Let The Purge Continue!
The Vikings have begun the purge in their efforts to become cap compliant. It is long overdue and fighting the sentimentality of wanting to see the long time veteran fan favorites retire as Vikings is, frankly, silly. Many Vikings greats (and greats from other teams) did not end their careers with the team with which they started. Alan Page, Carl Eller, Ron Yary, Jon Randle, Randall McDaniel, Adrian Peterson, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, and many others ended their careers playing for other teams.
Kwesi needs to either get draft picks for some of the remaining high paid over 30 players or release them. The team needs to get younger and better. The legal tampering perido begins Monday so we see more moves before then if the team plans on trying to sign some younger free agents.
Since yore last open thread …
New Era for the Minnesota Vikings: Analyzing Adam Thielen’s Release
Vikings housecleaning continues with release of Cameron Dantzler
NFL News
Bears-Panthers trade details: No. 1 draft choice headed to Carolina for D.J. Moore, haul of picks
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/bears-panthers-trade-details-no-1-draft-pick/pvepw0653iszjuaremlw9hvr
Panthers receive
2023 No. 1 pick
Bears receive
2023 No. 9 pick
2023 No. 61 pick
2024 1st-round pick
2025 2nd-round pick
WR D.J. Moore
…
I know there are some commenters that are envious of the Bears and the job Ryan Poles did by cleaning house, being lousy, and ended up with the #1 overall pick. The job started before he got there by the previous regime who trade up for Justin Fields. Too bad Spielman did not have the guts to do that trade. Fields may ultimately flame out but he is very mobile and is able to buy lots of time.
Now, they have DJ Moore, an extra 2nd this year and two first round picks next year. Oh, and they have 98M in cap space this year too. I can see how one would be envious but being terrible last year was part of the deal. Would that have been OK?
The last wonder is did Poles not want the job because the Wilfs were forcing him to try and compete with the roster they had last year. Winning 13 games is not easy but all of those comebacks and one score victories are not something you can predict will continue. The DVOA of the team was lousy. They have the worst DVOA of any playoff team since 2016 and the 9th worst in the last 40+ years. None of the other teams on this list made it past the divisional round, though none of those teams were ranked as high as a 3-seed.
https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/dvoa-hates-minnesota-vikings/
The loss to the Giants proved this to be true. It was a mirage.
Time to continue cleaning house!
Yore Mock
A few moves first which probably will not age well
…
Season : Cap Space
2023 : ($7,436,216)
2024 : $120,221,739
…
Cut H. Smith: Saves $7,379,999
Cut Hicks: Saves $5,000,000
Cut Ham: Saves $3,050,000
Cut Reed: Saves $2,500,000
…
Trade Cook: Saves $7,898,727
Trade Z. Smith: Saves $12,156,861
…
Extend Hockenson 4 yr 58M: Saves $5,500,000
Restructure O’Neill 12M: Saves $9,000,000
…
Season : Cap Space
2023 : $45,019,959
2024 : 159,534,562
…
Extend Jefferson 4 yr 130M: Costs $7,000,000
Extend Shelley 2 yr 8.5M: Costs $1,330,000
Extend Schlottmann 2 yr 2.7M: Costs $580,000
Extend DePaola 2 yr 2.875M: Costs $664,167
…
Season : Cap Space
2023 : $36,445,792
2024 : $125,279,562
…
Sign DL Greg Gaines (26.8 years old) 3 yr 15M: Costs $2,210,000
Sign EDGE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (27.8 years old) 3 yr 18M: Costs $1,710,000
Sign CB Cam Sutton (28 years old) 3 yr 27M: Costs $2,210,000
Sign LB Germain Pratt (26.8 years old) 3 yr 30M: Costs $3,130,000
Sign S Taylor Rapp (25.2 years old) 3 yr 22.5M: Costs $3,210,000
…
Season : Cap Space
2023 : $23,975,792
2024 : $82,099,562
…
Extend Hunter 3 yr 88M (with 2 void years): Costs $5,000,000
…
Season : Cap Space
2023 : $18,975,792
2024 : $68,339,562
…
2024 Cap Hits
Jefferson: $26,000,000
Hunter: $25,00,000
O’Neill : $22,689,111
Hockenson: $14,171,000
Cousins: $12,000,000 (dead money)
Pratt: $12,000,000
Sutton: $10,920,000
Phillips: $8,833,334
Rapp: $7,920,000
Okoronkwo: $6,420,000
Gaines: $5,920,000
Shelley: $5,420,000
TRADES
Trade Partner: Miami Dolphins
Sent: Dalvin Cook Round 4 Pick 17
Received: Round 3 Pick 21; Future Round 6 Pick
…
Trade Partner: Cleveland Browns
Sent: Za’Darius Smith
Received: Round 3 Pick 35
…
Trade Partner: Kansas City Chiefs
Sent: Round 1 Pick 23
Received: Round 1 Pick 31; Round 3 Pick 32; Round 4 Pick 32
…
Trade Partner: Seattle Seahawks
Sent: Round 1 Pick 31; Round 3 Pick 24
Received: Round 2 Pick 6; Round 3 Pick 20; Round 4 Pick 21
…
Trade Partner: Arizona Cardinals
Sent: Round 3 Pick 20; Round 4 Pick 32; Future Round 3 Pick
Received: Round 3 Pick 3; Future Round 4 Pick
…
Trade Partner: Dallas Cowboys
Sent: Round 3 Pick 21
Received: Round 3 Pick 27; Round 5 Pick 26
…
Trade Partner: New England Patriots
Sent: Round 3 Pick 35
Received: Round 4 Pick 5; Round 6 Pick 15
…
Trade Partner: LA Rams
Sent: Round 5 Pick 26
Received: Round 5 Pick 42; Round 7 Pick 6
…
37: R2 P6 WR Zay Flowers – Boston College 5’9.2 172
66: R3 P3 QB Hendon Hooker – Tennessee 6’3’ 217
90: R3 P27 LB Jack Campbell – Iowa 6’4.5’ 249
95: R3 P32 EDGE Karl Brooks – Bowling Green 6’3.3’ 303
107: R4 P5 C Olusegun Oluwatimi – Michigan 6’2.4’ 309
123: R4 P21 G Andrew Vorhees – USC 6’6’ 310
158: R5 P23 RB DeWayne McBride – UAB 5’10 209
177: R5 P42 DL Jalen Redmond – Oklahoma 6’2 291
Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images
192: R6 P15 TE Zack Kuntz – Old Dominion 6’7.3’ 255
211: R6 P34 CB Cory Trice – Purdue 6’3.3’ 206
223: R7 P6 G Sidy Sow – Eastern Michigan 6’4.6’ 323
Three interior offensive linemen. Yes indeed. Cleveland may not get extended due to cost and pass blocking ability. Vorhees has to sit out this season but should be red to go next year. Sidy Sow tested great at the combine and probably goes earlier but worth a late pick.
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