Vikings Off Season Plan v4.0

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Ride or die!

In this version, we will disappoint many Vikings fans by extending Kirk Cousins. It will not buy much cap relief but does help some. The cuts and restructures will also be kept to a minimal amount. There could still be some dissent about the number of restructures. I would counter that the Vikings have not been in this position since I do not know when. It is more than reasonable to expect that they may restructure a few contracts (or more) given the current cap situation.

Let’s begin with the overthecap calculator ...

Year - Salary Cap - Cap Room

2020 - $201,005,976 - ($11,366,514)

2021 - $201,005,976 - $23,333,919

2022 - $201,005,976 - $64,176,710

2023 - $201,005,976 - $121,875,976

2024 - $201,005,976 - $185,005,976

Since overthecap does not do this (that is OK) I am going to show the numbers with 6.3% added to each year starting in 2021 for projected cap increases.

You’ll notice that the Salary Cap number for 2021 went up to $213,811,952 and then each year goes up from the year before ...

Year - Salary Cap - Cap Room

2020 - $201,005,976 - ($11,366,514)

2021 - $213,811,952 - $36,139,895

2022 - $227,433,789 - $77,798,547

2023 - $241,923,466 - $136,365,653

2024 - $257,336,272 - $200,418,782

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Cut Griffen & Rhodes

Restructure Diggs 4 mil saves 3 mil

Restructure Barr 4 mil saves 3 mil

Restructure Joseph 3 mil saves 2 mil

Year - Cap Room

2020 - $17,323,486

2021 - $61,689,895

2022 - $104,148,547

2023 - $134,365,653

2024 - $200,418,782

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Extend Cousins 4 yr 132 mil with a 10 mil signing bonus, 27 mil guaranteed roster bonuses in 2021 & 2022, and restructure 15 mil of 2020 salary. He’ll get $500,000 in workout bonuses every year too.

Salaries would be

2020 - 14.5 mil, 2021 - 1.5 mil, 2022 - 2.5 mil, 2023 - 29.5 mil, 2024 - 32.5 mil

Cap hits would be ...

2020 - 21 mil, 2021 - 34 mil, 2022 - 35 mil, 2023 - 35 mil, 2024 - 38 mil

Cap saving if cut or traded would be ...

2021 - (40) mil, 2022 - (7) mil, 2023 - 25 mil, 2024 - 33 mil

Year - Cap Room

2020 - $27,323,486

2021 - $27,689,895

2022 - $69,148,547

2023 - $99,365,653

2024 - $162,418,782

Basically this is Cousins getting a 64 mil signing bonus paid 10 mil in 2020, 27 mil in 2021, and 27 mil in 2022.

He will take home 40 mil in 2020, 29 mil in 2021, 30 mil in 2022, 30 mil in 2023, and 33 mil in 2024.

It averages out to 33 mil per year. Is that good enough? Hopefully.

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Extend Harris with a 5 yr 65 mil deal with a 15 mil signing bonus and 27 mil guaranteed.

Salaries would be ...

2020 - 2.5 mil, 2021 - 9.5 mil, 2022 - 13.5 mil, 2023 - 13.5 mil, 2024 - 13.5 mil

Cap hits would be ...

2020 - 5.5 mil, 2021 - 12.5 mil, 2022 - 16.5 mil, 2023 - 16.5 mil, 2024 - 16.5 mil

Cap saving if cut or traded would be ...

2021 - 500k, 2022 - 7.5 mil, 2023 - 10.5 mil, 2024 - 13.5 mil

Year - Cap Room

2020 - $22,823,486

2021 - $16,189,895

2022 - $56,648,547

2023 - $84,865,653

2024 - $147,918,782

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Extend Alexander with a 3 yr 21 mil deal with a 6 mil signing bonus and 8 mil guaranteed.

Salaries would be ... 2020 - 2 mil, 2021 - 6 mil, 2022 - 7 mil

Cap hits would be ... 2020 - 4 mil, 2021 - 8 mil, 2022 - 9 mil

Cap saving if cut or traded would be ... 2021 - 4 mil, 2022 - 7 mil

Year - Cap Room

2020 - $19,333,486

2021 - $8,189,895

2022 - $47,648,547

2023 - $84,865,653

2024 - $147,918,782

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Extend Bailey with a 2 yr 5 mil deal with a 2 mil signing bonus.

