Category: Contracts

Cam Bynum recognized as a top earner in performance-based pay

Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum was recognized as a top earner in performance-based pay for the 2023 season

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the top 25 earners of performance-based pay for the 2023 season. Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum was recognized as earning the 15th-most in performance-based incentive pay with $785,489, only $154,511 short of doubling his base salary of $940,000.

After initially moving from cornerback to safety, Bynum was tasked with learning two vastly different defenses in the past two years. From the beginning of the season, it was clear he was comfortable in his role alongside safety Harrison Smith, holding down the backend.

Bynum set career highs in pass deflections (9), interceptions (2), forced fumbles (3) and tackles for loss (2).

Bynum’s breakout performance against the San Francisco 49ers helped give the Vikings a signature win at a pivotal point in the season. After a brutal 2-4 start, there were talks of Minnesota possibly being sellers at the upcoming trade deadline and essentially throwing away the rest of the 2023 season.

Bynum had other plans. He made his presence known early and caused havoc the entire day against the eventual NFC Champion 49ers. He had both of his interceptions, nine total tackles (seven solo), and two pass deflections. For his performance, Bynum was recognized as the NFC Player of the Week.

Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard gets $2.25 million deal

Before the NFL’s free agency period opened, the Minnesota Vikings re-signed iDL Jonathan Bullard. We now know it’s worth $2.25 million.

The Minnesota Vikings defense lost a lot in the NFL’s free agency period, but before the period opened, they did ensure at least one member of the 2023 defense returned in interior defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard. Bullard has been with the team for two seasons and was signed on a one-year deal to return to the team.

We now know the particulars of that deal, and it’s a deal worth a total of $2.25 million. That number includes a base salary of $1.2 million, with a $750K signing bonus, per-game roster bonuses that can add up to $250K, and a workout bonus of $50K.

This deal falls in line with a number of the deals Minnesota has put together for their recent wave of free agents, and shows that the team is interested in finding the depth players that are going to fill out their roster. Bullard has spent two seasons with the Vikings, including finding himself in the starting lineup for much of the 2023 season.

That bump in playing time saw Bullard set new career highs in both sacks and tackles. Now Bullard will look to build on that momentum on a defense that lost significant production with the free agent losses of Danielle Hunter and Jordan Hicks, among others.

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Dan Feeney gets nearly $2 million on one-year deal

The Minnesota Vikings signed former Chicago Bears reserve offensive lineman Dan Feeney to a one-year deal worth nearly $2 million.

The offensive line for the Minnesota Vikings took a lot of heat in the 2023 season, and is going to need some bolstering heading into 2024. One of the moves to strengthen the group came last week, as the team signed former Chicago Bears offensive lineman Dan Feeney to a one-year deal.

We now have the particulars on that deal, and it’s a deal worth a total of $1.8 million. That number includes a base salary of $1.21 million, with $825K of that being guaranteed. Feeney’s contract also gives him a $550K signing bonus and includes a $40K workout bonus.

Feeney began his career in Los Angeles with the Chargers, where he worked his way into the starting lineup for three seasons, starting 16 games in each season from 2018 to 2020. After four seasons with the Chargers, Feeney moved on to the New York Jets for two seasons before spending last season in Chicago with the Bears.

Feeney lost his starting job with the move to the Jets, becoming a spot starter for both the Jets and Bears. From 2021 to 2023, Feeney only made eight starts, while spending some time at tight end for the Jets.

Feeney likely slots in as a reserve guard for the Vikings, providing some insurance in the case of injury. Feeney also has experience at center, which makes him that much more valuable.

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Vikings likely lose compensatory pick with Shaquill Griffin contract

The Minnesota Vikings signed cornerback Shaquill Griffin to a one-year deal last week, and likely lost a compensatory pick in the deal.

The Minnesota Vikings made a slew of signings last week as they continue to work on the roster heading into the 2024 season. Among the moves was signing former Houston Texans cornerback Shaquill Griffin to a one-year deal. Now contract details have emerged, and some may be upset at what they show.

