4 Vikings Cut Candidates
The Minnesota Vikings have reached the offseason. As always, there will be significant roster turnover. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is challenged to overcome close to half the roster being set to enter free agency, and the lack of draft picks could also be an issue. A positive, meanwhile, is the cap space of roughly $58 million.
4 Vikings Cut Candidates
Besides the impending free agents, the Vikings also have some guys under contract who could get cut. There are four candidates.
Garrett Bradbury
Garrett Bradbury was one of the highest-drafted centers of this generation, but he hasn’t lived up to his draft status. He has manned the middle of the offensive line for six seasons and is a decent run blocker, but his pass protection has always been a struggle.
After the disappointing playoff loss, head coach Kevin O’Connell said, “There’s no question we’ve got to find a way to be able to give a quarterback, especially with players like Justin (Jefferson), Jordan (Addison), T.J. (Hockenson), we’ve got to find a way to solidify just the interior of the pocket. There can be a thousand excuses made, whether it’s losing [Christian Darrisaw], or even midway through the game losing [Brian O’Neill] tonight, but for me, it’s the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we’re going to have to take a long look at.”
Releasing Bradbury, who signed a three-year extension a couple of years ago, would save roughly $3.6 million in cap space. His deal has an annual value of $5.25 million, which is about right for a player who has earned PFF grades in the 60s (which is about average) in five straight seasons.
Upgrading the interior offensive line puts all three starters in jeopardy, and Bradbury’s release would open some cash.
C.J. Ham
Minnesota’s second-longest tenured player (Harrison Smith) joined the club in 2016. Not every team actually has a fullback in this era of football, but the Vikings have never wavered, keeping the Minnesota-born two-time Pro Bowler on the team for almost a decade.
However, he hasn’t played on more than 25% of the snaps in a season under O’Connell. When Mike Zimmer was in charge in the previous three campaigns, he eclipsed 33% each time. The Vikings would save $2.65 million by releasing the 31-year-old.
The good news for Ham fans is that he is a team captain and an important special team member, in addition to his part-time offensive role, and he is valued within the organization.
Ed Ingram
Right guard Ed Ingram was drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft with the expectation of having the ability to solidify the interior of the offensive line.
After three years, it is fair to say he didn’t do that, and it’s unlikely he will in the future. Every offseason, Ingram is a breakout candidate, but he hasn’t made that jump.
Halfway through the season, the coaching staff decided to pull the plug and start Dalton Risner over him, and it doesn’t seem like he could come back from that, considering O’Connell’s comments regarding the offensive line and the fact that he was the third-best guard on a team with struggling guard play.
Ingram’s release would open $3.325 million.
Josh Oliver
Tight end Josh Oliver arrived in free agency a couple of years ago. He is a phenomenal run blocker but not much of a threat in the passing game, having only collected 44 catches for 471 yards and five touchdowns in two campaigns with the Vikings.
T.J. Hockenson should be fully healthy after another offseason, and having the most expensive tight end room in the league doesn’t really make much sense.
Oliver’s release would save the Vikings $5.152 million. The Vikings need to decide if his blocking skills are worth that.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt