I am not sure about what is going on and while I do love the Murray signing for 1.3M, the lack of any activity with the defensive tackle position besides letting go of two of the three top snaps played players from 2025 is curious at best. I wont even talk about the center position.<\/p>\n
Patience is not always a virtue!<\/p>\n
The Vikings have spent very little of money on free agents (including their own) thus far.<\/p>\n
Financial Totals
Total Guaranteed Money: $26.53 million<\/p>\n
This represents the \u201cfloor\u201d of the contracts\u2014money the Vikings are legally obligated to pay regardless of roster status or injury.
Total 2026 Cash Payout: $29.42 million<\/p>\n
This is the estimated actual cash leaving the Vikings\u2019 pockets this calendar year to cover 2026 base salaries, signing bonuses, and workout bonuses for these 10 players. A little not about Jonathan Allen\u2019s signing with the Bengals and how it will impact the Vikings cap space (in a good way) in 2027.<\/p>\n Jonathan Allen had offset language in his contract whereby the Vikings would receive a cap credit (dead money reduction) in 2027 if he signed elsewhere which he did sign with the Bengals. At least he had the decency to NOT sign with the freakin stinkin Packers.<\/p>\n 1) Base Dead Money (without offset): ~$12,666,666 in 2027 dead money. A reasonable assumption (given a typical front\u2011loaded structure) is that the Bengals\u2019 2027 base salary for Allen will be something like: ~$11M\u2013$14M in cash in 2027.<\/p>\n If we apply offset language, the Vikings will get a dead\u2011money reduction equal to what Allen earns from Cincinnati in 2027.<\/p>\n \u2026 Right now, it is a bit difficult to tell between spotrac and overthecap but the team has about 10M in cap space. They should extend O\u2019Neill but I thought they should have done that last year. They should either trade or extend Greenard. If they did move him, then they likely need at least one free agent and the pickins are very slim right now.<\/p>\n I thought they might go for a safety since it is unclear if Smithis going to return or retire. I love Smith but it feels like dragging it out to me – sort of like Rodgers eh? I get it though. He probably is not sure if he wants to grind out another season. We will just have to wait. I can list a couple of possibilities but it truly is hard to know what BFlo likes. Maybe a Jabrill Peppers?<\/p>\n I am truly befuddled about the plan at defensive tackle. I get that they did not want to pay Allen and Hargrave. But they have not tried for at least one other tackle.<\/p>\n Apparently, they are going to go with Brandel, Jurgens, and presumably a rookie but they have fooled us before like when they went with 4 CBs on the final 53 last year. I will go so far as to predict the Vikings do not even draft a center. They do have Vershon Lee on a futures contract. Lee went undrafted in 2025 but was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent. He spent time on the Vikings 2025 practice squad and was promoted to the active roster, appearing in one regular\u2011season game (special teams snaps). Vershon Lee has significant experience playing center in college. At University of South Carolina, Lee appeared in 51 games with 40 starts. His starts included 18 games at center, 16 at left guard, and 6 at right tackle. He started all 13 games at center in 2024, leading the Gamecocks\u2019 offensive line with 959 snaps. I think we might be \u201cset\u201d at center.<\/p>\n I think they should go after a free agent wide receiver as well because Tai Felton is a total unknown as a receiver in the NFL.<\/p>\n I am guessing that until they take care of O\u2019Neill and Greenard Any other the signings (if any) will be probably close to the minimum.<\/p>\n At this point, it is very disappointing. If they want us to believe they can hit on their draft picks using the same people who ran the past drafts except for Kwesi then they are asking a lot.<\/p>\n As for the QB situation. I do not think there is any doubt that Murray is going to start. It is silly to say their is going to be a \u201ccompetition\u201d but even if there was, Murray should win easily. I do not think it means the end of the road for JJ here, because we do not know if the Vikings will extend Murray even if he plays really well. I imagine they would just because of the Darnold situation. I think they are not the same circumstances but, in all of this, I think the Wilfs are making sure they get what they want. I am OK with that because I probably would do the same thing. If I owned the team I would be trying to run (er., ruin) all the drafts and sign as many high priced free agents that I could every year and just continue to kick and kick the can down the road. A man can dream no?<\/p>\n Minnesota Vikings News and Links<\/p>\n Vikings Get Big Jonathan Greenard Update Amid Cowboys Speculation<\/a><\/p>\n \u201c[The Vikings are] trying to trade him,\u201d Schultz said during an appearance on 105.3 The FAN. \u201cThey\u2019ve got multiple suitors, but the issue with him is he\u2019s going to want a new deal. Anytime you have a guy that you\u2019re trading for, you have to give up draft capital. That\u2019s one part.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it becomes a lot more complicated when that player is going to want a new contract. He\u2019s got a lot of stuff to him. He\u2019s a very good player, and I think has a lot of really good football left.\u201d<\/p>\n Greenard has recorded 60 solo tackles, 37 assisted tackles, and 15 sacks over 29 games with the Vikings since joining the team in 2024, per StatMuse. Moreover, Schultz notes that the Dallas Cowboys should consider a move for Greenard.<\/p>\n \u201cTo me, that\u2019s the type of player that Dallas should go after,\u201d Schultz added. \u201cI still think they need more juice coming off the edge. He can rush, he\u2019s a really good tackler. I would be surprised if he wasn\u2019t moved, but I also know that you\u2019re going to have to pay him a big salary on a multi\u2011year deal, and that\u2019s probably why it hasn\u2019t happened just yet.\u201d \u201cI think there\u2019s a case where I don\u2019t think the Vikings really want to deal him, but it\u2019s one of those cases where if there\u2019s a team that offers enough to go get him, and I think it would be a Day 2 pick, so a second or a third,\u201d Schefter said. \u201cI think Minnesota, because of the financial questions and issues there, is going to have to consider it.\u201d<\/p>\n Furthermore, Schefter believes a trade could be coming, given that Greenard\u2019s name is out in the rumor mill and, most of the time, those names do end up in a trade at some point.<\/p>\n \u201cMy guess is, in the end, when these things usually happen, when you hear about a player that a team is open to trading, when there have been discussions, when that happens, usually a trade happens,\u201d Schefter added.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say it\u2019s probably more likely than not, but Minnesota knows how good he is, and I can tell you he isn\u2019t going to be thrilled about giving him up.\u201d<\/p>\n Cowboys trade rumor could lead to blockbuster deal for $76 million Vikings star defender<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWith Trey Hendrickson now off the board (he recently signed with the Baltimore Ravens), teams who were pursuing him now plan to pivot towards a trade for Jonathan Greenard,\u201d Forbes Evan Sidery reported on X\/Twitter Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cThe (Indianapolis) Colts, Cowboys, (Philadelphia) Eagles, and (Seattle) Seahawks figure to be in the mix with the price being a 2026 Day 2 pick.\u201d<\/p>\n With brash Kyler Murray plan, Vikings coach Kevin O\u2019Connell is doubling down on himself<\/p>\n In doing so, O\u2019Connell will demonstrate vulnerability by essentially admitting a failure. Despite a dramatic debut last September, J.J. McCarthy, the 10th selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, clearly isn\u2019t regarded (by O\u2019Connell or anyone else) as the Vikings\u2019 long-term answer at quarterback. Like O\u2019Connell, I can also relate to experiencing extreme disappointment and swallowing the accompanying fallout. Murray, too, has been humbled, and that should work to the Vikings\u2019 advantage.<\/p>\n
Detailed Breakdown by Player
Player : 2026 Cash Payout (Est.) : Guaranteed Money (Total)
Eric Wilson : $7.50M : $12.50M
Aaron Jones : $5.60M : $5.00M
James Pierre : $4.25M : $3.70M
Ivan Pace Jr.<\/a> : $3.52M : $0.00*
Tavierre Thomas : $2.30M : $2.30M
Andrew DePaola<\/a> : $1.73M : $1.73M
Kyler Murray : $1.30M : $1.30M
ERFAs (3 players) : $3.22M : $0.00*
TOTAL : $29.42M : $26.53M
*Note: RFA and ERFA tenders (Pace Jr., Redmond, Richter, Scott) typically do not become fully guaranteed until the player is on the active roster for Week 1.<\/p>\n
2) Offset Credit from Allen Signing with Bengals
Allen\u2019s reported deal with the Bengals is: 2\u202fyears, ~$26\u202fM total : Up to $28\u202fM with incentives.<\/p>\n
So:
Scenario : Allen 2027 Pay : Vikings Dead Money
Lower end estimate : $11M : ~$1.7M (12.667 \u2212 11)
Mid estimate : $12M : ~$0.667M
Higher end estimate : $14M : Dead money fully offset or even more (potentially zero)<\/p>\n
\u2026
Amid Greenard\u2019s uncertain future heading into the new league year, Schefter provided an update on the situation during a March 5 appearance on the \u201cPat McAfee Show.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2026
O\u2019Connell could have chosen a safer option with a higher floor and lower ceiling, but he locked in on the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner who\u2019s so athletically adept that he went ninth in the 2018 MLB Draft. Murray doesn\u2019t have the height most NFL teams desire when choosing a QB (he\u2019s listed at 5-10), but he\u2019s fast and elusive and has an amazing arm.
\u2026
Undoubtedly, that is what O\u2019Connell envisions. Signing Murray is a move born of arrogance, and I say that lovingly. As someone who approaches his own craft with, shall we say, a heightened sense of self, I have a soft spot for driven people who take big swings rooted in an immense faith in their own capacities.<\/p>\n