Vikings Salary Schedule For 2023 Indicates High-Priced Defensive Players Must Go

The Vikings are in a most challenging position as far as the salary cap is concerned. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has to prepare the team for the 2023 season knowing the team has major deficiencies on the defensive side of the ball, but he has to work with the handicap of knowing that the team is more than $21 million over the salary cap.

The Vikings rank 28^th in salary cap spending among all NFL teams, while the division rival Chicago Bears are far atop those rankings. The Bears have nearly $98 million to add in salaries before they get to the salary cap.

The Detroit Lions can spend an additional $16 million before they get to the cap number, while the Green Bay Packers are in a similar position to the Vikings as they are $17 million over the cap.

On the surface, it means the Bears are in a better position to bring in talent than any other team in the league, while the Vikings are basically tied up and can do very little. That’s where Adofo-Mensah’s expertise comes into play.

He has to make some tough decisions with the roster in terms of player movement. The Vikings have eight players that command $10 million or more in average salary that are currently on the roster, and six of them are scheduled to earn $14 million or more.

To get under the salary cap – or at least in a position to acquire the kind of defensive players who will deliver significant improvement to that unit – Adofo-Mensah has to take some bold steps with these players.

Here’s a look at the eight highest paid players, along with recommendations based on what they will be able to do from this point forward.

ORT Brian O’Neill, $18.5 million (average salary) – In the past, paying the right tackle this kind of money would have been considered overspending. O’Neill does not protect Kirk Cousins’ blind side, but he did an amazing job on the right side of the line.

The problem for O’Neill is the partially torn Achilles he suffered late in the season. If all goes well, he will be able to man the right tackle spot at the start of the 2023 season. When healthy, O’Neill is an excellent performer at his position, and he will remain with the team through the 2027, according to the terms of his 5-year, $92 million contract.

OLB Danielle Hunter, $14.4 million (average salary) – Based on expectations that the team had for Hunter in the 2022 season, it would seem that money earmarked for his salary would be better spent on another player. Hunter was one of the most dynamic pass rushers in the league 2018 and 2019 when he had 14.5 sacks in each of those seasons. Injuries limited him to 7 games in 2020 and 2021, but he was healthy last season. While he led the team with 10.5 sacks, he was not the player he was prior to his injury-ravaged seasons. It seems very unlikely that he can rise to that level once again.

WR Adam Thielen, $16.05 million (average salary) – He has displayed great hands, outstanding route running and he helped acclimate Justin Jefferson into to the Vikings offensive system. However, the emergence of T.J. Hockenson at tight end and K.J. Osborn at wide receiver means that Thielen may rank no better than fourth among Minnesota’s pass catchers. He is not worth the kind of money the Vikings are paying him, and he may have to take a significant pay cut to stay with the team.

FS Harrison Smith, $16 million (average salary) – Smith is one of the smartest and sharpest players on the team, but he is not the impact player he once was at the age of 34. While he can serve as a coach on the field because of his knowledge and leadership, he doesn’t bring enough in the playmaking area at this point.

RB Dalvin Cook, $12.6 million (average salary) – There is quite a bit of concern about Cook at this point in his career because he was not as productive or as consistent in 2022 as he was in prior seasons. However, he was playing with a dislocated should that needed surgery. Running backs tend to have a short shelf life in the NFL, but the feeling here is that Cook remains a special athlete who can get back to top form in 2023. He needs to remain a fixture in the offense.

ILB Erik Kendricks, $10 million (average salary) – The Vikings biggest weaknesses on defense were on the pass rush and in the secondary, but that does not absolve Kendricks of blame. While he led the team in tackles with 137, he did not create big plays. He had one sack, one fumble recovery and no forced fumbles or interceptions. Those numbers are not good enough.

OLB Za’Darius Smith, $14 million (average salary) – Smith started the season as if was going to dominate the pass rush, but he was just ordinary in the second half of the season. The 30-year-old former Packer finished the year with 10.0 sacks, and the belief here is that he will not reach double figures in that area again.

QB Kirk Cousins, $35 million (average salary) – The team is married to Cousins as both Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell believe in him. There is little chance the Vikings .will opt to go in another direction. While the public may still have doubts about Cousins, team management believes in him and that is not likely to change in 2023.