Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell greets followers earlier than kickoff on Aug. 10, 2024, at U.S. Financial institution Stadium in Minneapolis forward of a preseason recreation in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders. Coming into his fourth season with the franchise, O’Connell continued a well-recognized custom by interacting with supporters throughout pregame warmups close to the sideline. Necessary Credit score: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports activities.
After June 1st, a date well-known within the NFL as a wage cap milestone and reset every year, the Minnesota Vikings have over $13 million in cap area. SI.com‘s Will Ragatz wrote Monday, “For much of May, after signing Jauan Jennings, the Vikings were pretty tightly up against the salary cap, with maybe 1 or 2 million dollars to spare.”
“That changed on Monday, as the NFL’s June 1 processing date provided Minnesota with a solid chunk of cap space. The Vikings released defensive tackle Jonathan Allen in March with a post-June 1 designation, allowing them to spread out the dead cap hits over 2026 and 2027. The Vikings also get another $1.3 million from Harrison Smith’s contract coming off the books, bringing the total to $12.5M.”
So, the query turns into: how will they spend the brand new dough? We’ve got theories.
Minnesota Has 4 Wage Cap Paths This Summer season
Los Angeles Chargers outdoors linebacker Joey Bosa celebrates after recording a sack throughout an AFC Wild Card playoff recreation in opposition to the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Within the first quarter on Jan. 11, 2025, Bosa introduced down quarterback C.J. Stroud, serving to set the tone for Los Angeles within the postseason matchup. Necessary Credit score: Thomas Shea-Imagn Photographs.
1. An Additional Outsider Linebacker
Right here’s a easy manner to take a look at it: if the Vikings signal one other outstanding free agent quickly, an outdoor linebacker is the almost certainly goal.
The place is presently the weakest hyperlink on Minnesota’s roster. The commerce of Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles in April remodeled what was as soon as a serious energy right into a noticeable query mark.
Whereas Bo Richter and Tyler Batty is perhaps prepared for expanded roles, Jake Golday may contribute as an inside/outdoors linebacker hybrid, and Brian Flores would possibly even experiment with Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins as a stand-up outdoors linebacker. However these are largely speculative situations for a group with playoff aspirations.
Golday may definitely impress at coaching camp and shortly show to be the answer. Nevertheless, the Vikings’ latest method with rookies suggests they like a extra gradual integration fairly than quick reliance. Due to this fact, OLB (OLB3 particularly) stays the clearest space of focus for Minnesota earlier than the season begins. Listed here are the highest-profile free agent choices:
Cameron Jordan
Derek Barnett
Haason Reddick
Jadeveon Clowney
Joey Bosa
Kyle Van Noy
Leonard Floyd
Marcus Davenport
Von Miller
Yannick Ngakoue
2. A Middle Commerce or Ethan Pocic from Free Company
Pocic stays the one free-agent heart the Vikings may signal as we speak and fairly insert right into a training-camp battle in opposition to Blake Brandel. He’s 30 years outdated and fired up a 63.8 Professional Soccer Focus grade in 2025. PFF additionally ranked him because the league’s Twelfth-best heart coming into 2025. At this stage within the offseason, he’d seemingly value between $5 million and $9 million.
In any other case, Minnesota may shoot for the celebs and commerce for Miami Dolphins heart Aaron Brewer, a longtime heart who paired with offensive coordinator Frank Smith within the Dolphins’ offense for the final two seasons. Smith is now the Vikings’ assistant head coach. The issue? The commerce would value a mid-round decide, and Minnesota might not need to half methods with treasured draft capital after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s poor drafting habits courting again to 2022. Minnesota should join on draft picks henceforth, and subtracting them appears foolish.
The Vikings may additionally peek at Matt Hennessy down in Dallas. The previous Third-Rounder remains to be solely 28 years outdated. What’s uncommon is that he hasn’t had an actual alternative to persistently play heart in 5 years, regardless of performing effectively in his final prolonged run on the place.
Whereas he’s unlikely to start out for Dallas this season, because the Cowboys seem set with Cooper Beebe at heart, leaving Hennessy as a backup, this case may pique the Vikings’ curiosity.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa traces up behind heart Aaron Brewer throughout a recreation in opposition to the New Orleans Saints at Arduous Rock Stadium. On Nov. 30, 2025, Tagovailoa directed the offense in the course of the first half as Miami hosted New Orleans in an interconference matchup late within the common season. Necessary Credit score: Wealthy Storry-Imagn Photographs.
His PFF physique of labor:
2025: 71.8 | 175 Snaps2024: 61.7 | 16 Snaps2022: 75.4 | 157 Snaps2021: 76.5 | 988 Snaps2020: 47.0 | 225 Snaps
3. Contract Extensions
Maybe essentially the most reasonable choice, Minnesota has extra gamers searching for new contracts than normal, no less than right now on the offseason calendar. Heading into an extraordinary coaching camp, the Vikings usually have 1-3 key gamers in search of extensions. That is the listing in 2026:
Jordan Addison (WR)
Blake Brandel (C)
Blake Cashman (ILB)
Jordan Mason (RB)
Brian O’Neill (RT)
Isaiah Rodgers (CB)
Andrew Van Ginkel (OLB)
Jay Ward (S)
All of these males are slated to hit free company subsequent March. New common supervisor Nolan Teasley may merely lock in his present gamers.
4. Save for a Wet Day
Final yr, followers studied Minnesota’s accessible cap area, questioning what the earlier boss, Adofo-Mensah, would possibly do with it — after which he simply sat on it. That might occur once more.
The Vikings will not be in a rush to spend their financial savings, setting the stage for a nest egg in the course of the common season that might be used to signal emergency free brokers or to carve out area forward of the NFL commerce deadline in November.
Seattle Seahawks assistant common supervisor Nolan Teasley speaks throughout a behind-the-scenes function highlighting the membership’s NFL Draft preparation course of. The video, produced after the NFL Mix, examined how Seattle’s personnel division evaluates prospects, compares scouting studies, and assembles its draft board earlier than making key selections in the course of the annual occasion. Necessary Credit score: YouTube.
Then, if that isn’t used, Teasley can roll the funds over to the 2027 cap, leaving more money readily available for the long run. The San Francisco 49ers, for instance, are sitting on a pile of $72 million. They might be ready to ease some future strain. The Vikings may try this, too.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … Extra about Dustin Baker
