Tag: Star Tribune

Vikings expected to be patient prior to trade deadline before Week 10

Minnesota might be in a wait-and-see approach when it comes to making trades.

After dropping their second game in a row, some Viking fans are hoping to see Minnesota make some moves before the trade deadline — especially after star left tackle Christian Darrisaw is now out for the season.

But according to Ben Goessling with the Star Tribune, he expects the Vikings to be patient and be in a wait-and-see approach until after the Colts’ game on Sunday Night Football.

“The NFL’s decision to move its trade deadline back by one week means the Vikings will play once more, at home next Sunday night against the Colts, before deciding how aggressive they want to be in pursuit of upgrades for their 2024 roster.”

Minnesota could use some help in different areas. Of course, the offensive line remains a concern. Will Dalton Risner get the first shot at either left tackle or left guard, while moving Blake Brandel over? But what about the right guard position that has been a struggle all season? Then on defense, it’s clear the Vikings need some interior help on the line, and could use some help in the secondary.

Fans will have to wait and see what happens.

Could a reunion between Adam Thielen and the Vikings be on the horizon?

If wide receiver Adam Thielen is cut from the Carolina Panthers, could he reunite with the Minnesota Vikings? One beat writer thinks so.

Could a reunion between the Minnesota Vikings and one of their most beloved players in recent memory be in the works? One Vikings beat writer seems to think so. Star Tribune’s Vikings beat writer Ben Goessling has begun connecting the dots and believes the idea of a reunion is a real possibility.

Thielen is still under contract with the Carolina Panthers, but with some recent additions to the wide receiver corps, he could find himself as the odd man out. Returning to Minnesota would make a lot of sense for both sides if Thielen were to be cut before the NFL’s roster cut-down day.

The veteran wide receiver spent the first nine years of his career with the Vikings, notching back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2017 and 2018 on his way to his only two Pro Bowl selections. Thielen served as the team’s #2 option during the first three years of Justin Jefferson’s career, dropping off from his 1,000-yard pace but putting up double-digit touchdowns in both 2020 and 2021.

Thielen isn’t the wide receiver he once was during his early years with the Vikings. But that doesn’t mean he’s not still productive. Thielen had over 1,000 yards last year in a struggling Panthers offense as the team’s primary receiving option, which certainly wouldn’t be the case in Minnesota.

In this scenario, Thielen would come in and likely compete for the Vikings’ third wide receiver position, which could certainly use the competition. Thielen would add a veteran presence to the group and could provide a perfect complement to the duo of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

Thielen could also slide into the WR2 spot in the event of Addison’s suspension due to a DUI arrest earlier this month, reuniting with Justin Jefferson as the Vikings 1-2 punch.

Nothing is certain as of yet, but it’s definitely an exciting scenario for Vikings fans to keep an eye on. Thielen would likely be well received if he returned to Minnesota after a release from the Panthers.

Johnny Mundt contract terms revealed

Details of Johnny Mundt’s contract revealed by the Star Tribune

When the Minnesota Vikings re-signed Johnny Mundt to a one-year contract, the details of the deal were mostly unknown.

The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling gave a more in-depth look at the terms of the re-signing. According to Goessling, Mundt will earn $2 million this year with a $1.125 million base salary, $85,000 in per-game roster bonuses and $40,000 in workout bonuses. He also has a $750,000 signing bonus and up to $500,000 in performance incentives.

Slightly over the predicted number of $1.5 million, Mundt’s cap hit will be $2 million.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell labeled Mundt “the best tight end three” in the NFL, and the front office rewarded him as such. Since joining the Vikings in 2022, Mundt has been a consistent contributor to the offense behind T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver.

With Hockenson’s return up in the air, the Vikings needed to secure depth in the tight end room. Because of his familiarity with the system and O’Connell, Mundt’s deal was a priority this offseason for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings brass.

[lawrence-related id=91877,91858,91851,91863,91752,91845,91840,91837,91832,91821]

Report: Za’Darius Smith’s is putting his house up for sale

Could the Vikings be moving on from their star edge rusher?

When players are preparing to leave a team or have already left via trade or free agency, they will put their house up for sale. It’s very common, especially since a lot of the top players have residences in other states.

What we weren’t necessarily expecting was for Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Za’Darius Smith doing just that. According to The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling, Smith has put his house up for sale in Eagan.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Smith is gone, but it is curious. Currently, Smith is set to count $15.490,195 against the cap. However, they could save $12,156,861 by either releasing or trading him.

The one key date for Smith is the fifth day of the league year March 19th. That is when $5.05 million of his $9.45 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed.

Even though he only had 0.5 sacks in the second half of the season, Smith still finished in the top five in the NFL with 80 pressures per PFF and the lack of sack production was him seeing constant double teams that opened things up for Danielle Hunter.

The other question is whether Brian Flores wants to have Smith on the roster next year or would he prefer to invest in the secondary with his schemed designed to bring pressure without elite talent. This answer will say a lot about the direction of the defense next season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1376]

Analysis of Vikings paying roster bonus for Danielle Hunter

A deep dive into the Vikings’ decision to pay the $18 million roster bonus for Danielle Hunter

The Minnesota Vikings have been in a state of flux when it comes to the salary cap. They started the offseason $15 million over the cap limit and had some work to do in regards to trimming that number down.

The first move they made was giving quarterback Kirk Cousins a one-year extension, which gave the team $14 million of cap relief. They also maneuvered by restructuring the contracts of safety Harrison Smith and wideout Adam Thielen.

However, the biggest elephant in the room was edge rusher Danielle Hunter.

Due an $18 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year, Hunter is set to have a 2022 cap charge of $25.83 million, per Over The Cap. The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling reported on Saturday that the Vikings still have some flexibility regarding the roster bonus.

The key verbiage here is that the roster bonus becomes fully guaranteed this weekend but isn’t paid out right away.

Why does this matter? Per another tweet from Goessling later in the thread, he goes into detail about the bonus itself being more flexible.

The Vikings, who currently sit in the neighborhood of $9 million under the cap, still have their draft class to sign, which will cost them upwards of $7 million with numerous holes to fill on both sides of the ball.

They could very well sit on Hunter’s roster bonus and take the cap hit this year to give them more flexibility down the line. The cap hit for next season in this scenario would be $8.62 million, per Over The Cap. At any time, they can still create up to $13.5 million in cap room by converting all $18 million into a signing bonus.

The argument against making such a move is that it limits the flexibility the Vikings have moving forward. As of now, Hunter has two void years on his current contract. The more money you push down the line, the harder it will be to keep and acquire talent.

One element from Goessling’s tweet is how the bonus itself is structured. Hunter still has to report to training camp on time to earn it, and $6 million of it is due within 10 days of his camp report date.

This will be a really big decision for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the front office. Even if the roster bonus fully guarantees, it doesn’t mean that a trade is off the table, as it can be very easily maneuvered and manipulated to accommodate nearly any scenario.

[listicle id=61223]