The Minnesota Vikings continue to purge their roster as they attempt to create enough cap space to sign star wide receiver Justin Jefferson to a lucrative long-term contract.
The Vikings enjoyed a fine 2022 season as they surged to the NFC North division title on the back of a 13-4 record. However, they secured 11 wins by one score which meant many fans doubted their potential in the playoffs - and the Vikings were sent packing in the first round as the New York Giants triumphed 31-24 in Minnesota.
Minnesota are in an intriguing position; they are almost stuck in the middle of the road in terms of roster quality and Super Bowl chances, while their best player is not a quarterback. Jefferson is arguably the best receiver in the league, he led the NBA in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809) to go with eight touchdowns as the 23-year-old was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
Jefferson is the crown jewel in the Vikings’ crown, and the franchise must do everything in its power to retain his services for as long as possible. However, Minnesota must get under the salary cap, which is why the team released veteran receiver - and second-best receiving threat - Adam Thielen on Friday.
The move creates an extra $6.4million in salary cap space, although the Vikings will eat $13.6m. Thielen was the latest domino to fall after the team had already cut linebacker Eric Kendricks, while Minnesota also let go of cornerback Cam Dantzler.
According to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, veteran star safety Harrison Smith could be the next out the door. The Vikings also renegotiated the contract of guard Chris Reed, saving around $1m on the cap after he was set to enter the 2023 season with a hit of $2.75m alongside a base salary of $2.45m.
The move dropped the Vikings to only $6.5m over the cap with decisions to make on players such as Smith, linebacker Za’Darius Smith and running back Dalvin Cook among others. Smith tallied 10.0 sacks in 2022 while Cook has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the last four seasons.
Smith is in an interesting position as the edge-rusher asked for his release, thanking his teammates and fans on Twitter only for the franchise to announce they had no intention of moving on from the three-time Pro Bowler. Unfortunately, the Vikings may have no choice.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah reportedly received trade calls for Cook, and while the 27-year-old is immensely productive and popular in the locker room, a move would save the franchise $7.9m. This is all about keeping Jefferson on the books, with the 2020 first-round selection posting the most receptions (324) and receiving yardage (4,825) in NFL history through his first three seasons. He even surpassed Randy Moss last season with the most yards ever by a Vikings receiver in a single season.
With three full campaigns completed, Jefferson is able to negotiate a contract extension for the first time. The deal will almost certainly reset the wide receiver market, with the biggest deals in overall value ($140 million) and average annual salary ($30 million) belonging to Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill respectively.
Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Adofo-Mensah said: “I don't want to be the Vikings' GM without that guy on our team. So it's a high priority. We got to make sure that we do it in the order that we can do it in, obviously given all our other decisions we have to make.”
