A Pair of High-Priced Vikings UDFAs Just Didn’t Work Out
Being able to welcome offensive tackle Logan Brown and receiver/punt returner Silas Bolden to the Twin Cities wasn’t cheap.
The high-priced Vikings UDFAs had plenty of promise. Presumably, there was plenty of interest in signing them following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft. Minnesota responded by guaranteeing $244,000 within Brown’s deal. Bolden saw $205,000 baked into his contract as guaranteed cash. Neither survived the opening round of roster cuts.
High-Priced Vikings UDFAs Cut
Currently, Vikings fans should be monitoring what’s taking place within the team budget. More specifically, take a look at the dead money.
Guaranteeing money for Brown and Bolden means that they’re leaving behind cap charges even though they’re no longer finding employment in Minnesota. Yes, the guarantees within their contracts are a far cry from lots of players — one thinks of Kirk Cousins’ staggering $28.5 million in dead money last year — but they add up nevertheless.
At times, the juice appears to be worth the squeeze. Put differently, moving on from a player results in some of the budget becoming inaccessible — dead money — but the created cap space (and roster spot) is nevertheless beneficial overall.
One thinks of the recent decision to move on from defensive tackle Harrison Phillips. A rugged run-stuffer who is tremendous in the community, Phillips got shipped out in a deal that was about picking up picks as well as opening up cap room. The veteran is leaving behind a $3,626,389 cap charge in 2025. A near identical charge hits the books in 2026. So, there’s a cost to moving on.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah follows a well-travelled path following each draft.
The GM isn’t afraid of going bold, handing out some beefy contracts to land players who could have reasonably been drafted. Doing so is one way of addressing a draft pick deficit (a problem that, well, won’t be a problem in 2026). Sometimes, the approach works splendidly — Ivan Pace, Dwight McGlothern, Gabriel Murphy — but there are other times when things simply don’t work out. Dead money follows.
Silas Bolden looked like he had a great shot to get onto the team, especially after Rondale Moore’s brutal injury. The issue? Mr. Myles Price, someone who has had an excellent offseason. Curious minds may be interested to note that Price earned precisely $0 in guaranteed cash to become a Viking.
Meanwhile, Logan Brown was moving into a crowded competition. Walter Rouse has taken a step forward and Justin Skule got added as a depth OT within free agency. Brown needed to prove so promising — and potentially so versatile so as to kick inside in a pinch — as to nevertheless demand a roster spot.
In the end, that simply didn’t happen.
Both of Logan Brown and Silas Bolden are going to get opportunities in the NFL. They’re talented football players who didn’t breakthrough with the Vikings; that basic reality doesn’t mean there’s no good football ahead of them. Each one has youth on their side. And, perhaps, each could even find their way back to Minnesota someday (stranger things have happened).
In the meantime, Adofo-Mensah will be juggling the budget as today’s deadline gets closer and closer.
Some well-paid Vikings UDFAs who appear to have a good shot to get onto the final roster are QB Max Brosmer, TE Ben Yurosek, G Joe Huber, and CB Zemaiah Vaughn.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap helped with this piece.
