The NFL's new year is upon us, which means the Vikings and every other team must be under the $208.2 million salary cap — or nearly $210 million for Minnesota when accounting for carryover space from last year — by 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Vikings are already under the cap by a hair, according to OverTheCap.com, but they'll need more space to officially sign a few free-agent additions. They're led by ex-Bills defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, who agreed to a three-year, $19.5 million contract on Monday.
The Vikings previously cleared about $20 million with two moves this week, extending quarterback Kirk Cousins' contract through 2023 and releasing nose tackle Michael Pierce.
They have five other veterans with expensive cap charges: defensive end Danielle Hunter ($26 million, including an $18 million roster bonus due Sunday), receiver Adam Thielen (nearly $17 million), linebacker Eric Kendricks ($13.5 million), safety Harrison Smith ($13.5 million) and running back Dalvin Cook ($12 million).
The team has already fit in newly-signed linebacker Jordan Hicks, who carries cap charges of $3.5 million this year and $6.5 million in 2023, as well as kicker Greg Joseph, a restricted free agent who was given the low-level tender of $2.433 million for 2022.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Vikings re-signed punter Jordan Berry to a one-year deal, in a move that will likely keep their specialists together for 2022 under new special teams coordinator Matt Daniels. Berry was eighth in the NFL last year with 27 punts inside the 20-yard line while ranking 14th in the league with a 40.8-yard net average.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell also added his first former Rams player, tight end Johnny Mundt, who has agreed to terms, the Vikings announced.
Mundt agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $2.45 million with a $200,000 signing bonus, according to a league source. While he's coming off a torn ACL suffered in October, the source said the Vikings were comfortable with that because the new athletic trainer, Tyler Williams, was a Rams assistant trainer who was familiar with his rehab. He's expected to take his physical on Friday before the deal is official.
Mundt, 27, is mainly a blocking tight end with 10 catches for 93 yards in his NFL career. He rejoins O'Connell and his former position coach in Los Angeles, new Vikings coordinator Wes Phillips. He was originally undrafted out of Oregon in 2017.
The Vikings will eventually need salary cap space to sign the rookie draft class. They currently have eight picks: a first (12th overall), a second (46th overall), a third (77th overall), a fifth (156th overall), three sixths (184th, 191st and 192nd overall) and a seventh (250th overall).
The team has 16 unrestricted free agents left on the open market, including linebacker Anthony Barr, cornerback Patrick Peterson, defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson and tight end Tyler Conklin. Two of the Vikings' free agents — safety Xavier Woods (Carolina) and center/guard Mason Cole (Pittsburgh) — agreed to new contracts this week.
