Recapping a Busy 2nd Day of Negotiations for the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the more active teams during the NFL’s “legal tampering period”. With all the moves that have happened, it could be tough to keep track of everything going on as it happens. This morning, after the dust has settled, we’re going to recap all the Vikings events of a busy 2nd day of negotiations.
Multiple Players Re-Signed
After bringing in a number of new players on Monday, the main theme of Tuesday was continuity. The Minnesota Vikings agreed to new contracts with a number of familiar faces sticking around. There are four players who received new deals, and the links will take you to the full details of the contracts:
Most notably, the Vikings are now in position to keep their full special teams trio of kicker, long-snapper, and punter in place for 2023 after these moves. In addition, the center, right guard, and right tackle positions are now seemingly set in stone for the foreseeable future.
Kirk Cousins Conversion
Amidst some of the re-signings, an already contracted player agreed to help open up more cap space for this offseason. QB Kirk Cousins and the Vikings agreed to a truly massive contract conversion, which freed up $16 million in cap space for this offseason.
This move was what got the Vikings over the hump in terms of the salary cap before the deadline ahead of free agency’s official start. It also creates two more void years on Cousins’ contract and gives him a huge “dead money” cap hit of $28.5 million in 2024 if he is no longer on the team.
CB Byron Murphy Gets 2-Year Deal
“After Dark” Kwesi Adofoh-Mensah struck again on Tuesday. In the late-night hours of Tuesday night, the Vikings agreed to terms with a big-time free agent cornerback, Byron Murphy, on a two-year contract worth $22 million.
Finding a starting caliber CB was arguably the biggest need for the Vikings this offseason, and Adofo-Mensah didn’t mess around by trying to fill the need with a middling veteran or a draft pick. Instead, he grabbed one of the more versatile CBs in the league on a contract that won’t break the bank.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