The Vikings ended up giving Griffin a one-year deal worth a total of $4.55 million. That number includes a $2.4 million signing bonus and a $1.59 million base salary that is fully guaranteed. The deal also includes up to $510K in per-game roster bonuses and a $50K workout bonus.

The aspect of this deal that may ruffle a few feathers is that the signing — at least temporarily — negates one of the third-round compensatory picks the Vikings would have received next year for the free agents they lost in this year’s free agency period. Minnesota could still get a compensatory pick for offensive lineman Dalton Risner if he signs elsewhere before the Monday following the NFL draft.

Griffin comes to the Vikings after spending his first four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, where he made the Pro Bowl in 2019, his third year in the league. Since leaving Seattle, Griffin has had stops in Jacksonville and Carolina before finishing last season with the Texans.

Primarily a left corner throughout most of his career, Griffin did get experience on the right side during his time in Houston. That versatility should serve him well in the Brian Flores defense, at a position the Vikings need help at.

The signing may also free up the Vikings to make an aggressive move to get their quarterback of the future in the NFL draft, as cornerback has been a popular position in mock drafts for the Vikings should they opt not to address the QB situation.

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Contract details for OLB Jihad Ward revealed

The Vikings give Jihad Ward a slightly bigger than a minimum contractr

Last week the Minnesota Vikings announced the signing of former Giants — among others — outside linebacker Jihad Ward. Now, we have more details on the contract that Ward was given from the team.

Details have emerged outlining the particulars of the Ward contract. It’s a one-year deal worth a total of $1.79 million. Included in that number is a $1.34 million base salary, with $600K of that guaranteed at signing. The deal also includes a $400K signing bonus along with $50K in workout bonuses.

The interesting detail here is that there are no performance incentives included in the deal, which may underscore the contribution the team believes they’ll get from Ward. Ward, a former second-round pick of the then-Oakland Raiders, has had trouble catching on in the league.

Ward spent only two seasons with the team that drafted him before moving on to the Indianapolis Colts. From there, Ward bounced around with the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars before landing in New York with the Giants.

Ward had somewhat of a career revival in New York, starting multiple games in a season for the first time since his rookie year of 2016. Last season with the Giants, Ward put up a career high 5 sacks, adding 9 QB hits and 5 TFLs.

Ward will likely be little more than a depth piece for the Vikings, if he sticks on the roster. However, if he can build on the momentum he had with the Giants, Ward could develop into a decent rotational pass rusher.

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Vikings give DL Jonah Williams a modest contract

The contract details for Minnesota Vikings DL Jonah Williams reveal a modest contract value.

Though the fanfare of the NFL’s free agency period has come and gone, there are still plenty of moves to be made and players to be signed. The Minnesota Vikings continue to make moves to fill out their roster, signing defensive lineman Jonah Williams last week to a one-year deal.

The specifics of that contract have now emerged, giving us a better idea of just how much the Vikings committed to their new signing. Williams signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. Included in that is a $1.1 million base salary with $250K guaranteed at signing. The deal also includes a $100K signing bonus and up to $275K in per-game bonuses and a $25K workout bonus.

Williams, originally an undrafted free agent out of Weber State, spent his first three seasons in Los Angeles with the Rams, where he worked his way into the starting lineup last season. Williams turned that starting opportunity into 49 tackles, two sacks, and four TFLs.

Williams now joins a Vikings defense that was one of the league’s best in 2023, but saw a lot of upheaval in free agency. Gone from the defense is Danielle Hunter, Marcus Davenport, Jordan Hicks, D.J. Wonnum, and Khyiris Tonga, among others. Williams is a small part in replacing those losses, but there’s more work to be done to fill out the roster.

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Harrison Smith’s new contract sparks retirement discussion

Does Harrison Smith’s contract restructure signal his retirement after the 2024 season?

Being the ultimate team player for the Minnesota Vikings has been a theme in the history of Harrison Smith’s career. He took a sizable pay cut in 2023 and did so again this season.

