Buckle up Vikings fans, it is going to be a very busy offseason
By Ali Siddiqui
This offseason is looking to be an exceptionally busy one for the Minnesota Vikings as they prepare for the 2022 NFL season.
NFL free agency has not even begun yet, but the Minnesota Vikings have already been very busy since their season ended.
The team moved on from head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman after a disappointing and frustrating 2021 season and replaced them with Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. It is time for a new era in Minnesota.
Many more big decisions are ahead for the organization.
Minnesota will be $16 million over the salary cap according to Over the Cap. The biggest question is what will they do with quarterback Kirk Cousins. He is due $45 million in the final year of his contract. Do they trade him? Do they extend him? Do they keep him for one year and perhaps move on? He will be 34 years old next season. Not very old, but not very young either.
They also have decisions to make on other veterans in Adam Thielen, Anthony Barr (free agent), Michael Pierce, and Danielle Hunter. Harrison Smith just signed an extension last season but is 33 years old. Tyler Conklin is coming off a nice season and is an impending free agent. Maybe Thielen will be back, but it will be surprising if he is back at $16.945 million.
Hunter is due $26.12 million. When healthy he is very good, but he has only played in six games in the past two seasons. That is a concern, but he is only 27. It will be surprising if he is back at that cap number. Do they rework his deal for the second straight year? Do they trade him? What will they also do with Dalvin Cook? So many questions surrounding this team.
You have to wonder if this team is headed for a rebuild. If Zimmer and Spielman were still in Minnesota, the chances of that happening very well would have been lower. O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah are new to the organization. For them, it would not be as difficult to move on from players currently on the roster.
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Not only will it be very interesting to see what moves this team makes, but also how O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah will do in their roles. The offseason is always very intriguing, but even more so when a team is under new leadership. It could involve saying goodbye to some fan favorites, which would be tough for many, but it is a business.