The Vikings are in the midst of a cash-strapped offseason where the team will have to replace long-time contributors with younger, more inexperienced talent.
An update on the team’s 2021 salary cap space should make things more difficult. Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald has the Vikings with just over $9.3 in 2021 salary cap space (as reported by Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press).
It’s important to note that the Vikings are restructuring with LB Anthony Barr to lower his 2021 salary, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Although, that is not official yet, so it’s not included in this salary cap total.
The Vikings’ cap total is down from the previous estimate of about $10.1 million. Fitzgerald said that there is a salary-cap hold for workout bonuses of about $800,000 that kicks in March 17, so he has added it now.
So around $9.3 million is a better estimate as to what the Vikings will have in salary cap space heading into the official free agency. That’s not a lot to work with, considering the team will have to sign its draft class, in addition to undrafted free agents. Expect Minnesota to make more cutbacks on pricey contracts in the future. The Vikings will likely have to do so to free up more space.