I am not sure about what is going on and while I do love the Murray signing for 1.3M, the lack of any activity with the defensive tackle position besides letting go of two of the three top snaps played players from 2025 is curious at best. I wont even talk about the center position.
Patience is not always a virtue!
The Vikings have spent very little of money on free agents (including their own) thus far.
Financial Totals
Total Guaranteed Money: $26.53 million
This represents the “floor” of the contracts—money the Vikings are legally obligated to pay regardless of roster status or injury.
Total 2026 Cash Payout: $29.42 million
This is the estimated actual cash leaving the Vikings’ pockets this calendar year to cover 2026 base salaries, signing bonuses, and workout bonuses for these 10 players.
Detailed Breakdown by Player
Player : 2026 Cash Payout (Est.) : Guaranteed Money (Total)
Eric Wilson : $7.50M : $12.50M
Aaron Jones : $5.60M : $5.00M
James Pierre : $4.25M : $3.70M
Ivan Pace Jr. : $3.52M : $0.00*
Tavierre Thomas : $2.30M : $2.30M
Andrew DePaola : $1.73M : $1.73M
Kyler Murray : $1.30M : $1.30M
ERFAs (3 players) : $3.22M : $0.00*
TOTAL : $29.42M : $26.53M
*Note: RFA and ERFA tenders (Pace Jr., Redmond, Richter, Scott) typically do not become fully guaranteed until the player is on the active roster for Week 1.
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A little not about Jonathan Allen’s signing with the Bengals and how it will impact the Vikings cap space (in a good way) in 2027.
Jonathan Allen had offset language in his contract whereby the Vikings would receive a cap credit (dead money reduction) in 2027 if he signed elsewhere which he did sign with the Bengals. At least he had the decency to NOT sign with the freakin stinkin Packers.
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1) Base Dead Money (without offset): ~$12,666,666 in 2027 dead money.
2) Offset Credit from Allen Signing with Bengals
Allen’s reported deal with the Bengals is: 2 years, ~$26 M total : Up to $28 M with incentives.
A reasonable assumption (given a typical front‑loaded structure) is that the Bengals’ 2027 base salary for Allen will be something like: ~$11M–$14M in cash in 2027.
If we apply offset language, the Vikings will get a dead‑money reduction equal to what Allen earns from Cincinnati in 2027.
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So:
Scenario : Allen 2027 Pay : Vikings Dead Money
Lower end estimate : $11M : ~$1.7M (12.667 − 11)
Mid estimate : $12M : ~$0.667M
Higher end estimate : $14M : Dead money fully offset or even more (potentially zero)
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Right now, it is a bit difficult to tell between spotrac and overthecap but the team has about 10M in cap space. They should extend O’Neill but I thought they should have done that last year. They should either trade or extend Greenard. If they did move him, then they likely need at least one free agent and the pickins are very slim right now.
I thought they might go for a safety since it is unclear if Smithis going to return or retire. I love Smith but it feels like dragging it out to me – sort of like Rodgers eh? I get it though. He probably is not sure if he wants to grind out another season. We will just have to wait. I can list a couple of possibilities but it truly is hard to know what BFlo likes. Maybe a Jabrill Peppers?
I am truly befuddled about the plan at defensive tackle. I get that they did not want to pay Allen and Hargrave. But they have not tried for at least one other tackle.
Apparently, they are going to go with Brandel, Jurgens, and presumably a rookie but they have fooled us before like when they went with 4 CBs on the final 53 last year. I will go so far as to predict the Vikings do not even draft a center. They do have Vershon Lee on a futures contract. Lee went undrafted in 2025 but was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent. He spent time on the Vikings 2025 practice squad and was promoted to the active roster, appearing in one regular‑season game (special teams snaps). Vershon Lee has significant experience playing center in college. At University of South Carolina, Lee appeared in 51 games with 40 starts. His starts included 18 games at center, 16 at left guard, and 6 at right tackle. He started all 13 games at center in 2024, leading the Gamecocks’ offensive line with 959 snaps. I think we might be “set” at center.