Salaries would be ... 2020 - 1.13 mil, 2021 - 1.87 mil

Cap hits would be ... 2020 - 2.13 mil, 2021 - 2.87 mil

Cap saving if cut or traded would be ... 2021 - 130k, 2022 - 1.87 mil

Year - Cap Room

2020 - $17,713,486

2021 - $5,319,895

2022 - $47,648,547

2023 - $84,865,653

2024 - $147,918,782

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Extend Colquitt with a 2 yr 4 mil deal with a 1 mil signing bonus.

Salaries would be ... 2020 - 1.13 mil, 2021 - 1.87 mil

Cap hits would be ... 2020 - 1.63 mil, 2021 - 2.37 mil

Cap saving if cut or traded would be ... 2021 - 630k, 2022 - 1.87 mil

Year - Cap Room

2020 - $16,593,486

2021 - $2,949,895

2022 - $47,648,547

2023 - $84,865,653

2024 - $147,918,782

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Give Ham the original round tender of $2,144,000

Year - Cap Room

2020 - $14,959,486

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Give Wilson the original round tender of $2,144,000

Year - Cap Room

2020 - $13,325,486

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Extend Cook with a 2 yr 27 mil deal with a 10.5 mil signing bonus and 18 mil guaranteed.

Salaries would be ... 2020 - 1.331 mil, 2021 - 7.5 mil, 2022 - 9 mil

Cap hits would be ... 2020 - 5.521 mil, 2021 - 11 mil, 2022 - 12.5 mil

Cap saving if cut or traded would be ... 2021 - 4 mil, 2022 - 9 mil

Year - Cap Room

2020 - $9,825,486

2021 - ($8,050,105)

2022 - $35,148,547

2023 - $84,865,653

2024 - $147,918,782

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Sign Joe Thuney to a 5 year 65 mil deal with a 17.5 mil signing bonus and 26 mil guaranteed.

Salaries would be ...

2020 - 1 mil, 2021 - 7.5 mil, 2022 - 13 mil, 2023 - 13 mil, 2024 - 13 mil

Cap hits would be ...

2020 - 4.5 mil, 2021 - 11 mil, 2022 - 16.5 mil, 2023 - 16.5 mil, 2024 - 16.5 mil

Cap saving if cut or traded would be ...

2021 - (3) mil, 2022 - 6 mil, 2023 - 9.5 mil, 2024 - 13 mil

Year - Cap Room

2020 - $3,835,486

2021 - ($18,050,105)

2022 - $19,648,547

2023 - $68,365,653

2024 - $131,418,782

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Waynes, Sendejo, Kearse, Sherels, Brothers, Weatherly, Mannion, Abdullah, Treadwell, Hill, Dozier, & Jones all will enter free agency.

There is about 3.8 mil left for the rookies. If Elflein is cut they save 2.144 in 2020 as well.

Now, looking at the 2021 cap room figure we see the Vikings in the red again to the tune of 18 mil.

If they cut Reiff, Joseph, Stephen, and Kline they will get to $893,919.

They should redo Hunter’s deal and do something with Smith’s as well.

Rudolph would be another player whose contract gets examined.

But they will not have any free agents of note besides Odenigbo & Hill.

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Heading to the draft there is not really any “needs”.

The offensive line is set with Reiff, Thuney, Bradbury, Kline, & O’Neill

The defensive line is set with Hunter, Joseph, Stephen, & Odenigbo

The corners are semi-set with Hughes, Hill, Alexander, and Boyd

The safeties are set with Smith and Harris

https://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/sharedraft.php?d=ogbrmh

TRADES

DENVER BRONCOS

SENT: ROUND: 3 PICK: 25

RECEIVED: ROUND: 3 PICK: 31 & ROUND: 5 PICK: 32

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

SENT: ROUND: 3 PICK: 31

RECEIVED: ROUND: 3 PICK: 35 & ROUND: 6 PICK: 33

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

SENT: ROUND: 4 PICK: 26 & ROUND: 6 PICK: 26

RECEIVED: ROUND: 4 PICK: 11

25: R1P25 S XAVIER MCKINNEY ALABAMA 6’1” 196 JR

Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/xavier-mckinney?id=32194d43-4b54-8765-a6d9-55ca05502e6b

