The Vikings aren’t looking as salary cap poor as what’s been widely reported, even recently, proving the cap may actually be a myth. According to the two most trusted websites available for calculating such numbers, Spotrac.com and OverTheCap.com, Spielman and Co. currently sit with $12M+ in available cap space for 2020, which is more than 14 other teams across the NFL…

The cap is a myth. pic.twitter.com/zNHMm4qTxE

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) May 6, 2020

Yet, there’s still plenty that Rick and Rob [Brzezinski] could do to jog more cap dollars loose, including moves we’ve been talking about all offseason. Those blogs, articles and talking points all over the internet, have mostly centered around trading Anthony Harris, who is owed $11M+ if rostered for 2020 under his current franchise tag, OR cutting Riley Reiff, which would save $8.8M against the cap.

My Bleeding Purple podcast partner, Adam Patrick, wrote about this a couple of days ago over at TheVikingAge.com and then we discussed it on today’s podcast episode (Below starting at the 14:15 mark)… There is one blatant cost-saving move still available for the Vikings that makes EXTREME sense: A Harrison Smith Contract extension.

A rare winner in Rob Brzezinski‘s salary cap game, Smith is due to pile up 2020 money that will total at slightly less ($10.75M) than his running mate (for now) Anthony Harris, because of the franchise tag we talked about above. However, Harrison holds a lot of power if the Vikings wanted to approach him for an extension that would save them money against the salary cap over the next couple of seasons.

Usually, when an aging player’s cap hit overwhelms the cost of cutting him (dead cap), Spielman and Co. like to hit guys with the classic “Hey, take less to help the team OR we’re going to have to cut you” game. Well, the Vikings would net a +8.72M by cutting Harrison Smith, which essentially puts him in a tie with Riley Reiff, for the biggest possible savings on roster. I can promise, however, that nobody’s having “extend/restructure or be cut” conversations with Harry “The Hitman” or his agent.

Instead, if extension conversations are happening, it’s The Hitman who has the upper hand in negotiations. Harry still has 2 seasons left on his current deal and he’s due to make over $20M during that time. Through the first 3 years, he’s made himself too valuable to cut… which doesn’t usually happen (which I mentioned above). If the Vikings want to trim down that $10M+ cap hit, the extension terms will need to be in Smith’s favor. Otherwise, what’s his motivation to get a deal done?

If you’re the Vikings, all of the facts above still apply. You’re sitting ok, with cap dollars still in-hand (somehow), BUT they still want the best safety in the league to remain on roster and updating your contract terms to help both parties only makes sense.

Giving Smith more guaranteed money over the next two years, will make him happy. If the Vikings can draw it up so they save money against the cap now, but have a decent out come 2023 (should age become a declining factor in his play), then the deal easily makes sense for all parties involved.

The NFL continues to stand steady on their schedule for next season… so the Vikings might as well get these house-cleaning items taken care of now, before people have stuff to do again. After you clear up some cash from The Hitman extension, you can get the Dalvin Cook deal done too. 

If Rick and Rob can get those things done and come out with $10M+ in available cap space, it leaves a lot of flexibility, especially should they decide Anthony Harris and/or Reilly Reiff are expendable.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Well, well, well. The time has come for Adam Thielen to get rewarded for what he’s been able to do on a football field. The Vikings locked up the other half of their fantastic WR duo by giving Thielen a 4-year extension worth as much as $73 million dollars with $35 million of it guaranteed.

As 2018 went on, there was so much talk about Kirk Cousins and his contract; how it was going to force the Vikings to make some difficult decisions, as far as its core players were concerned. Fast forward to today. Anthony Barr and Adam Thielen have been locked up for years to come, and the only player from the defense to leave was Sheldon Richardson. Let’s be honest, he was just a rental player anyway. Needless to say, the Vikings’ front office needed some magic and, lucky for them, they employ a Magician.

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Eric Kendricks ✔️
Danielle Hunter ✔️
Stefon Diggs ✔️
Anthony Barr ✔️

And they said it couldn't be done. pic.twitter.com/pb1wuPLkbm

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) March 15, 2019

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 As the news broke today, there were some naysayers who spoke on Thielen’s age and questioned his durability moving forward. There will always be questions when players get rewarded for what they’ve done, opposed to what they have yet to accomplish. Sure, Thielen’s 28 years old, but 2019 will only be his 6th season in the NFL, and just his 4th as the dominant pass catcher he’s become.

As we look at Thielen’s numbers through his first 6 seasons, it’s clear the typical grind you’d see from a 28-year-old WR hasn’t been the career of Adam Thielen. That makes the deal that much more of a steal. Plenty of life left in those tapping toes.

See for yourself:

• 2014 – 16 Games (2 Starts): 13 Targets/8 Receptions 1 TD
• 2015 – 16 Games (2 Starts): 18 Targets/12 Catches 0 TD
• 2016 – 16 Games (10 Starts): 92 Targets/69 Catches 5 TDs
• 2017 – 16 Games (16 Starts): 142 Targets/91 Receptions 4 TDs
• 2018 – 16 Games/16 Starts: 153 Targets/113 Receptions 9 TDs

Adam didn’t become a mainstay until 2016, and even then had just 10 starts. That’s some impressive production, as usual. At 28, Thielen has only started 46 games. For career “wear & tear” comparison, let’s look at how many games some other top WR have played at 28.

Julio Jones – 94 Starts

Larry Fitzgerald – 124 Starts

Desean Jackson – 99 Starts 

Alshon Jeffery – 85 Starts

Seems to be one of those situations when time is, in-fact, on our side.

Brian Heintz | Minnesota Sports Fan

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Adam Thielen is underpaid you say??? Not anymore!

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Adam Thielen ihas agreed to a four-year extension from the Vikings. $64 million, and could be worth up to $73 million.

— Ben Goessling (@GoesslingStrib) April 12, 2019

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Our guy Darren Wolfson has been talking about this deal going on in the background for a very long time. So long, that even I had forgotten about it, somewhat. 

No longer is Adam Thielen the most underpaid WR in the NFL. Fuck no. At an average of $16 million per season, Adam now ranks tied for 6th among active NFL Wide Receivers, according to Spotrac.com.

How did the Vikings get another deal done under the stress of our current cap situation? The details haven’t come out yet but his cap number for 2019 is likely to decrease in his new deal, per Wolfson on his podcast when he talked about this over a month ago.

I’m just going to just stop worrying about our salary cap as long as Robby B. is holding the controller.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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