Shortly after the news of Zimmer and Spielman’s termination, players began speaking out about how they felt about the situation. Some players danced around their feelings for Mike, Rick and the Vikings culture as a whole, under that regime.

Eric Kendricks once described Minnesota Vikings as a “fear-based’ organization under Mike Zimmer

Others, however, spoke out more candidly following the firings. One of those players included linebacker Eric Kendricks, who called the Vikings a “fear-based organization” under the former head coach and GM.

Eric Kendricks with some notable comments on the Vikings of late under Mike Zimmer.

Kendricks said there were "some things that were left out there as far as our relationship." Later he added, "I don't think a fear-based organization is the way to go."

— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) January 10, 2022

“I feel like there were some things left out there, as far as our relationship was concerned. That’s something you have to ask [Mike Zimmer].”

“A culture where communication is put at the forefront and no matter what your role is on the staff, you having a voice and being able to communicate things that you think could help facilitate wins. I think just having that voice, no matter how big your role is, is important, to listen up and take each other’s feelings into account. I don’t think a fear-based organization is the way to go.”

Eric Kendricks describing the Vikings’ culture under Mike Zimmer

Related: Are the Wilfs Skimping on Vikings Payroll Because of the Soccer Team They Bought?

Reading Kendricks’ quotes from back then, it’s quite clear that he believed there was a serious culture problem under Zimmer and Spielman in Minnesota.

After current Minnesota Vikings’ head coach Kevin O’Connell was hired, Kendricks immediately raved about what the different perspective and culture O’Connell brought to the team.

In the end, after the 2022-23 NFL season the Vikings decided to part ways with Kendricks, who played a season for the Los Angeles Chargers and now is with the Dallas Cowboys after signing with them this offseason.

Eric Kendricks changes his tune about Mike Zimmer with Dallas Cowboys

Zimmer, who went mostly jobless during the last two NFL seasons off, signed as the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, meaning he is linking back up with his former draftee, Eric Kendricks.

Kendricks was recently interviewed by the Dallas Morning News about whether or not he would like to take any of those previous quotes regarding Mike Zimmer’s leadership style back, now that Zim is his defensive coordinator in Dallas. Let’s just say, Eric has quite the different tune about Zimmer now, compared to his comments in 2022.

Former #Vikings LB Eric Kendricks changes tune on former HC Mike Zimmer per @ProFootballTalk.

Kendricks once called Zimmer’s leadership “fear-based” but now says that comment was made when “emotions were high”. He’s “very excited” and said “it’s good to be back with him” 👀 pic.twitter.com/S52eVODQkd

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) May 28, 2024

“Emotions were high [back then]. We’re very excited [now]. It’s good to be back with [Mike Zimmer]. I love his walkthroughs. I love the little ways he does things, the way he structures things, the level of detail, so I’m excited. I really am.”

“I always appreciated Zim. Just the amount of defense I learned when I was underneath him. The way I watch film, the way we break things down, the install, a lot of things I learned from Zim and we had some good years and I can’t wait to continue that.”

Eric Kendricks – Former Linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings (Dallas Morning News)

Kendricks seems to have a completely different tune regarding his initial comments on Zimmer. He now states that his comments made in 2022 were due to emotions being high. He also expressed numerous times how he was excited to be back with Zimmer and how he approaches the defensive side of the ball.

Related: Could Too Much Torque on J.J. McCarthy’s Arm be a Concern for Vikings?

Overall, it’s unclear if Kendricks truly feels different about Zimmer now or if he just has to say these types of things given he’s the current defensive coordinator for the Cowboys. One thing is for certain, the Vikings culture is certainly different under the current Vikings’ regime.

We have released LB Eric Kendricks.

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) March 6, 2023

Kendricks, who just turned 31, has played with the Vikings for all eight of his NFL seasons. He made the Pro Bowl in 2019 and was one of the best linebackers in the league for most of his tenure. Unfortunately, his play fell off drastically in 2022, after the defense switched to a 3-4 scheme under former defensive coordinator, Ed Donatell.