58: R2P26 WR JALEN REAGOR TCU 5’11” 195 JR

Photo by John Bunch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jalen-reagor?id=32195245-4133-8982-9a32-957d59a1e153

99: R3P35 QB JALEN HURTS OKLAHOMA 6’2” 210 SR

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jalen-hurts?id=32194855-5276-7022-85cf-a74490936f42

114: R4P11 DL LEKI FOTU UTAH 6’5” 330 SR

Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/leki-fotu?id=3219464f-5441-5291-4884-ed536a47d096

138: R4P35 OT TREY ADAMS WASHINGTON 6’7” 315 SR

Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/trey-adams?id=32194144-4167-9615-775d-42ed4e6da54e

178: R5P32 LB CAM BROWN PENN STATE 6’5” 230 SR

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/cameron-brown?id=32194252-4f28-7602-da68-e57df3d46cdb

212: R6P33 EDGE TREVIS GIPSON TULSA 6’4” 268 RSR

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/trevis-gipson?id=32194749-5056-4972-92bf-717d307ebaac

219: R7P5 CB LEVONTA TAYLOR FLORIDA STATE 5’10” 181 SR

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

239: R7P25 OT CALVIN THROCKMORTON OREGON 6’5” 318 SR

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/calvin-throckmorton?id=32195448-5242-0915-5394-37402191af19

253: R7P39 EDGE ALEX HIGHSMITH CHARLOTTE 6’3” 244 RSR

Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

https://charlotte49ers.com/sports/football/roster/alex-highsmith/6179

Clemson LT Jackson Carman unprompted on DL Alex Highsmith, Sept. 24 (Matt Connolly, The State):

“He was a dude. I’ve been playing football for 12 years and he’s by far the fastest off the ball I’ve ever gone against. Ever.”

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney prior to Sept. 21 contest vs. Charlotte:

“He’s on all the ‘great player’ lists. I kept watching him and going, ‘Holy cow.’ He looks like Xavier Thomas. He’s physical, fast, disruptive. He’s causing sacks and tips. Really, really good football player. That No. 5 could play for anybody in the country.”

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2019/12/11/21004838/alex-highsmith-nfl-draft-2020-prospect-profile-interview

254: R7P40 WR MASON KINSEY BERRY 5’10’’ 195 SR

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/mason-kinsey-dream-nfl-wide-receiver/

Obviously, this wont be very popular because many fans want offensive line and defensive line early and often. But with Reiff and Joseph returning there really is not a lot of openings. The interior line group in this draft is not very strong early but you can get some intriguing prospects in the mid rounds.

Adding McKinney when you extend Harris is probably going to be considered not very smart which I am guilty of being all too often. McKinney brings the wood and is able to play multiple spots in the defense and will be there when it is time for the Hitman to hang em high. The forest for the trees!

I love Reagor! He is going to be one of the fastest players at the combine and has excellent punt return abilities. His production at TCU may not have been top notch but then you have to go ahead and name their QBs when he was there. I can wait.

Hurts is a decent developmental QB even with extending Cousins.

I had to move up to get Fotu as he has been one of my favorite players all year.

Adding Trey Adams in the 4th could be a major steal if he proves healthy and continues to get back to his All American form before getting injured.

I do not know why Throckmorton is dropping in the online big boards but his versatility will prove invaluable.

Brown is a big linebacker with really good movement skills that hopefully can contribute on special teams any maybe one day start.

Taylor had a great season in 2017 and moved to safety this season. His skills could be useful in the slot.

Gipson is that mid to late round edge rusher that the Vikings like to snag who could develop into a key contributor ala Weatherly.

Highsmith is another intriguing edge rusher. Can never have enough.

Kinsey could be the next Thielen! Maybe? :)

Well, another version and this one with a Cousins extension. Have at it.

P.S. None of this will actually happen and the numbers are sure to be way way off. The players drafted will surely go way before they are selected here as well.

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