Last year, the Minnesota Vikings had an easy decision to make on their 5th year option. The only player eligible for that right was quarterback Christian Ponder, who hadn’t made a good enough impression on the team to warrant another year with the squad. However, this year looks to be a little more difficult, as the players eligible for a 5th year option from the 2012 NFL Draft are #4 overall selection Matt Kalil and #29 overall pick Harrison Smith.
Today, ESPN’s Ben Goessling on Twitter broke the news that the decisions on Kalil and Smith’s 5th year options would be announced on Monday, May 4th. Here is the announcement:
As far as “drama”, I’m not sure what Goessling is talking about. Decisions on both players could be extremely difficult, as Minnesota is likely trying to work out a more long term deal with Harrison Smith while hoping to see a little more from Matt Kalil before locking him up if that is the route the Vikings take.
According to a chart on CBS.com’s website, the cost for locking up one of those players could be much higher than hoped. Here are the price tags associated with the players:
| FIFTH-YEAR SALARIES, BY POSITION | ||
| POSITION | 1ST 10 PICKS | PICKS 11-32 |
| Cornerback | $11,082,000 | $7,507,000 |
| Defensive End | $11,958,000 | $7,799,000 |
| Defensive Tackle | $9,314,000 | $6,146,000 |
| Linebacker | $11,058,000 | $7,751,000 |
| Offensive Line | $11,096,000 | $8,070,000 |
| Punter/Kicker | $3,716,000 | $2,736,000 |
| Quarterback | $16,155,000 | $10,611,000 |
| Running Back | $9,037,000 | $5,621,000 |
| Safety | $8,263,000 | $5,278,000 |
| Tight End | $7,071,000 | $4,424,000 |
| Wide Receiver | $10,971,000 | $7,320,000 |
Nov 23, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings tackle Matt Kalil (75) blocks against the Green Bay Packers in the second quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
As you can see, Matt Kalil would have a hefty price tag of $11,096,000. That price tag is likely FAR too high for the team to even consider given his struggles the last couple seasons. Instead, the Vikings would likely hope that Kalil would show enough improvement during the 2015 NFL season to earn a long term deal with the team.
On the other hand, Harrison Smith’s cost would be $5,278,000. In theory, the Vikings should want to lock up that deal with Smith while they negotiate a long contract extension with him. He’s proven to be a valuable part of the Minnesota defense and is likely one of the Vikings top priorities to lock up for as long as possible.
We won’t know the decision that the Minnesota Vikings officially make until Monday, but hopefully things can work out so that both Smith and Kalil can stay with the Vikings and play at the high levels that we know they are capable of.
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