7 bold predictions for the Minnesota Vikings 2020 offseason
By Chris Schad
Vikings will say goodbye to several veterans
Speaking of clearing up salary cap room, the Vikings have major decisions to make regarding several veterans on the roster during the early portion of the offseason.
While some players have been with Minnesota throughout their rise from NFC North doormat to playoff contender, there also has to be a realization of the end of the road, which is something Mike Zimmer mentioned in his presser on Monday, acknowledging there are tough decisions to be made, but it’s also, “a young man’s game.”
"“It’s definitely hard because I really respect these players. These players and the ones that have been with me for six years now, they’ve busted their rear ends and they’ve done everything I’ve asked them to do. That’s always going to come into play, how you feel about them as a person, but I think you really to look at, ‘Alright, he’s a great kid. He’s worked his rear end off. We love him here. Can he still play? If he can still play, at what level is it?’ Then you have to match that with the salary and every other thing and then match it with the salary cap, so there’s so many different variables.”"
One of the biggest names that will be up for discussion is Everson Griffen. After a 2018 season that resulted in him missing time to work on his mental health, Griffen rebounded in a big way for the Vikings this year, recording eight sacks for the fifth time in the past six seasons.
While he’s a great story, the business side of things will be complicated with Griffen likely seeking something similar to the three-year, $40 million contract that Brandon Graham received last offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles or the two-year, $24 million pact Justin Houston got from the Indianapolis Colts in return for his production.
The decisions will also be key elsewhere in the trenches with Linval Joseph ($12.95 million) and Riley Reiff ($13.2 million) both carrying cap numbers that the Vikings would like to see go down. Xavier Rhodes will almost certainly be on the chopping block too after his 2018 descent went into an absolute free fall in 2019.
With the need for cap space and an infusion of youth, a changing of the guard could take place in Minnesota during the next few months, leaving some new faces in the starting lineup next fall.