The Vikings saved $9.5 million against the 2023 salary cap by cutting Kendricks. Next, they’ll have to make decisions on the likes of Adam Thielen, Harrison Smith, Dalvin Tomlinson and others.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

But if you take insider reports and executive quotes at face value, it’s clear the Vikings are approaching this offseason with a win-now mentality. That will mean stretching a tight budget, moving money around and making smart, productive signings.

So when Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stepped up to the podium for his annual pre-combine press conference, media members prodded the Vikings’ general manager trying to find hints into what his plans are to shape and reconstruct this roster.

Of course, Kwesi wasn’t going to approach the microphone with a “keep/cut list” to show the masses. But he did give us a lot of insight into what his plans are, both in what he said and what he didn’t say.

Kirk Cousins is good enough.

The topic of Kirk Cousins’ future came up early, as expected. Will the Vikings extend Kirk or play him on his expiring contract for this season? How desperate is Kwesi to find the next quarterback for his football team?

Well, Adofo-Mensah was honest. He didn’t dub Cousins as “elite” or confess his love for the starting QB. Instead, he talked about two quarterback tiers. QBs who can help a team go to the Super Bowl and QBs who cannot. Kirk Cousins, the GM says, “meets that (Super Bowl) threshold, we know that”.

#Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah voiced his confidence in Kirk Cousins when asked about evaluating the QB position at the NFL Combine: pic.twitter.com/U4PmVjxpnf

— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) February 28, 2023

Recent reports from Tom Pelissero (NFL Network) say the Vikings will either sign Cousins long term or they will ride out the final year of his current deal. No more one-year extensions.

Justin Jefferson extension is high priority.

Technically, the Minnesota Vikings do not have to extend Justin Jefferson until next offseason. But Kwesi & Co aren’t going to wait for Earth to travel around the Sun one more time. Nah, the Vikings are ready to put JJ in purple for the foreseeable future ASAP and it’s clear that’ll be one of the first dominoes to fall this offseason.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Jefferson and Cousins’ extensions both happen in close time proximity to one another.

Listened to Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s combine presser from here in Minnesota. Highlights via thread:

1/No surprise, but he called a contract extension with Justin Jefferson a “high priority” and added: “I don’t want to be the Vikings’ GM without that guy on our team.”

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) February 28, 2023

Non-Committal on Dalvin Cook

When asked directly about Dalvin Cook’s future, Kwesi was non-committal. He stayed away from what Cook has provided the Vikings on the field, deciding instead to highlight the type of person Dalvin is.

Recently, reports have surfaced saying Cook is not willing to take the type of paycut he will have to if he wants to remain a Viking. On Monday, Cook’s agent took to Instagram to complain about how often his client gets the football with Kevin O’Connell scheming and play-calling the offense.

All signs point to a divorce coming between Cook and the Vikings.

2/ No direct answer when asked if he anticipated RB Dalvin Cook would remain on the roster. Noted “great player and great leader” but “in the NFL, you have a lot of constraints, salary cap different things, and we’re trying to figure out how we can operate in those things.”

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) February 28, 2023

Goodbye Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks

The easiest way for the Minnesota Vikings to find cap space and lose as little as possible on the field is at the middle linebacker position. Both of the team’s MLBs last season, Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks, played terribly last season.

Kendricks never appeared comfortable in a 3-4 scheme and Jordan Hicks provided little of the stability he was supposed to when signed prior to the season. If the Vikings move on from both players, they’d save about $15 million against the cap next season.

Kwesi made it obvious on Tuesday, by what he didn’t say, that both Kendricks and Hicks won’t be on roster much longer. When discussing the linebacker position, the Vikings GM mentioned Brian Asamoah, Troy Dye and Will Kwenkeu (who?) but never once mentioned Kendricks or Hicks.

When asked about the linebacker position at the NFL Combine, #Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah mentioned Brian Asamoah, Troy Dye, and even Will Kwenkeu.

Not a word about Eric Kendricks or Jordan Hicks, who are both under contract for 2023. pic.twitter.com/jv0W26bBeK

— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) February 28, 2023

Bring Tomlinson back, affinity for Flores

A couple other notes include the Vikings’ hopes to sign Dalvin Tomlinson to a contract extension. This isn’t a surprise, given the two sides agreed last week to move his void date from February to mid-March.

