Cap Ammo Ngakoue’d

FILE - This Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019 file photo shows Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (91) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Indianapolis. The Jaguars have agreed to send Ngakoue to the Minnesota Vikings for a second-round draft pick in 2021 and a conditional fifth-rounder in 2022, a person familiar with the trade said Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Vikings have pulled the trigger with the current remainder of available 2020 cap space. Forced fumbles are on order. “Yann,” pronounced the same as the spelling with a “j,” as in, “Jan,” has led forced fumbles among young ends, similar to Danielle Hunter on the sacks stat. According to pro-football-reference.com, over last four years, Yann is 4th in forced fumbles, with 14, following only: Chandler Jones’ 17, Khalil Mack’s 17, and T.J. Watt’s 15. Yann worked his way to start as a 3rd round draftee in 2016, tearing and detaching the pigskin out from opposing team’s limbs and scoring, along the way.

The Vikes can expect at least a couple more of these possession-raid opportunities, this season. Paul Allen, Voice of the Vikings, might develop a new forced fumble phrase to cry out, to let fans know we have another one, with an ensuing scrum to change possession.

The Ngakoue acquisition costs the Vikings a 2nd round pick in 2021, with Ngakoue contributing to deal-feasibility by accepting a discount to the previous salary terms, that he had, and giving the Vikings the, effective, option to retain contract control for 2021, at close to the same 12Mil USD. As we had some bounty of draft capital, with two 3rd and three 4th round picks in 2021, management put the authorization from owners to spend the remaining cap to this, apparent, best use and opportunity. There is, also, the cost of a 4th round pick in 2022, on this deal, if Yann makes the pro bowl. More money for contracts, this year, could be freed up with restructuring of certain players’ contracts, which might be worthwhile, even if most likely, just, to restructure, other, existing players’ contracts; predicting the COVID revenue impact is a challenge in that science.

The Vikings rarely acquire major talent from other teams, preferring, generally, the stronger position of a program focus on building talent. However, in Ngakoue, management may see farm value of a player who can imbue skills to our next generation, a potential great mentor for Wonnum, and other young DEs. We could also see both the left and right ends cross training their respective stat-dominating skills, Hunter adding FF and strips and Yann increasing sacks; both are renowned as dedicated students of the game.

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