Tag: Marcus Davenport

Vikings have a contract that voids on Monday

The Vikings will need to make a decision by Monday afternoon at 3 p.m. before his contract officially voids

When teams look at bringing back free agents, some dates are important to factor in personnel decisions. With contracts that void, the dates can be all over the place. Last season, the Minnesota Vikings moved back the void date of Dalvin Tomlinson in hopes they could come to an agreement on an extension.

This season, OLB Marcus Davenport has his contract void at the beginning of the league day on Monday, February 19th. What does that mean? Once the contract voids, every dollar of cap hit that has been pushed into void years from signing bonuses hit that year’s salary cap.

For Davenport, he signed a one-year, $13 million contract with $8.5 million in signing bonuses. That means that $6.8 million will hit the salary cap in 2024, which when you look at Over The Cap, has already been factored into the Vikings cap space.

Would it be smart to bring back Davenport? That’s a good debate to have. I think it would be smart on something like a one-year, $2 million deal with heavy incentives, giving you depth at edge rusher plus a cap savings for 2024. It’s not likely that both sides make it happen, but if the contract voids, that door would likely be shut.

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7 Vikings make Pro Football Focus’ top 150 free agents list

From Kirk Cousins to K.J. Osborn, 7 Minnesota Vikings made Pro Football Focus’ top 150 free agents list.

Free agency is going to be an interesting time for the Minnesota Vikings.

When you look at the future for the Vikings, there are a lot of question marks. How will they clear cap space to add talent? Will they be aggressive in the market or prefer to keep their players in house?

Looking at that will be really interesting throughout the next few months because the success they have had over the last two years has been varied. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will have some difficult decisions to make.

The Vikings have 28 free agents this offseason and seven of them made Pro Football Focus’ top 150 free agents list.

Over The Cap finalizes comp pick projections, with good news for Saints

Over The Cap finalized their compensatory draft pick projections for 2024, with good news for the New Orleans Saints:

The analysts at Over The Cap finalized their compensatory pick projections for the 2024 NFL draft, with good news for the New Orleans Saints: right now, the Saints are predicted to receive three comp picks in this year’s event. But where will they fall?

OTC’s Nick Korte writes that one of them is basically a coin flip, with the Saints expected to receive a fourth- or fifth-round selection for losing David Onyemata to the Atlanta Falcons last season. Between the contracts and valuation of different qualifying players around the league, that pick should fall either at the end of the fourth round (around No. 134) or at the beginning of the fifth round’s comp picks (roughly No. 166). That’s a big swing, and the earlier that pick slots in, the better for New Orleans.

But that isn’t the only comp pick the Saints are expected to receive. OTC has them netting a pair of fifth-round picks as compensation for losing linebacker Kaden Elliss (to the Falcons) and defensive end Marcus Davenport (to the Minnesota Vikings) last offseason.

Assuming the Saints will get three comp picks in the fifth round (as is OTC’s official projection), here is where New Orleans expects to be picking:

  • Round 1, Pick 14
  • Round 2, Pick 45 (via Denver Broncos)
  • Round 5, Pick 148
  • Round 5, Pick 167 (compensatory)
  • Round 5, Pick 168 (compensatory)
  • Round 5, Pick 172 (compensatory)
  • Round 6, Pick 191
  • Round 6, Pick 200 (via Philadelphia Eagles)
  • Round 7, Pick 229 (via Denver Broncos)

We won’t find out for sure until comp picks are announced later this year, typically the week before free agency starts in March. Keep an eye out for confirmation and the official draft order.

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NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks brings Vikings help on defense in mock draft

NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks brings a bona fide pass rusher to Brian Flores and the Minnesota defense.

NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks released his Mock Draft 1.0 as the first 28 spots have been solidified with the conclusion of the divisional round of the playoffs.

With the 11th pick, Brooks called in some help in the pass-rush department to the Minnesota Vikings as they selected Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse.

Adding an athletic pass rusher to the lineup will enhance the Vikings’ aggressive schemes under Brian Flores. The Florida State standout flashes double-digit potential as a sack artist.

Does he ever. Verse’s strength and bend around the edge make perennial Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter the perfect player for Verse to learn under.

