The Minnesota Vikings have a chance to be 6-1 entering the trade deadline after the conclusion of week eight. That raises the question as to whether the Vikings should be buyers at the trade deadline.
We have explored this in a few pieces this week.
However, that doesn’t always mean that a presumed fit should be acted on. There are numerous reasons that trades don’t get acted on and the main one is the salary cap.
According to Over the Cap, a website that is dedicated to breaking down the salary cap and its nuances, the Vikings currently sit last in the National Football League with only $862,928.
Along with that, the Vikings are projected to be 24th in cap space heading into 2023 with $6,612,524 in available cap space with only 42 players under contract. The number is so low because the Vikings restructured the contracts of Adam Thielen and Danielle Hunter and pushed their money into future years.
Could the Vikings make some more money open up this year to make a move? Absolutely they can. Dalvin Cook, Brian O’Neill and Eric Kendricks can all be restructured to create space but both Cook and Kendricks aren’t likely to be with the team long-term after this season.
They could also extend a player to create space. Dalvin Tomlinson is one that could see an extension because he has played so dominantly this season. Him and of course, there is the option of extending the least controversial figure in all of Minnesota sports, Kirk Cousins.
The Vikings could go all out and try to make a splashy move but it would come at a (likely) major cost. The Vikings will likely stay pat unless they can acquire a player for little financial cost like Ross Blacklock or Jalen Reagor.