I think they should go after a free agent wide receiver as well because Tai Felton is a total unknown as a receiver in the NFL.
I am guessing that until they take care of O’Neill and Greenard Any other the signings (if any) will be probably close to the minimum.
At this point, it is very disappointing. If they want us to believe they can hit on their draft picks using the same people who ran the past drafts except for Kwesi then they are asking a lot.
As for the QB situation. I do not think there is any doubt that Murray is going to start. It is silly to say their is going to be a “competition” but even if there was, Murray should win easily. I do not think it means the end of the road for JJ here, because we do not know if the Vikings will extend Murray even if he plays really well. I imagine they would just because of the Darnold situation. I think they are not the same circumstances but, in all of this, I think the Wilfs are making sure they get what they want. I am OK with that because I probably would do the same thing. If I owned the team I would be trying to run (er., ruin) all the drafts and sign as many high priced free agents that I could every year and just continue to kick and kick the can down the road. A man can dream no?
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
“[The Vikings are] trying to trade him,” Schultz said during an appearance on 105.3 The FAN. “They’ve got multiple suitors, but the issue with him is he’s going to want a new deal. Anytime you have a guy that you’re trading for, you have to give up draft capital. That’s one part.
“But it becomes a lot more complicated when that player is going to want a new contract. He’s got a lot of stuff to him. He’s a very good player, and I think has a lot of really good football left.”
Greenard has recorded 60 solo tackles, 37 assisted tackles, and 15 sacks over 29 games with the Vikings since joining the team in 2024, per StatMuse. Moreover, Schultz notes that the Dallas Cowboys should consider a move for Greenard.
“To me, that’s the type of player that Dallas should go after,” Schultz added. “I still think they need more juice coming off the edge. He can rush, he’s a really good tackler. I would be surprised if he wasn’t moved, but I also know that you’re going to have to pay him a big salary on a multi‑year deal, and that’s probably why it hasn’t happened just yet.”
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Amid Greenard’s uncertain future heading into the new league year, Schefter provided an update on the situation during a March 5 appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show.”
“I think there’s a case where I don’t think the Vikings really want to deal him, but it’s one of those cases where if there’s a team that offers enough to go get him, and I think it would be a Day 2 pick, so a second or a third,” Schefter said. “I think Minnesota, because of the financial questions and issues there, is going to have to consider it.”
Furthermore, Schefter believes a trade could be coming, given that Greenard’s name is out in the rumor mill and, most of the time, those names do end up in a trade at some point.
“My guess is, in the end, when these things usually happen, when you hear about a player that a team is open to trading, when there have been discussions, when that happens, usually a trade happens,” Schefter added.
“I would say it’s probably more likely than not, but Minnesota knows how good he is, and I can tell you he isn’t going to be thrilled about giving him up.”
“With Trey Hendrickson now off the board (he recently signed with the Baltimore Ravens), teams who were pursuing him now plan to pivot towards a trade for Jonathan Greenard,” Forbes Evan Sidery reported on X/Twitter Wednesday.
“The (Indianapolis) Colts, Cowboys, (Philadelphia) Eagles, and (Seattle) Seahawks figure to be in the mix with the price being a 2026 Day 2 pick.”
With brash Kyler Murray plan, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell is doubling down on himself
In doing so, O’Connell will demonstrate vulnerability by essentially admitting a failure. Despite a dramatic debut last September, J.J. McCarthy, the 10th selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, clearly isn’t regarded (by O’Connell or anyone else) as the Vikings’ long-term answer at quarterback.
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O’Connell could have chosen a safer option with a higher floor and lower ceiling, but he locked in on the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner who’s so athletically adept that he went ninth in the 2018 MLB Draft. Murray doesn’t have the height most NFL teams desire when choosing a QB (he’s listed at 5-10), but he’s fast and elusive and has an amazing arm.