Or possibly replace.

Hunter, along with pass-rushers D.J. Wonnum and Marcus Davenport, is a free agent in the upcoming off-season. What to do with Hunter and his sure-to-be-expensive contract is one of the hot-button issues that the Vikings front office will navigate.

Having a possible replacement in mind may not be the worst idea. Having that replacement be of the caliber of Verse makes it even better.

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2023 Minnesota Vikings: Stock up, Stock down

With the 2023 season coming to an end, let’s see whose stocks rose and whose stocks fell for the Minnesota Vikings heading into the offseason.

What a ride the 2023 Minnesota Vikings gave us. From starting 0-3 and potentially selling the farm to winning six of the next seven, the 2023-2024 Vikings were a roller coaster of emotions from start to finish.

With the ride ending and everyone lining up to buy their reaction photos, let us recognize that there was a lot on the line for some of the players and coaches on this team beyond the box score. Some were making a case that they belong, not only in Minnesota but in the NFL. Others were looking to make their case for more money/more responsibility beyond 2024. For some, they reached and exceeded their goals this season, causing their stock to rise significantly. Others missed their marks and may find it more difficult to sell their stocks in the upcoming off-season.

Let’s look at some stocks that rose and fell along this rollercoaster of a season for the 2023 Vikings.

These 28 Vikings are free agents in 2024

The Minnesota Vikings are set to have 28 free agents in 2024, including multiple starters on offense and defense.

This offseason is going to be a pivotal one for the 2024 Minnesota Vikings.

After spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons working on getting out of some bad contracts, they have set themselves up to make some big moves in the 2024 offseason.

From the quarterback position to attacking the defensive front, the 2024 Vikings could look a lot different. However, before they make a decision on bringing in anybody new, they have to make decisions on who will be a free agent that is already on the roster.

The Vikings currently have 28 players set to be a free agent in 2024, including multiple starters on both sides of the football.

Cameron Jordan says retirement isn’t an option in 2024: ‘I love the Saints too much’

Cameron Jordan says retirement isn’t an option in 2024: ‘I love the Saints too much’

It’s been a rough year for Cameron Jordan. The New Orleans Saints’ perennial Pro Bowler fell off in 2023, finishing with just two sacks and likely missing the annual all-star event (unless he gets in as an alternate). Pro Football Focus charting ranked Jordan’s 45 quarterback pressures as the 44th-most among defensive ends around the league, despite ranking 29th in pass-rush snaps (449).

He just wasn’t productive enough. Now 34 years old (and turning 35 this summer), Jordan acknowledged that his numbers aren’t where they needed to be. But he isn’t ready to call it a career just yet.

“I love the Saints too much to retire,” Jordan told local media at his locker on Monday. “I love this locker room, I love everything about it. I’ve got too much juice to give.”

Jordan rattled off his list of complaints from the 2023 season — a lingering ankle injury that had him playing “like a freaking shell of myself” in the back half of the schedule, along with losses to the Packers, the Texans, and the Falcons in Atlanta. But he likes the way the Saints finished the season playing strong on both sides of the ball, even if he wishes that kind of consistency had manifested earlier in the season.

So he’ll be back in 2024, which makes sense when you look at his contract (he’s signed through 2025). What the plan is for him remains to be seen. Jordan remains a strong run defender, anchoring the left end of the line and tracking the ball well in the backfield, but he’s lost a step moving forwards as a pass rusher. Too often he’s a step slow to close on the quarterback and finish the sack.

Maybe the answer is moving him inside to rush against slow-footed guards, as some older defensive ends have tried around the league. Or the Saints could ask him to rush the quarterback less often altogether and focus on winning the first two downs. Jordan ranked second on the team in pass rush snaps (449) by a wide margin. Young draft picks like Marcus Davenport, Payton Turner, and Isaiah Foskey haven’t panned out. The Saints need to keep trying to find someone who can take some pressure off Jordan’s shoulders in that role.

Jordan added that he won’t be vacationing with his family in Spain like he did last summer; he’s planning to dial in and train his body so he can get back to performing at his usual standards. “There’s some things I need to clean up. And as much as I needed last offseason to happen, it takes a lot to be committed to your craft. That was great for the mentals, but I feel like in a physical aspect, and even in a team aspect, there’s more to give.”