Kwesi was also asked about new defensive coordinator, Brian Flores, who he clearly has high hopes for.

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah raved this morning about the Brian Flores hiring.

“He has a really extensive personnel background, so it’s not just about the players we draft this year or in free agency, it’s about reshaping our vision for the roster going forward.”

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) February 28, 2023

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

(Featured Image: Dave Berding – Getty Images)

But, anyone watching that day wasn’t blaming Kirk. Because it was the defense that failed their assignment and cost the Vikings a chance at moving on in possibly the most mediocre NFC playoff field in recent history.

That’s why (as expected) defensive coordinator, Ed Donatell, was fired on Thursday and why offensive coordinator, Wes Phillips, is turning down better job opportunities to stay put.

Statement from Head Coach Kevin O’Connell pic.twitter.com/ntRqd4cr4A

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 19, 2023

The #Chargers have requested to speak with #Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips about their OC position, but Phillips plans to stay with Minnesota, per sources. Phillips highly valued there and Vikings building something he wants to see through.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 19, 2023

Fixing Problems Under Vikings Salary Cap Crunch?

But how are the Vikings going to fix their issues on defense, and some on offense, given what appears to be a major salary cap crunch? According to Spotrac.com, Minnesota enters the offseason in the bottom 1/3 (#25) of the NFL in available cap space with $-13.8 million.

It’s difficult to do home improvements when you have a negative bank account balance, right? Luckily — or unluckily for many current players — NFL salary cap budgets do not work like real life budgets. And in GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s case, he has a lot of levers he can pull, to create $10’s of millions in available room this offseason.

The cost will come in the form of fan favorite veteran cuts or trades, in order to create cap space. That’s okay though, because many play on defense (remember how we started this blog) and all of them are far past their prime or playing in a scheme they aren’t suited for.

Veterans Who Vikings Can Cut/Trade to Save Money

Here is the list of veteran players who the Minnesota Vikings can save money by moving on from. It includes fan favorites like Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks and Harrison Smith. If Kwesi were to cut every player below (most with a June 1 designation), the Vikings would clear $83.4 million off their books, giving them over $70 million to work with this offseason.

That amount ($70M) would currently be the 2nd-most in the NFL, behind only the Chicago Bears, who project to have whopping $115 million in available space.

Is there any player listed above who you feel the 2023-24 Minnesota Vikings couldn’t win without? Za’Darius Smith had a really good season (10 sacks + Pro Bowl), but fell off in the final weeks. Opposite him, Danielle Hunter struggled to play in a 3-4 defense and will get much more expensive next year.

Others on the list who would be sorely missed by fans, but not so much on the field at this stage of their careers, include Adam Thielen, Harrison Smith and Eric Kendricks. Dalvin Cook just completed his 4th-straight season over 1000 yards.

Could the Vikings get a mid-late round draft pick for his services? Maybe. But even if not, it’s unlikely this KAM/KOC regime is going to pay an aging running back over $14 million against the salary cap.

More Money to Save

Cutting and trading players aren’t the only ways the Vikings can save money against the cap this offseason. They could also extend Kirk Cousins’ contract in a way that would guarantee him one more season in Minnesota on the back end and save the front office money on the front end.

Restructuring Brian O’Neill’s contract, by converting more of his salary into a signing bonus, is another option and it would be much easier because the Vikings do not need his permission to do so.

New Look Vikings

If Kwesi & Co are going to exodus most of the players listed above, it will be up to him to use that money in a way that will improve the roster. Clearing all that space is only half the battle. If he and the organization want to win now, much of the replacement players will have to come via established free agents or trade acquisitions.

Though, it’s difficult to imagine a defense worse than what we saw take the field last weekend. No matter how established or talented it is.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Instead, we got what those in the media business call “money quotes” from all pro linebacker Eric Kendricks about a possible fear-based culture growing inside of TCO Performance Center under the Spielman/Zimmer regime. Comments from Brian O’Neill, the team’s best offensive lineman, weren’t any better.

