Minnesota Vikings News and Links, 23 March 2023

Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.

A free agency continues to crawl forward, the Vikings are continuing with a few small signings. They gave CJ Ham a two year extension which will probably lower his cap hit this year. It is unknown what the details of his contract look like after 2023. The team also added a couple of former Rams in WR Brandon Powell and LB Troy Reeder. These deals are likely close to the minimum without much guaranteed and the players may not make the final 53 although I wish them luck.

The Harrison Smith contract details are posted on spotrac and overthecap and they show his salary reduced to 7.5M with a 500K per game roster bonus and most surprisingly, nothing done to the 2024 and 2025 years. Perhaps the two sides could not agree on those years and will revisit it next offseason when he will be 35. The cap hits are 19.2M in 2024 and 22M in 2025. Those wont happen and the team will either flat out cut Smith next year or ask him to take yet another pay cut.

Za’Darius Smith and Dalvin Cook are still on the cap with the same number. The team could leave them as is and restructure O’Neill to get some cap space to sign rookies but that does not leave much room to do an extension for JJ.

I believe that a large percentage of fans want the team to do nothing with Danielle Hunter’s contract and let him play for the 5.5M he is set to earn because he got paid when he was injured so he owes the team. I suppose the team could do that but the odds of them getting him to sign an extension next year will be very low. They could place the franchise tag om him next offseason. This year it was 19.7M for defensive ends and 20.9M for linebackers. Will he be a end or backer? Also, he’ll have a 11.24M dead money cap hit next year before they do anything so that tag will increase his cap hit to 30M which he could NOT sign until training camp if he wanted.

I think there is still work to do but they are taking their time sorting it all out.

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Since yore last open thread …

Addressing the Rumors Surrounding the Vikings

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A week into free agency, Vikings go Ham

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Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Tracker

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NFL Free Agent Trackers

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-2023-nfl-free-agency-tracker-cuts-trades-signings

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https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2023-nfl-free-agency-tracker-latest-updates-on-where-top-100-available-free-agents-are-signing/

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Yore Mock

TRADES

Trade Partner: Seattle Seahawks

Sent: Danielle Hunter

Received: Round 2 Pick 21; Round 4 Pick 21

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Trade Partner: Atlanta Falcons

Sent: Dalvin Cook

Received: Round 5 Pick 24

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Trade Partner: Pittsburgh Steelers

Sent: Round 1 Pick 23; Future Round 2 Pick

Received: Round 1 Pick 17

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Trade Partner: Cincinnati Bengals

Sent: Round 3 Pick 24

Received: Round 3 Pick 29; Round 6 Pick 29

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Trade Partner: Kansas City Chiefs

Sent: Round 4 Pick 17

Received: Round 4 Pick 32; Round 6 Pick 20

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Trade Partner: Green Bay Packers

Sent: Future Round 6 Pick

Received: Round 7 Pick 18

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17: R1 P17 QB Will Levis – Kentucky 6’3.7” 229

52: R2 P21 EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah – Kansas State 6’3.1” 255

92: R3 P29 C Joe Tippmann – Wisconsin 6’6” 313

Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

123: R4 P21 LB Owen Pappoe – Auburn 6’0.2” 225

134: R4 P32 CB Terell Smith – Minnesota 6’0.4” 204

158: R5 P23 WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton – West Virginia 6’4” 221

159: R5 P24 RB Evan Hull – Northwestern 5’10.1” 209

197: R6 P20 DL Brodric Martin – Western Kentucky 6’4.5” 337

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

206: R6 P29 CB Cory Trice – Purdue 6’3.3” 206

211: R6 P34 G Sidy Sow – Eastern Michigan 6’4.6” 323

235: R7 P18 LB Ben VanSumeren – Michigan State 6’3” 237

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