19M because it's 5th year money. You extend him, that number is cut in half, or more if you want it to. Harrison Smith counts for another $19M. That number won't hit the cap. O'Neill's cap number is $22M. That will likely be restructured because he's obviously a player you want to keep long term. Hunter's cap hit is $15M. That gets cut in half with an extension. The Vikings, if they choose, can have a ridiculous amount of cap space.
Are you putting money into the future? Of course, but that's how it works. All 32 teams push money down the road based on where they are in their proverbial "window."
So that's the question: where are the Vikings in their window? If you think they're done, you don't sign Hunter or Cousins and you rebuild. If you think the Vikings can contend for a title, you bring them all back and go for it and put your financial "vision" off one more year. But that is THE question.
I would like to bring back Wonnum on a one year prove it deal, say 1Year for $3M.
@"Knucklehead" said: I would like to bring back Wonnum on a one year prove it deal, say 1Year for $3M.
I think Wonnum is going to get some attention on the market. I know if we were looking for an edge, we'd be pretty excited about a 26-year-old edge who just broke out for 8 sacks. Not sure how much the late injury will impact that tho.
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