#Vikings LB Eric Kendricks on moving forward: "I think just having that voice, no matter how big your role is, is important, to listen up and take each other's feelings into account. I don't think a fear-based organization is the way to go."

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) January 10, 2022

Eric Kendricks on his relationship with Mike Zimmer. Sounds like things weren't perfect.

"I feel like there were some things left out there, as far as our relationship was concerned. That's something you have to ask him."

— Sam Ekstrom (@SamEkstrom) January 10, 2022

A lot has been said from Mark Wilf, players about 'collaboration' between players/coaches and the culture within the Vikings needing to change. Brian O'Neill addressed what that looks like, which to me sounds like players – especially young ones – needing to be empowered. pic.twitter.com/DbNmIhas08

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) January 10, 2022

There’s a lot to unpack here but it becomes clear in these quotes that Vikings players were ready to move on from the Spielman/Zimmer era. You know the Wilf family made the correct call when, afterward, two of your best and brightest players on each side of the field are calling for a culture change this blatantly.

Kirk Cousins, your thoughts?

Kirk Cousins, on the other hand, didn’t participate in any media sessions on Monday. And when he did sit in front of reporters after the win vs Chicago, Cousins refused to answer questions about Zimmer’s future or whether he wanted him back as a coach next season.

Let’s be real, if Kirk and Mike weren’t friends before the 2021-22 season then they certainly weren’t doing karate in the garage after Zimmer helped make Cousins public enemy #1 to media members and fans across the world who want to blame the unvaccinated population for all of this world’s problems. But Kirk, as always, played week 18’s postgame presser in a professional manner and that’s why he didn’t answer when asked his opinion on Zimmer’s future in purple.

Kirk Cousins did, however, talk about Justin Jefferson and his race to break Randy Moss’ single-season receiving record. He told media that the two of them talked about the record all week. While he knew JJ would handle coming up short in a professional manner, both were aiming for it. Earlier in the round of press conferences, Zimmer told media he didn’t care whether Jefferson broke Moss’ record.

#Vikings QB Kirk Cousins declines to answer when asked if he wants Mike Zimmer back and says: "The noise may be loud for your guys" regarding rumors on Zimmer's future.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) January 9, 2022

Kirk Cousins said he talked to JJ all week about trying to break Moss’ record.

Mike Zimmer said earlier he has no interest in individual records, only wins.

— Eric Smith (@Eric_L_Smith) January 9, 2022

Culture Problem

In hindsight, we shouldn’t be shocked that the 2021-22 Minnesota Vikings had a culture problem. We should have seen the divide when Mike Zimmer was chastising his unvaccinated players, most of which were locker room leaders. But as fans, it’s easy to put your blinders on in hopes that your team will contend. For media, it’s difficult to push negative headlines on a coach who is pushing vaccinations like no other coach in the NFL.

But now we know. The Vikings had a culture problem and needed a change at the top. Hopefully the organization is equipped and competent enough to pick the right leaders going forward. While the Wilf reign has been rather successful, they haven’t embarked on anything like this.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The worst case scenario for the Minnesota Vikings defense vs Tom Brady, Ronald Jones, Gronk and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense on Sunday has come to fruition. Linebacker, and Walter Payton Award Nominee, Eric Kendricks has been ruled out after not practicing all week.

Alexander Mattison is also out and Minnesota could be in trouble at tight end, with Kyle Rudolph doubtful and Irv Smith Jr questionable.

#MINvsTB injury report

OUT: Eric Kendricks and Alexander Mattison

DOUBTFUL: Kyle Rudolph

QUESTIONABLE: Irv Smith Jr. pic.twitter.com/oxtu3lTe3v

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 11, 2020

Eric’s calf injury first became a problem right before last week’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He “tweaked” it in warmups, apparently shocking everyone inside the building, just as much as those of us on the outside.

Kendricks is a huge part of the Vikings defense, both in the run and pass. This could have even greater implications vs a guy like Tom Brady, who loves to throw over the middle of the field to his bestie, Rob Gronkowski.

