The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly made a move that allows them more time to negotiate a new contract with Dalvin Tomlinson before free agency begins in March.
With less than a month until the 2023 free agency period begins, the Minnesota Vikings are attempting to make sure that Dalvin Tomlinson is someone who doesn’t hit the market.
Tomlinson’s contract was originally scheduled to void on Monday, which would have resulted in $7.5 million in dead cap for the Vikings this year. However, Minnesota and their starting defensive tackle have reportedly agreed to move the void date to March 15th, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
This agreement gives the Vikings and Tomlinson more time to negotiate a new deal before his contract officially expires. Yates added that if Minnesota is able to sign the veteran defensive lineman before the void deadline, his $7.5 million dead cap hit in 2023 will reduce to $2.5 million.
Minnesota Vikings clearly want to re-sign Dalvin Tomlinson
By getting Tomlinson to agree to move his void date to March 15th, the Vikings have made their intentions very clear. Minnesota wants to keep him around for at least one more season.
Tomlinson signed with the Vikings during the 2021 offseason after spending the first four years of his NFL career as a member of the New York Giants. In his two seasons with Minnesota, the 28-year-old defender has started 29 of a possible 34 games.
In 13 games with the Vikings in 2022, Tomlinson finished with 42 tackles (three for a loss), 14 pressures, 10 quarterback hits, and 2.5 sacks. PFF gave him the 14th-best defensive grade out of 126 qualifying interior defenders during the 2022 season.
Despite their defense being one of the worst units in the NFL in 2022, Minnesota clearly feels that Tomlinson is a defender who is worth keeping around. If the Vikings are going to improve on the defensive side of the ball in 2023, they believe Tomlinson can play a role in that potential improvement.