He added, “I’m already looking forward to a revenge arc.”

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Zulgad’s four-and-out: Could miscues cost Nick Mullens his job and is Ty Chandler RB1?

Judd Zulgad breaks down multiple Minnesota Vikings storylines, including miscues with Nick Mullens and Ty Chandler as RB1.

Nick Mullens became the fourth starting quarterback this season for the Minnesota Vikings when he took over last Saturday for an overtime loss in Cincinnati.

Despite throwing two crucial interceptions in Bengals’ territory in the opening half, coach Kevin O’Connell said he saw enough to stick with the veteran for Sunday’s game against Detroit.

But is there anything that could change that? Let’s examine that issue, and a few others, in this edition of four-and-out.

Mickey Loomis’ bungled Trey Hendrickson decision is looking like one of Saints’ worst calls

Trey Hendrickson has more sacks than the entire Saints defensive line put together. Mickey Loomis’ bungled decision to let him go only looks worse with time:

Anyone who has been around the NFL as long as Mickey Loomis is going to have decisions they’re proud of and others they regret, but the New Orleans Saints general manager’s decision to let Trey Hendrickson walk away in free agency stands out as a massive blunder.

Hendrickson is closing in on his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod with the Cincinnati Bengals this season, having racked up 13.5 sacks. That’s more than the entire Saints defensive line put together: Carl Granderson (6.5), Nathan Shepherd (2.5), Cameron Jordan (2), Bryan Bresee (1.5), and Tanoh Kpassagnon (0.5) have combined for 13 sacks.

Loomis and the Saints rationalized that they could let Hendrickson leave in free agency and earmark the salary cap resources saved by letting him go for other players — namely star free safety Marcus Williams. But they were unable to agree to terms on a long-term deal and, after playing out the 2021 season on the franchise tag, Williams left in free agency a year later. On top of that, the Saints would have gotten a valuable compensatory draft pick for losing Williams (like they did for Hendrickson) but they wiped it out by signing quarterback Andy Dalton.

Of course the Williams-or-Hendrickson question was only part of the conversation. The Saints were steadfast in their belief that Marcus Davenport was going to step up in Hendrickson’s place, but his potential never materialized and he left in free agency a few years later without a fight. They drafted Payton Turner to replace Davenport and he hasn’t gotten it done, either.

So who is to blame? Does Loomis really deserve all of the criticism here? He’s the general manager and executive vice president of the team and ultimately all calls fall on him. But Sean Payton and Dennis Allen might have dirty hands here, too. Payton always had a lot of say in personnel decisions. Allen was influential on his side of the ball before being promoted to head coach, too. He would rather draft oversized defensive ends who can stop the run and call in a blitz when he needs to get pressure, so it’s easy to speculate that he was in the pay-Williams-instead camp.

Ultimately the Saints didn’t get anything they wanted out of this situation. They lost a talented player at one of the game’s most important positions as well as another young defender they drafted, developed, and prepared to play for another team. Now they have a defense that struggles to pressure quarterbacks, a series of NFL draft busts, and a fraught salary cap outlook without the benefits of stars in their prime like Hendrickson.

Payton isn’t in New Orleans any longer. Allen may not be long for the city, either, if he can’t get his squad into the playoffs with the easiest schedule and worst division in pro football for a second year in a row. That leaves Loomis as the last one to catch any heat for this whole debacle. It won’t cost him his job, but it’s an easy omen to look to when he’s being outperformed by his peers around the league.

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4 things Vikings must fix during bye week

While on a bye week, the VIkings need to fix these things

We are at the crossroads of the Minnesota Vikings 2023 season.

Sitting at 6-6, the Vikings have both looked dead in the water and like a legit threat to win the NFC North. As things sit right now, they have lost their last two games after pulling out five straight wins, all without superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

The bye week comes at a good time for the Vikings. Jefferson just came off of injured reserve and will play against the Las Vegas Raiders in week 14. It also gives players like Akayleb Evans and Marcus Davenport one more week to get back onto the field.

During the bye week, the Vikings need to fix these things.