That’s before we get started on Ronald Jones, who Bruce Arians wants the offense to run though. Jones has 820 yards on the season, easily on pace to surpass 1000 yards in 16 games, and 5 touchdowns.

Can the Minnesota Vikings defense slow Tom Brady, Gronk and Jones without Kendricks protecting the middle of the field? That could be the difference.

Other Injury report news

Kyle Rudolph’s iron-man streak is in danger of ending, right after his near-100 consecutive games played was made such a big deal of last weekend. Supposedly, that streak is playing into his status for Sunday. It appears as though he’d already be unavailable this weekend if that wasn’t ongoing.

With Rudolph ailing, Irv Smith Jr’s status becomes even more important. The Vikings have a lot of weapons on offense but taking away a tight end threat would hurt. Here is Mike Zimmer’s full press conference, which took place immediately after the injury report was released.

LIVE: Head Coach Mike Zimmer provides final updates before Sunday's game against Tampa Bay https://t.co/MO8Sky5jZY

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 11, 2020

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

NFL training camps are getting set to begin. A few teams even have their rookies reporting on Monday and Tuesday (tomorrow and the next day). Unfortunately though, there still remains a variety of questions as to the precise safety protocols the NFL will put into place, to protect players from contracting or spreading COVID-19.

In a coordinated effort by the NFLPA to push the league into action, some of the best players in the league have decided to speak up on their social media platforms. Two of those players are Minnesota Vikings linebackers, Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr.

I just want to play football with my teammates but we need the @NFL to step up and create a safe work environment for us!  #wewanttoplay

— Eric Kendricks (@EricKendricks54) July 19, 2020

I want to play football and I know the fans want to watch football this year! For that to happen, we need the @NFL to step up and create a safe work environment for us players! #wewanttoplay pic.twitter.com/50oeWK5V33

— Anthony Barr (@AnthonyBarr) July 19, 2020

What’s Next?

It remains to be seen, if the league and its players will find a happy medium in time, for the players to feel comfortable reporting to camp or sitting out. It does appear the social media pressure is quickly gaining momentum towards NFL action.

NFL/NFLPA negotiations continue this afternoon and likely this evening. Reality is, something has to get done tonite. If HOU/KC rookies show up Monday and NFLPA hasn't signed off on protocols, union could file a grievance claiming unsafe work environment. Neither side wants that.

— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) July 19, 2020

Hopefully, the pressure from the many players, including our beloved Vikings stalwarts, will bring some common sense to the table. As Graziano says, the clock is ticking and players can’t report to camp without safety protocols in place.

It’s embarrassing. The NFL had other professional leagues around the country to draw ideas from, yet players are supposed to report tomorrow… and they still don’t have a plan ironed out.

Ameer Eldomiatti | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Minnesota Vikings roster is arguably one of the best in the league. Both sides of the ball have a lot of talent, but during Mike Zimmer’s tenure, defense has always been the strength of the team. The Vikings seemingly have at least one sneaky good (or great) veteran on defense, year after year. 

South Dakota native, Chad Greenway was that guy until he retired after the 2016 season. For the 2017 season, it was the quarterback wrangler, Brian Robison. When Robison hung it up, veteran leadership was provided by the loud and proud Everson Griffen, whose return to Minnesota is still a possibility.

Griffen said goodbye to the #Vikings in an Instagram post last month, but told me “never say never” on a return.

Other teams have questions about what happened in 2018. Some answers here, and Griffen says if they call him, he’s an open book. A top pass rusher still available. https://t.co/3HlZdLuVQV

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 10, 2020

Who fills that void?

Looking forward to the 2020 season, the Vikings defense needs a new core of leaders, regardless of whether Griffen return or not. Four players instantly come to mind.

Danielle Hunter 

via GIPHY

When the Vikings season kicks off, Hunter will still be at the ripe age of 25. Holy smokes. He’s already climbing the Vikings all-time sacks leaderboard, with 54.5, which ranks 8th in franchise history.

