Vikings Are Still $9.5M Over The Cap Even With Adam Thielen Departure

First Eric Kendricks and now Adam Thielen. The Vikings have cut ties with two of their most popular players, and both have had memorable and productive careers.

That’s what has to happen for a team that is still nearly $9.5 million over the salary cap as the new league year approaches. By 4 p.m. Eastern Time on March 15, the Vikings must have reached the salary cap, and that may not be enough.

The Vikings have to be able to make at least one or two key signings in free agency if they have any chance to put together a defense that complements the offense and gives the team a chance to compete for NFC superiority.

So that means general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has more work to do, meaning that other salaries must be pared from the roster.

A contract extension for Kirk Cousins would allow some salary cap relief, if the extension would spread a lower cap number across a number of years. Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell have expressed admiration for Cousins, his leadership and his production, and if they are being truthful, there’s no reason not to extend him. Cousins has a cap number of $36.25 million for the 2023 season.

Of course, working out terms of a contract can be a painstaking process in the best of circumstances, and if that is the tact the Vikings are going to take, this is something that must have been in the works for quite a while.

It’s not something that can be realistically started and concluded in days or hours. Usually, the approaching deadline will be the time any extension is completed, but the process needs to have been started earlier.

The Vikings seem to be all about creating a positive atmosphere, and that’s a good thing. But when veteran players are let go, it’s an obstacle that can lead to resentment and bitter feelings. While this is a way of life in the NFL and nearly all teams will discard veteran players at a certain point, it is not easy for friends and coworkers of Kendricks and Thielen to live with.

The business of the NFL can be quite cruel, and players know this going in. It gets reinforced on a regular basis, so the win at all costs attitude that teams and so many players project may be less about winning games and more about keeping one’s job.

General managers and coaches have to win to keep their jobs. So do highly paid quarterbacks and other superstars. The large majority of players also say they want to win, but the important thing is to stay healthy and stay employed.

The legal tampering period will start Monday, March 13. Teams can begin the process of negotiating contracts with free agents at that point, and they can sign those free agents as early as Wednesday, March 15. That’s the start of the new league year.

To the uninitiated, that’s when the NFL celebrates “New Year’s Day.” Many teams started preparing for the upcoming season as soon as they played their last game – or even prior to that – but the new league years represents the time when free agents can sign new contracts for the upcoming season.

When the Vikings get on the right side of the salary cap – that’s not an if, because it is mandatory – they can consider signing free agents.

Nose tackle Javon Hargrave and cornerback James Bradberry of the Philadelphia Eagles have to be considered, and so does defensive back Jamel Dean of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If the Vikings truly want to change the personality of the defense and give new defensive coordinator Brian Flores an aggressive signature player, Minnesota would be wise to consider middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds of the Buffalo Bills.

Edmunds is a tackling machine who has been to the Pro Bowl twice and has five 100-plus tackles seasons to his credit. He also has 32 tackles for loss, 35 passes defensed and 5 interceptions to his credit over the course of his career.

Even with the Kendricks and Thielen moves, time is growing short and Adofo-Mensah must do more.