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Undoubtedly, that is what O’Connell envisions. Signing Murray is a move born of arrogance, and I say that lovingly. As someone who approaches his own craft with, shall we say, a heightened sense of self, I have a soft spot for driven people who take big swings rooted in an immense faith in their own capacities.
Like O’Connell, I can also relate to experiencing extreme disappointment and swallowing the accompanying fallout. Murray, too, has been humbled, and that should work to the Vikings’ advantage.
The Vikings signed Kyler Murray. So what’s next for J.J. McCarthy?
NFL teams rarely hold true competitions at the quarterback position. In fact, many of the available quarterbacks asked the Vikings about their allegiance to McCarthy.
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Could McCarthy win a competition with Murray?
It’s highly unlikely.
Once the Cardinals released Murray, he had several suitors. Choosing Minnesota signaled a degree of devotion from Murray. In other words, he isn’t joining up with O’Connell, superstar receiver Justin Jefferson and the Vikings to sit and watch.
O’Connell wouldn’t go so far as to name Murray the starter Thursday. “Unless I’m confused in any way, shape or form,” he said, “I don’t believe we have to name one of those currently.”
After signing Kyler Murray to be the starting quarterback in 2026, the Minnesota Vikings still have holes to fill at quite a few positions of need.
Who will be the third wide receiver? Who replaces Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave at defensive tackle? Who steps in at safety if Harrison Smith doesn’t return? Oh, and finding a punter is important after Ryan Wright bolted for a $14 million contract with the Saints.
All of those are critical areas of need, but none of them is more crucial to their success than finding a starting center. With the Vikings, the topic is nuanced, and we might already have the answer. Still, the starting center being uncertain after Ryan Kelly’s retirement is a red flag for a team that seems to have almost everything else in place on the offensive side of the ball.
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Blake Brandel was the starting center in Week 5, and again in Weeks 7-11. In those six starts, he logged 363 snaps, with PFF charging him with 13 pressures allowed, including three sacks. His pass blocking grades in six starts were 54.2, 35.6, 58.6, 84.6, 79.1, and 78.2. His worst games were against the Browns, Eagles, and Chargers, and he was much better against the Lions, Ravens, and Bears.
Michael Jurgens played in eight games and logged 177 snaps at center. He allowed nine pressures, including four sacks, while receiving a 61.3 pass blocking grade for PFF.
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Instead of paying a premium price for a top free agent center, the Vikings have stayed patient while the best of the best, including Tyler Linderbaum, Connor McGovern, Cade Mays, and Luke Fortner have signed elsewhere.
“I think I’m really most proud of the patience. We talked about stacking good decisions. We don’t play football until September. Our goal was to make good decisions and not (do anything desperate).”
Who else is available in free agency?
Player : Pass Block : Run Block :
Lloyd Cushenberry III : 65.5 : 51.2
Graham Glasgow : 61.3 : 54.3
James Daniels : N/A : N/A
Ethan Pocic : 62.2 : 63.2
Evan Brown : 60.2 : 49.0
Yore Mock
Trade Partner: JaguarsSent: Pick 49Received: Pick 56, Pick 124…Trade Partner: BillsSent: Pick 124Received: Pick 126, Pick 220…
Pick 18. Kenyon Sadiq TE Oregon 6’ 3 1/8” 241Pick 56. Jadarian Price RB Notre Dame 5’10 11/8” 203Pick 82. Domonique Orange DT Iowa State 6’2 3/8” 322Pick 97. Brian Parker II OC Duke 6’4 3/4” 309Pick 126. Taylen Green QB Arkansas 6’ 5 7/8” 227Pick 163. VJ Payne S Kansas State 6’3 1/2” 206Pick 196. Andre Fuller CB Toledo 6’1” 200Pick 220. Mason Reiger EDGE Wisconsin 6’4 1/2” 251Pick 234. Landon Robinson DL Navy 5’11 1/8” 293Pick 235. Jack Kelly LB BYU 6’2” 240Pick 244. Caleb Douglas WR Texas Tech 6’3 1/2” 206
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