Hunter is a no-brainer selection, for captain this season, but he could also be tabbed to lead this defense for Mike Zimmer from behind-the-scenes. One thing is true for sure… Danielle Hunter is the guy you want exiting the bus first and one of the players you want fronting the charge against opposing offenses.

Eric Kendricks

via GIPHY

Kendricks had a HUGE season in 2019 and was voted First Team All-Pro. His wild curly hair pops out of the green dot helmet, which the Vikings’ coaches use to relay defensive plays onto the field, meaning everything goes through number 54. 

The middle linebacker position is commonly called the “quarterback of the defense”, which is a perfect description for Kendricks. With his colorful personality, Eric could be the favorite to lead the team vocally, not only in the locker room, but on the field too, much like Greenway and Griffen did in prior seasons. 

1st-Team All-Pro

Well deserved, @EricKendricks54!

?: https://t.co/lomXNUnmSK pic.twitter.com/qtpZeDbzLr

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 3, 2020

Harrison Smith

via GIPHY

The Hitman was drafted in 2012, which makes him the most experienced player on the Vikings defense. Smith plays the game in a humble way on the field, though. He doesn’t have his own signature celebration and is never known for trash talk.

While he may not be the typical “hoorah” player, that normally leads a defense into battle, he’s the most knowledgeable defender and who other players go to learn from. 

Anthony Barr

via GIPHY

As for fans, the love/hate for the 4x Pro-Bowler Anthony Barr is that of a quarterback. When he’s “doing his job” some fans complain about his desire for the game and his salary. Then, he makes plays and we’re reminded of the freak athlete he is, immediately justifying the Vikings selected him 9th overall in 2014.

I put Barr on this list because of his choice to return to the Vikings, after turning down a deal with the Jets in 2019. He changed his mind and stayed in Minnesota to pursue a championship with the team that drafted him. It would be huge for Anthony Barr’s growth if he can step up as a veteran leader for the Vikings defense.

Show everyone why you stayed, AB.

This Vikings defense will have some growing pains in 2020, no matter what, but this “reloading” phase doesn’t have to be a “rebuild” if it has proper veteran leadership. Whoever decides to step up and fill that role, will do an amazing job. It’s all part of the culture the Vikings have created. 

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5️⃣ #Vikings have been added to the #ProBowl as replacements.@KirkCousins8 @EversonGriffen @cjham28 @EricKendricks54 @XavierRhodes29_

?: https://t.co/Hz9w28VA5O pic.twitter.com/slKb4Rak1r

LMFAO WHAT pic.twitter.com/MFPa6gOr2o

— Arif Hasan, orbital traveler ? (@ArifHasanNFL) January 21, 2020

Seth and I talked about this very topic yesterday on MSF Daily – LIVE and I’m glad the NFL came out this morning to prove our point…. once again. The NFL Pro Bowl is a waste of time and space. It’s the one thing about the NFL, outside of concussions, that continually makes the league look inept. None of the all-star festivities around the professional sports world are ever praised, but the NFL Pro Bowl is by far the worst, expecially compared to how great the in-season product is.

When we broached this topic on Monday, we were talking about some of the snubs for the Vikings, specifically Eric Kendricks, who is on this list of 5 Vikings Extras (rightfully so). But instead of lightly tapping the pendulum back toward the balanced position, we’re violently ripping it through, as if breaking the damn thing is worth bonus points. Xavier Rhodes has just been named a 2020 pro bowler and that makes my mouth water and pits sweat a little… like that bad feeling you get right before breakfast resurfaces.

How does this happen?

Because it isn’t all based on merit. The fans get 1/3 of the vote. I’d be surprised if Xavier got that…… Players get 1/3 of the vote which likely turns into a player popularity contest just as much as it does anything else. Then, the coaches also get 1/3… which is probably the fairest of the thirds but let’s be real here too, coaches don’t have time to watch everyone in their conference. If they don’t play against players regularly, then they don’t know shit about them…. so they vote with bias or they take advice from someone else.

None of it makes sense. This is exactly why Eric Kendricks waits to be named a Pro Bowl alternate, even though he’s a top-3 middle linebacker league-wide, and Xavier Rhodes gets mentioned right next to him, even though he shouldn’t be allowed to sniff Kendricks’ jock, let alone a Pro Bowl roster. What a joke.