The details for his $5.45 million pay cut have been revealed and they are very interesting.

  • 2024 base salary dropped from $14.9 million to $1.49 million
  • $7 million signing bonus
  • $510k in per game roster bonuses
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $7.315 million, down nearly $12 million
  • 3 void years added
  • 2025 base salary dropped from $19 million to $1.255 million

The way this contract is structured leads us to believe that Smith is likely going to retire after the season. The Vikings could designate Smith as a post-June 1st cut once the 2025 league year starts and save $4.2 million on the salary cap with a cap hit of just $5,315,884.

At 35 years old, Smith is nearing the end of his career and it’s not uncommon for players to make their contracts team friendly at the end to minimize the salary cap impact. Aaron Donald did as such before he retired last week.

Aaron Jones’ contract with Vikings takes advantage of void years

The Minnesota Vikings continue to structure their contracts to be flexible, adding four void years to Aaron Jones’ deal.

The Minnesota Vikings had to find a way to maneuver with all of their free agent signings and the salary cap. What better way to do that than to create void years and spread the money out. They did that with outside linebackers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, but general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah didn’t stop there.

Running back Aaron Jones’ contract employs four void years to maintain flexibility both in 2024 and potentially beyond. Here is how Over The Cap has his contract laid out.

  • 2024 base salary: $2 million
  • $4 million signing bonus spread out over five years with four void years
  • $850K per-game roster bonus and $150K workout bonus fully guaranteed
  • $3.5 million salary cap charge in 2024
  • $3.2 million dead-cap hit in 2025

The Vikings have structured this deal for maximum flexibility but also have it built in to bring back Jones if the 2024 season goes well. Now, Jones wouldn’t be the type of player you would give a long-term extension to, but a one- or two-year deal at the right price would make sense.

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Flexibility is the theme of Jonathan Greenard’s contract

The Minneota Vikings have talked a lot about wanting flexibility and that’s what they get wit hJonathan Greenard’s contract.

The Minnesota Vikings made one of the biggest splash moves on the first day of the legal tampering period by signing outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard to a four-year, $76 million deal. Until now, his contract details weren’t known yet to the public.

That has changed, as salary cap website Over The Cap has the details on his contract.

  • 2024: $1.89 million base salary, $16.5 million signing bonus fully guaranteed
  • 2025: $18.39 million base salary, $19 million cash guaranteed
  • 2026: $18.39 million base salary
  • 2027: $18.39 million base salary
  • $510k in per-game roster bonuses and $100k in workout bonuses each year, fully guaranteed in 2024 and 2025
  • Void years in 2028 and 2029

The basis of the contract is flexibility. The contract is lower in year one than in future years (salary cap charge of $5.74 million), where the Vikings have a ton of salary cap room. Having high base salaries in each year paired with the void years will allow general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to move money around at his disposal.

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Contract terms for OLB Andrew Van Ginkel have been released

The Minnesota Vikings signed OLB Andrew Van Ginkel to a very team friendly contract with a 2024 salary cap hit of $3.4 million

The Minnesota Vikings made a lot of free-agent signings during the first wave of free agency. Arguably my favorite one of them was outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.

After playing with Brian Flores for three seasons, Van Ginkel had a breakout with the Miami Dolphins. He signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the Vikings and the terms of the contract were disclosed by The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. The deal is structured like this:

  • $7 million signing bonus spread across five years
  • 4 void years are on the deal
  • $1.78 million base salary in 2024 fully guaranteed
  • $10.78 million base salary in 2025 ($1 million fully guaranteed, $3 million more for injury only. That injury guarantee vests on third day of 2025 league year.)
  • Per game roster bonuses of $170k in 2024 and 2025
  • $50k workout bonuses in 2024 and 2025.
  • 2024 cap hit: $3.4 million
  • 2025 cap hit: $12.4 million

The Vikings adding void years to Van Ginkel’s deal signals a want to keep him around long term and also ease the cap hit for 2024 to make the math work out better.

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