All Things 2023 Minnesota Vikings Off-Season Thread


Jalen Carter, per NFL Live, 9 lbs. heavier than his pro draft.

Drop like Moss 🤞
He also couldn't do his drills.

He has character problems and work ethic problems. He's probably very immature.

The Vikings shouldn't touch him. I'd be surprised if he's a 1st Round pick.
 


He also couldn't do his drills.

He has character problems and work ethic problems. He's probably very immature.

The Vikings shouldn't touch him. I'd be surprised if he's a 1st Round pick.
Boom or bust - but Randy was a dandy.

McShay had him down to 12th prior to his pro day., today, and it’s a big deal for the teams, as he’s unprepared - when I was a young pup, I forgot to bring a resume with me and that interview ended as quickly as it began. Fortunately it didn’t cost me millions of guaranteed money- just an azz chewing from the old man.

I will be shocked if someone doesn’t take the risk and have a Cris Carter mentor deal for him.
 
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Trade Cook. Draft a 3rd or 4th round RB, to go behind Mattison, build both lines.
Trading Cook isn't the problem, it's more trading the contract. I think they would have some takers though. Giving a good contract to a RB is one thing, giving a good contract to an RB who is a weapon in the passing game is another.

Probably a win-win for the Vikings whether they trade him or not. I'm more or less indifferent
 


He also couldn't do his drills.

He has character problems and work ethic problems. He's probably very immature.

The Vikings shouldn't touch him. I'd be surprised if he's a 1st Round pick.

I haven't dug into it at all; it will obviously come down to the in-person interviews and what teams find out after rooting around on campus and talking to everyone who has ever come into contact with him. This incident that he got arrested for, as a stand alone incident, certainly isn't enough to scare teams away. If it's just one in a sea of many incidents or concerns, he'll drop like a rock for sure.
 


It's gotta spell the end of Cook right?

I'm meh on the deal with Mattison. It's probably about right in terms of value and he is really young still. He's younger than Ty Chandler and Kene Nwangu and just a couple month older than.
 

Cancel it? No.
Why??

It serves no possible valid purpose other than to allow shenanigans.

Just keep it simple. As was proposed, the total dollars you've agreed to pay a player in that league year is their cap hit. Call it/dice it up however you want, for your own accounting/legal department. That's your business. But for cap purposes, keep it simple.
 



So as of 3pm yesterday, the Vikings had to be under the cap limit.

That's the rule? So therefore, they were.


I assume that anyone who is a free agent right now, thus does not have any kind of contract counting against the team cap limit?

But so ... like, Harrison Smith is not a free agent .... he has his contract, right now, it is what it is, and it's counting against the Vikings cap. And they're under the cap, as required. They could do nothing, and he'd be on the team with his current contract.

Right? Same with Dalvin Cook, then. And Z Smith.

Yet they're all assumed to be gone, because we need the cap room?


This stuff just seems so made up
 

Why??

It serves no possible valid purpose other than to allow shenanigans.

Just keep it simple. As was proposed, the total dollars you've agreed to pay a player in that league year is their cap hit. Call it/dice it up however you want, for your own accounting/legal department. That's your business. But for cap purposes, keep it simple.
Without a cap the NFL becomes MLB. 5 franchises spend more than everyone else and 5-10 make no effort to win. Jacksonville doesn't compete with the New York Jets in that world.
 






Of the big dominoes, we're down to Z'Darius and Cook. I have seen suggestions that the team would prefer to trade both of them in order to get some value in return. But given Z'Darius' injury history, and the declining value of the RB position, I'm not sure how much the Vikes could get back.

Still, even if it was like a 4th or a 5th-round pick, that's something.

on the cap, all I can say is that one of the beat writers tweeted out that the Vikes were compliant with league rules by the deadline - whatever the bleep that means. I assume the re-working on Cousins' contract helped a lot in that regard.
 

Cook had shoulder surgery. He can't pass a physical right now. There is no way he'll be traded.
 

Cook had shoulder surgery. He can't pass a physical right now. There is no way he'll be traded.
I saw that Zeke won’t be officially released until June1, as that lowers the cap hit; IIRC Rodgers trade won’t be official until then either.

Maybe they’re waiting until then to make those trades?
 
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Of the big dominoes, we're down to Z'Darius and Cook. I have seen suggestions that the team would prefer to trade both of them in order to get some value in return. But given Z'Darius' injury history, and the declining value of the RB position, I'm not sure how much the Vikes could get back.

Still, even if it was like a 4th or a 5th-round pick, that's something.

on the cap, all I can say is that one of the beat writers tweeted out that the Vikes were compliant with league rules by the deadline - whatever the bleep that means. I assume the re-working on Cousins' contract helped a lot in that regard.
I has to mean, by definition, that H Smith's $19+ million cap hit for 2023 was intact at the deadline. So now with the restructure we cleared up around $7 million of cap space in 23.

According to https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/harrison-smith-9839/ , if we would've cut him after June 1, we would've saved $15M in cap space and only had $3M dead cap in 2023.


Not sure I'm a fan of the move.

I don't think he's that good.
 

I saw that Zeke won’t be officially released until June1, as that lowers the cap hit; IIRC Rodgers trade won’t be official until then either.

Maybe they’re waiting until then to make those trades?
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/dalvin-cook-21782/
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/zadarius-smith-16848/

Post 6/1 numbers are better for both, but barely in Z Smith's case. Maybe all his shenanigans have burnt any good will and the team will wait now just to be petty and make it harder for him to find a new team.

Will definitely take that $11M in cap savings for Cook. Thank you very much, good luck with your new team!
 

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/dalvin-cook-21782/
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/zadarius-smith-16848/

Post 6/1 numbers are better for both, but barely in Z Smith's case. Maybe all his shenanigans have burnt any good will and the team will wait now just to be petty and make it harder for him to find a new team.

Will definitely take that $11M in cap savings for Cook. Thank you very much, good luck with your new team!
I agree that the cap has turned into its own entity and a cottage industry to boot.
They should make it simple and straightforward.
 
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just saw a tweet that "sources" have told NFL network that the Vikings are signing free agent DL Dean Lowry - formerly with the Cheeseheads. reportedly 2 yrs, $8.5-mill. Lowry had 42 QB pressures and 5 sacks in 2021.
 

just saw a tweet that "sources" have told NFL network that the Vikings are signing free agent DL Dean Lowry - formerly with the Cheeseheads. reportedly 2 yrs, $8.5-mill. Lowry had 42 QB pressures and 5 sacks in 2021.
Rotational and depth guy.
 


I"m sensing wide receiver with the first pick!
 


I love best player available, or trade back. This draft is deep at corner and pass rushers. It's a weak wr class. Our defense needs help much more than the offense. Sucks that the teams track record with corners is pretty bad.
We don't need to draft a corner or a safety. Interior DL would be great. Or edge.

Hopefully not WR.
 

Brandon Cooks traded to the cowboys for a 5th round pick. That would have been a great trade for the Vikings to make. Especially with the contract being restructured.

 

We don't need to draft a corner or a safety. Interior DL would be great. Or edge.

Hopefully not WR.
If they have a wr that they think is going to be great.......run to the podium.

With JJ, Hockenson, and the wr, and with signed book end tackles......this offense is set for years.

It opens up JJ and Hockenson, also.

Everything else is defense. Then next year, when they have a bunch of cap money, you go mostly defense in the draft, and also in free agency.
 

We have KJ already, who is just fine.

Hock and JJ did not get open because of Thielen attracting defenders ...
 




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