This isn’t a big deal. Who cares if Xavier makes a Pro Bowl. I honestly don’t (but Richard Sherman will, I’d bet). If anyone should be irritated, it’s players and owners collectively. Bonus money is actually tied to this worthless game. If you make a Pro Bowl roster, you usually make more money. Kendricks almost missed out on that… and Rhodes actually got his. That’s mind boggling if you watched this team play all season. Owners should want to reward and incentivise great play, but it should really piss them off to pay out bonus money to those who don’t deserve it. Players should hate seeing peers make the roster over someone else who deserves it more. 

Everyone else who was named for the Vikings was well-deserving. It’s really good to see Griffen get rewarded for such a comeback season so at least there’s a little good that comes out of all this. Kirk Cousins deserved his bid too… but I wasn’t outraged by his snub. Hell, Teddy Bridewater made it in 2017. 

Jeez…. I just can’t wait to watch the Pro Bowl.

via GIPHY

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

If you haven’t heard, Eric Kendricks has restructured his contract. He agreed to turn part of his base salary into a signing bonus, freeing up roughly 1.72 million in cap space. With that “courageous” move by Kendricks, the Vikings were able to sign their first round pick and the future of the “Minnesota moving company” (1st rd draft pick Garrett Bradbury).

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The Vikings were able to sign 1st round pick Garrett Bradbury on Tuesday after veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks converted around half of his base salary ($4.15 million in 2019) to a signing bonus to create the necessary cap room, multiple sources told… https://t.co/amYLMXxXtW

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) May 14, 2019

Calm down guys. He got $2M+ of his salary this year turned into a one lump sum signing bonus that he gets immediately instead of as game checks.

It’s more the Wilf’s being willing and able to dole out cash on the spot when needed.

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) May 15, 2019

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At the beginning of the day on Tuesday, the Vikings had about $660,000 in cap space. After freeing up $1.72 million from Kendricks, available cap space jumped to just under $2.34 million. The cap hit on Bradbury?…. $2.33 million-ish. So that leaves us with about enough money for a tank of gas and a pack of smokes (smokes are pushing it with today’s taxes). But hey, another day has passed and the likelihood of the Vikings roster staying intact, continues to look brighter and brighter.

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via GIPHY

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There are two clear narratives, with this Vikings team.

Number one, the Vikings players are all in. So, maybe Kendricks isn’t quite the hero many thought he was when this news first dropped. However, Everson took a pay cut to stay, Barr turned down a bigger contract offered by the Jets, and (don’t kill me) Cousins turned down even BIGGER money (again offered by the Jets) to sign with the Vikings. If all of that doesn’t happen, we are never in this position.

Second, Kyle Rudolph might actually be safe. I’ll admit, when the Vikings drafted TE Irv Smith Jr, I thought Rudolph was a goner for sure. But when he wasn’t traded over draft weekend, things got a little interesting. Once trade rumors circled, Rick and Zim both came out saying they were working on mapping out game plans to feature both pass catching tight ends. Anywhere you have looked across Vikings media, writers/insiders have called bullshit and have sticked to the notion that Kyle is on his way out. Then all of a sudden, Rob Brzynski and the Wilf’s step in with big “S'” on their chests and $100 bills flapping in the wind…. saving the day for the Vikings.

Honestly, I think the Rudy trade/cut talk is dead for good. If Rick was going to deal Rudolph, he wouldn’t have approached Kendricks for help. Trading Rudolph for a 4-5 round pick would have been the more logical route, freeing up over 7 million in cap space. This doesn’t mean Rick & Co. are done with moves. Expect another roster move/moves or the restructure of another contract to free up cap space. It’ll still likely include Rudolph taking a small cut or restructure himself. But don’t expect Kyle to be going anywhere anytime soon. Get comfortable in Minnesota son. Don’t sell your house yet.

Minnesota Vikings fans, get pumped to see a nasty TE duo to match that already top notch WR duo.

Ooofta.

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Clem Clemans | Minnesota Sports Fan

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