Vikings 2024 Offseason Plan v4.0

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” – Aristotle

The day has arrived and our QB is going to see who else wants to dance. It could be he gets a significantly better offer. If not, it could be he returns and accepts the Vikings offer and terms. The fact that they still cannot agree gives reason to be concerned or to believe it is over. He could accept another offer that may be similar just because his own team would not give him what he wanted. Who knows? It means uprooting your family and moving. I still do not believe he is gone and there is still a chance he could return. Sigh.

I wanted to do this quick plan because of a debate in the last little plan I had in an open thread. The debate centered on preserving 2025 compensatory picks if Cousins and Hunter leave. Let us try a plan that tries to keep the team competitive while preserving those possible compensatory picks.

Starting Cap Space:

2024 $37,116,005 (doesn’t include Mundt signing)

2025 $139,559,530

Cut Harrison Smith – saves $13,466,469

.

Extend WR Justin Jefferson – 4 yr 140M w/ 1 void yr

Extend EDGE DJ Wonnum – 2yr 13M

Extend OG Dalton Risner – 3 yr 24M

Extend DT Jonathan Bullard – 2 yr 7M

Extend EDGE Marcus Davenport – 1 yr 2.5M

Extend OL Oli Udoh – 1 yr 1.375M

Extend OL Hakeem Adeniji – 1 yr 1.375M

Extend OL Austin Schlottmann – 1 yr 1.375M

Extend TE Johnny Mundt – 1 yr 2.5M

Extend WR Brandon Powell – 1 yr 2.5M

Pick up ERFA deal of TJ Smith – 795K

.

Sign DT Arik Armstead – 4 yr 92M

Sign LB Jerome Baker – 3 yr 24M

Sign EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah 2 yr 12M

Sign QB Jimmy Garopollo 2 yr 12M

.

Starting Cap Space:

2024 $24,299,938

2025 $62,835,414

The team could pick up the RFA tender for Brandel and Tonga but those will be 2.985M. Brandel only played 14.5% and Tonga played 16.6% of the snaps last year. They might be able to get them back for less.

All the outside free agents were cut. There is cap space to sign other cut free agents like maybe a Marques Valdes-Scantling. I doubt the team could attract Armstead without Cousins and Hunter but money does the most talking. Maybe they talk Smith into another pay cut down to around 5M but considering all the safeties recently cut and that he may want to go to a situation that has a better chance at the Super Bowl, they probably will let him go. Still, if they are doing right by him, then they should have done it already so that he has a chance to get out there and ask for a dance.

I am not going to do a roster because some of you get lost in the forest looking for the trees.

TRADES

Trade Partner: Chargers

Sent: Pick 11, 2025 1st, 2025 2nd

Received: Pick 5

…

Trade Partner: Rams

Sent: Pick 42, Pick 176

Received: Pick 52, Pick 98, Pick 217

…

Trade Partner: Bills

Sent: Pick 107, Pick 230

Received: Pick 127, Pick 133

…

Trade Partner: Saints

Sent: Pick 128

Received: Pick 149, Pick 169

…

5. Jayden Daniels QB LSU 6’4” 210

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

52. Braden Fiske DT Florida State 6’1” 292

Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

98. Jaylen Wright RB Tennessee 5’11” 210

Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

127. Khyree Jackson CB Oregon 6’4” 194

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images

133. Tanor Bortolini OC Nebraska 6’4” 303

Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

149. Mason McCormick OG South Dakota State 6’4” 309

Photo by Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

156. Trevin Wallace LB Kentucky 6’1” 237

Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

166. Ryan Flournoy WR Southeast Missouri State 6’1” 202

Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

169. Khristian Boyd DT Northern Iowa 6’2” 320

Photo by Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

187. Cedric Johnson EDGE Ole Miss 6’3” 260

Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

217. Cam Little K Arkansas 6’1” 172

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Will Daniels fall this far? Probably not but what the heck.

This plan can be modified to get another defensive tackle besides Armstead. Maybe a Derek Nnandi? He wont cost too much and would likely wipe out the comp pick for Osborn.

They could sign a Sam Darnold instead of Jimmy G but that would cost about the same and would wipe out a comp pick for maybe Hicks?

While this silly plan does get that QBOTF, the actual competitiveness of the team in 2024 does not look too promising. It is not dire though.