The Flurry of Vikings News is Just Getting Started
By necessity, Vikings fans are being more patient than they’d like to be.
So far, the firm news has involved seeing Theo Jackson return. And then there was the Alexander Mattison cut. The next signings appear pretty straightforward, with RFAs/ERFAs like Blake Brandel and Nick Muse looking like locks to stick around. Otherwise, the Vikings news has been pretty scarce. Or, at least, it’s been hard to come by in terms of firm decisions. Expect things to change very soon.
The Flurry of Vikings News Will Be Arriving Soon
Right off the top, the obvious: on Monday, March 11th, the NFL will move into its legal tampering period. Free agents will be able to officially flirt with other teams, allowing for a verbal agreement to be reached.
So, that day provides a notable checkpoint for the offseason. Minnesota won’t complete all of its potential business — extensions, cuts, restructures, etc. — prior to that day, but the GM will be looking to get some of his work done beforehand.
Of course, the major three names — Justin Jefferson, Danielle Hunter, and Kirk Cousins — are on everyone’s mind. Remember that Minnesota doesn’t need to do anything with Jefferson’s deal prior to free agency since the receiver is still under contract for 2024 (and they even have the franchise tag in their back pocket).
Hunter and Cousins, though, will need contract resolutions by March 13th. Seeing things go beyond that date would mean the dead money from their contracts gets locked into place, meaning their departure is close to certain.
The same can be said for Marcus Davenport, who is similarly staring down a March 13th deadline.
And while firm decisions on these players could arrive at any time, don’t be surprised if the extensions only arrive within the 52-hour window from March 11th to 13th. Waiting until the 11th hour grants both parties — the team and player — the added insight from seeing what the NFL is willing to offer for that person’s services.
But then one also thinks of the cut candidates. Last year, Eric Kendricks was cut on March 6th whereas Adam Thielen was cut on March 10th. Those two players were/are franchise legends, so they function as crucial data points when it comes to estimating when the team will announce a firm decision on Harrison Smith. If Smith is going to be cut, we’re likely going to hear about the decision next week. Pursuing that timeline allows the team to recoup money prior to free agency while providing the player with some runway leading into a chaotic week.
And then there are the lesser discussed extension candidates. Adding more years onto Byron Murphy’s deal seems prudent. The 26-year-old corner can see his 2024 cap hit decrease by $6.38 million if there’s an extension. And then one thinks of Harrison Phillips, 28, as another extension candidate, someone who could see his cap charge go down by $4.3 million in 2024.
The Vikings are sitting on roughly $39-$40 million in cap space, which is more than enough to do damage in free agency. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will always welcome more, though, especially if he plans on reeling in several major players.
For the past couple months, the Vikings have forced onlookers to sit in the calm before the storm. Everyone can see the roster needs, the cap hurdles, the unresolved contract disputes, and the potential to add talent. Minnesota has quietly been working behind the scenes in preparation for what should be a very eventful couple weeks ahead.
As always, the crew at PurplePTSD is going to be doing plenty of work to keep readers informed on what’s going on with the Minnesota Vikings. Keep swinging by to make sure you’re up to date.
Editor’s Note: Information from 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.