As Baltimore Reaches a Boiling Point, Minnesota Must Prepare to Swoop In
K. Joudry
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If things proceed as expected, the Baltimore Ravens will end up in the AFC Championship Game. That contest will come against either the Chiefs or Bills, with the successful combatant getting the nod to represent the conference in the Super Bowl.
If he gets there, John Harbaugh will get the chance to add another ring to his finger.
No doubt, the Ravens have done an excellent job of constructing their roster in 2023 (with one of their most recent transactions being for Mr. Dalvin Cook). A byproduct of that success, though, is a potential cap crunch in the coming offseason. Some discrepancy exists between a pair of salary cap websites — Spotrac estimates $5.65M for 2024 while Over the Cap puts Baltimore’s effective cap space at roughly $9.6M for 2024 — the broad takeaway remains: the budget is about to get snug in Maryland.
With Baltimore Reaching a Boiling Point, Minnesota Must Get the Money Ready
Every NFL team is in perpetual pursuit of success. The only difference is when that success is most likely to arrive.
A team like Minnesota is putting all of its focus into the future since their lousy play in the season’s final weeks undermined any chance of immediate success. The Baltimore Ravens, in contrast, have a wonderful shot at climbing Mount Lombardi in less than a month.
Being able to sustain their current dominance into 2024, however, isn’t a sure thing (especially in an AFC that’s loaded with QB talent).
Yes, Lamar Jackson — who is likely to win MVP — will be around, and so too will excellent players like Marlon Humphrey, Mark Andrews, and Roquan Smith (among others).
The only issue is that these guys are demanding significant money, with the QB leading the way at a $32.4 million cap charge. The corner, though, is no slouch, demanding close to $22.9 million while the tight end is projected to account for a bit beyond $16.9 million. Mr. Smith, the talented linebacker, currently carries a $13.5 million cap hit.
Oh, and then there’s Ronnie Stanley’s projected $26.2 million cap charge. And let’s not forget Marcus Williams coming in at $18.7 million. See the issue?
In a lot of ways, folks, that’s just the cost of doing business. Picking up a ton of young, dynamic talent means picking up a ton of hearty, expensive cap charges. Actually winning the Super Bowl next month would certainly assuage any concerns about a future budget being tight.
Meanwhile, the money men in Eagan will be preparing the finances for ways to pursue future success, thus mimicking what the Ravens are doing in the present moment. Part of the plan may even involve swooping in to pluck away some of the talent.
Consider, for instance, someone like Justin Madubuike (whom we discussed previously). The 26-year-old defensive tackle has developed into one of the NFL’s foremost pass rushers. During the regular season, he had 13 sacks to go alongside a stunning 33 QB hits.
The Vikings haven’t had someone capable of putting up that kind of pass rush prowess since the days of Kevin Williams. No doubt, there have been some wonderful defensive tackles — Linval Joseph, Dalvin Tomlinson, and even Harrison Phillips — but none with the pass-rushing upside of a Madubuike.
The DT certainly looks like a marvellous fit for the Vikings, but he’s not alone. Corner Rock-Ya Sin, running back JK Dobbins (at the right price), and linebacker Patrick Queen (among others) could all fill positions of need. After all, the corner is 27, the running back is 25, and the linebacker is 24.
In January, speculation can run rampant while considering what lies ahead for a team like the Vikings (examples: Kirk Cousins to Miami, Russell Wilson to Minnesota, Caleb Williams becoming a Viking, Justin Jefferson being traded, and certainly many other topics). Something we know for certain, though, is that the Vikings will be taking a very keen interest in how the playoffs unfold.
The upcoming games will function as critical bits evidence for how to build a winner while similarly offering more opportunity to scout upcoming free agents. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell will be watching closely.
Baltimore plays on Saturday, January 20th against the Houston Texans. The game begins at 3:30 CST.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, Spotrac, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.