10 Steps to Fix the Minnesota Vikings
- RamRod feat. Flow
- Mar 18, 2020
- 4 min read
Three days into NFL Free Agency... this might be the lowest point of the Vikings off season. Diggs traded, top-2 CBs gone, and no cap room to improve the roster significantly. But it can only get better from here, and there are still many moves to be made. Some are painful. Some are optimistic. But here is a plan to field roster good enough to sneak into that 7-seed during the 2020 season.
In all of these moves, the Vikings would get an average/below average return on trades AND any salaries signed would be higher than the market would indicate.
CAP SAVING MOVES
CAP: Right now Vikings sit at about $7 million in cap space EXCLUDING their pool to sign draft picks.
(1) Trade RILEY REIFF
- Hope for a 5th round pick
- Saves $9 million in cap space
(2) Trade or extend ANTHONY HARRIS
- In a trade, settle for a 3rd round pick
- After signing him to the Franchise Tag, trading him would save north of $11 million in cap space
- If extended, Vikings lower his cap hit to around $4 million this year saving $7 million while putting that money in future years of his contract
CAP: The Vikings sit at $27 million in cap space EXCLUDING the pool needed to sign draft picks (assuming Harris is traded).
RE-SIGN
(3) Re-sign EVERSON GRIFFEN
- $22 million for 2 years (Last contract: 4 years $58 million - $14.5/year)
- $8 million cap hit for 2020
(4) Re-sign MACK ALEXANDER
- $24 million for 3 years
- $4 million cap hit for 2020
(5) Re-sign DAN BAILEY
- $9 million for 3 years
- $1.5 million cap hit for 2020
(6) Re-sign RASHOD HILL
- $3.5 million for 1 year
(7) Re-sign SEAN MANNION ($2mil for 1 year)
- $2 million for 1 year
(8) Re-sign ANDREW SENDEJO ($3mil for 1 year)
- $3 million for 1 year
CAP: $5 million left
FREE AGENT SIGNINGS
(9) Sign Taylor Gabriel (WR - Bears)
- $3 million for 1 year
(10) Sign Morris Claiborne (CB - Chiefs)
- $2 million for 1 year
If the Vikings REALLY need to clear space for another contract or two, they could re-work Danielle Hunter or Harrison Smith's lucrative contracts. Another note: signing Taylor Gabriel would not count against the Vikings compensatory pick formula. Spielman should be getting an extra 3rd (Waynes) and 5th/6th (Weatherly) in the 2021 draft.
CAP: $0 million
DRAFT NEEDS
In order of priority:
LT
CB
WR (x2)
S
G
DI
EDGE
DRAFT STRATEGY
(1.22) LT
- The first pick NEEDS to be a Left Tackle
- REALISTIC SCENARIO: Josh Jones (HOU)
- FALL-BACK SCENARIO: Austin Jackson (USC)
- DREAM SCENARIO: Mekhi Becton (LOU)
(1.25) S / CB
- Bolster the secondary with the 2nd first round pick. There will plenty to choose from.
- SAFETIES: Xavier McKinney (Alabama) or Grant Delpit (LSU)
- CORNERS: CJ Henderson (Florida), Kristian Fulton (LSU), Trevon Diggs (Alabama), AJ Terrell (Clemson), or Jeff Gladney (TCU)
Note: If one of the 'Big 4' receivers (Jeudy, Lamb, Ruggs, or Higgins) slips, the Vikings should consider it, especially with the second first rounder.
(2.57) WR
- Replace some of Stefon Diggs' production with mid-round picks, starting here
- REALISTIC SCENARIO: Michael Pittman (USC)
- FALL-BACK SCENARIO: Tyler Johnson (MN)
- DREAM SCENARIO: Lavishka Shenault (COL), Jalen Raegor (TCU) or Brandon Aiyuk (ASU)
(3.89) DB
- Take whatever secondary position you didn't take in the 1st round
(3.105) G
- Reach for a guard, preferably one that might be devalued because of the Vikings' zone running scheme
(3--*Anthony Harris trade*) WR
- Take a slipping WR with any of these picks.
REST OF DRAFT PHILOSOPHY
The Vikings have 7 more picks. This is where Rick Spielman loads up on developmental Recievers, D-Linemen, Safeties, and Guards/Centers. Ignore QBs, TEs, RBs, and LBs.
2020 Depth Chart
QB - Cousins, Mannion
RB- Cook, Mattison
FB - Ham
WR1 - Thielen
WR2 - 2ND ROUNDER
WR3 - Taylor Gabriel, 3RD ROUNDER
TE - Irv, Rudolph, Conklin
LT - JOSH JONES or AUSTIN JACKSON, Hill
LG - Elflein (ugh) or 3RD ROUNDER
C - Bradbury
RG - Kline, Samia
RT - O'Neill, Udoh
DE - Griffen, Odenigbo
NT - Watts, Johnson
DT - Stephen, Mata'afa
DE - Hunter
OLB - Barr, Wilson
ILB - Kendricks, Gedeon
CB1 - Hughes, Claiborne
CB2 - Alexander, 3RD ROUNDER
CB3 - Hill
S - Harrison
S - 1ST ROUNDER, Sendejo
Biggest Needs/Worries:
(1) LG/LT - The left side of the O-Line is terrifying. That pick needs to hit for this to work.
(2) DBs - No matter how Spielman allocates these draft picks, it is impossible to feel comfortable with the defensive backfield
(3) DTs - No impact players here, but some okay depth pieces.
(4) WRs - Vikings should feel okay here with how much 12-personnel they run. If you can find one productive player out of two day-2 draft picks and a free agent like Taylor Gabriel, that should be enough production next to Thielen.
One final note: while these moves help in 2020, the Vikings would still be in a similar position in 2021 if the new CBA doesn't make the cap rise significantly. More cuts are coming, and Spielman needs to hit a home run in this draft to set the Vikings up for the next half decade.