The Vikings Make it Official
Once a team’s social media gets into the mix, pen has been put to paper. So, the Vikings have made it official with Eric Wilson (Janik Eckardt discussed initial news earlier).
Alongside a devilish purple emoji, the team’s social media offered a gleeful word: “He’s baaaaack.” A touch more official was the quick line to follow: “The #Vikings have agreed to terms to re-sign [Eric Wilson].”
Vikings Make it Official with Eric Wilson
Not too often, folks, does a defender break out after being in the NFL for close to decade, much less when one is already 31. Working under the tutelage of DC Brian Flores, “The Mad Scientist,” led to good things for the veteran linebacker.
Mr. Wilson quickly earned a spot in the starting lineup. At first, Wilson’s ascent was due to injury, but that quickly faded away once it became apparent what he was capable of doing. The linebacker finished his season with 115 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and 4 forced fumbles.
Mike Garofolo of The NFL Network jumps in with some contract details: “The #Vikings and LB Eric Wilson have agreed to terms on a three-year, $22.5 million deal with $12.5 million fully guaranteed, source says. In his second stint in Minnesota, more than doubles his previous average per year.”
Sean Borman, who does work for Vikings Territory, offered some thoughts on the financial end of things: “At first glance, looks like a strong deal for Wilson at his age. Also Important to keep in mind $7.5M APY doesn’t crack top-20 at ILB.”
To my eye, what’s most fascinating is the team-building implications.
LB1 Blake Cashman is journeying into the final year on his contract. An extension made a lot of sense if there was no Wilson deal, but the medium-money sent over to the former UDFA makes things trickier. Do the Vikings really invest in a pair of older ‘backers?
To be sure, both are great players, but getting leaner, meaner, and more youthful appears to be wise. Accordingly, what happens with Mr. Cashman?
Quite possibly, the pivot is to pickup a young linebacker in the draft. Minnesota can slowly bring him along with Cashman and Wilson as the in-house veterans to soak up snaps in 2026. In a year or two, the transition toward the young fella can be done by moving on from Cashman and by lowering Wilson’s responsibilities.
Just a theory, not an ironclad reality.
Consider, as well, the news of Ivan Pace being tendered. A trade still appears likely, but we’ll see. He’s young and aggressive, making him a fascinating fit in Minnesota even if his game has flaws. I still think that a Day 3 selection gets sent to Minnesota for him.
If there’s any confusion on the timing, note that Eric Wilson was an in-house talent, allowing the Vikings to get the deal done now.
Negotiating with a current employee is allowed in the NFL; negotiating with another team’s employee isn’t. That’s where “legal tampering” gets shoehorned into the mix, the period of time when verbal agreements get figured out but contracts can’t be signed.
Free agents are “free” since their deals expire at the beginning of the new league year. That’s when teams officially lose players to other teams since the departing talent is no longer under contract as an employee.
More to come. Lots of Vikings roster needs as free agency’s legal tampering gets rolling in a matter of minutes. Keep swinging by PurplePTSD and Vikings Territory.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
