Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah must have watched some HGTV before this off-season because there’s been some renovation.
It started early in the off-season when the Vikings released veterans Adam Thielen and Eric Kendricks to save some cap space. Earlier this month, the Vikings continued to renovate by trading pass rusher Za’Darius Smith and running back Dalvin Cook.
All these moves were part of the Vikings bigger picture approach to teambuilding.
The Vikings are not interested in tearing the roster down to bare bones and rebuilding. As a result, they likely won’t be in the market for a top quarterback during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Instead, the Vikings are undergoing a “competitive rebuild.”
Aging veterans – like Thielen and Kendricks – are being ushered out of Minnesota and, in their place, will be young players with a ceiling. Think Jordan Addison, Brian Asamoah, and Marcus Davenport.
Despite the busy off-season, the Vikings shouldn’t be done making moves. Plenty of dominoes will have to fall between now and the start of the 2023 regular season, including two major extensions for their core.
While the blueprint likely won’t be available outside the Vikings’ front office, here are the three dominoes the Vikings will have to figure out between now and September.
1. Extend Danielle Hunter
To be blunt: the Minnesota Vikings aren’t undergoing a competitive rebuild if they trade Danielle Hunter.
A competitive rebuild requires, well, being competitive, and players like Hunter are crucial to a team being competitive.
Hunter has been one of the league’s best pass rushers since 2016, tallying double-digit sacks in four of six seasons. Last season, the 28-year-old edge defender made his third Pro Bowl after sacking opposing quarterbacks 10.5 times.
Now, Hunter is looking to get rewarded like the disruptive pass rusher he is. According to OverTheCap, Hunter is due just $5.5 million in cash, an insultingly low figure for a player as talented as Hunter.
As a result, Hunter is choosing to sit out mandatory minicamp in the hopes of getting a reworked contract.
While the Vikings could trade Hunter for a hefty return, trading him sets the Vikings back in an important position. Our own Tyler Forness recently said a trade would be a “front office failure,” and it’s clear to see why.
Reworking Hunter’s contract is not only a move that keeps the Vikings competitive in 2023, though. The Vikings should do well by players who perform on the field, especially when they’re in their physical prime.
2. Figure out Kirk Cousins' future
Under new head coach and play-caller Kevin O’Connell, Cousins seemingly found a fountain of youth and played some of the best football of his 11-year career last season.
Because of that, there have been discussions about whether the Vikings should extend Cousins to extend their “Super Bowl” window.
Cousins, 34, is under contract for one more season, meaning the Vikings need to decide his future quickly.
Letting Cousins walk means the Vikings can usher in a new era with a younger quarterback. That quarterback would likely put the Vikings’ competitive window on hold for a brief period, but it could make them more sustainable.
However, the Vikings could extend Cousins for the 2024 season (and potentially more). This decision would allow the Vikings to remain competitive in 2024 while allowing a younger quarterback – likely a 2024 draft pick – to develop on the bench.
Cousins, however, will likely carry a hefty price tag. Cousins currently accounts for $20.25 million of the Vikings’ 2023 cap space. That figure would likely balloon to over $30 million.
While the Vikings could maneuver a hefty Cousins price tag, it would limit their ability to add players at other positions, including across the defense. As a result, the Vikings would likely have a quieter free agency while remaining competitive in the NFC.
3. Let the young guys play
The Minnesota Vikings have let players like Dalvin Cook and Za’Darius Smith leave for a reason, and it’s likely to allow younger players to get needed playing time.
Although the Vikings are attempting to remain competitive, they still need to evaluate what they have at certain positions, and the only way to properly evaluate them is by getting them on the field.
Whether it’s Alex Mattison or Ty Chandler at running back or Mekhi Blackmon and Andrew Booth at cornerback, the Vikings should approach those positions with these younger players in mind. That means the Vikings shouldn’t add many veterans or let as many veterans take a bulk of the snaps next season.
If these young players struggle, so be it. Ultimately, the Vikings will be better equipped to approach next offseason by knowing what they have and don’t have at certain positions.
