Minnesota has a new-look roster and some money to spend for the 2020 NFL season.
Over The Cap reported that the Vikings have just over $12.7 million in cap space. So what should the team do with the remaining money for the 2020 season?
Michael Pierce opted out of the 2020 NFL season. Minnesota terminated Josh Kline’s contract. The Vikings traded Stefon Diggs. The defense has plenty of younger, more inexperienced players.
The deadline has passed for teams to work out long-term deals for players under the franchise tag, so safety Anthony Harris will have to play under the tag.
There are a plethora of options when it comes to the remaining cap space. Here are a few things Minnesota can do:
Sign a defensive tackle
Pierce is a big loss for the defensive line. The Vikings tried to shore up that area by trading for P.J. Hall. Hall, however, failed his physical, so the deal was called off.
Minnesota is back to square one with its options on the interior of the defensive line. Shamar Stephen can possibly move over from the three-technique to the nose, but it would make sense to sign a player who could fill the void at nose tackle as well.
Damon “Snacks” Harrison presents an interesting option. He may be past his prime, but he could still add a solidified presence up the middle, and a resurgent year would make him arguably the best interior defensive line option for the Vikings.
There’s also Marcell Dareus, a defensive tackle who’s fallen off a bit in his pass rushing ability but might be a good option for Minnesota. He would likely garner a larger contract than Harrison, though.
Extend Dalvin Cook
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook reported to training camp, despite no reports of a new deal.
Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman recently said that they are “working closely with his agent, and we’ll continue to work to try to see if there’s a deal that we feel is not only fair to Dalvin, but fair to us,” via the Pioneer Press.
Could a deal that’s fair for both parties be in the ballpark of $12.7 million for 2020? We’ll have to see.
Sign a guard
Getting rid of Kline could be a blow to the Minnesota offensive line for 2020.
But what if the team re-signed him? The Vikings technically could, given that he’s still a free agent. Kline coming back could solidify the offensive line and make it so the team doesn’t have to rely on a relatively inexperienced player at that position.
Guard Ron Leary is also still available. He has played on zone-blocking offensive lines before.
If Minnesota is confident in a player like Dru Samia, Dakota Dozier or even Ezra Cleveland at that position, then it would make sense to spend the remaining money on someone who’s not a guard. If not, then there are some interesting options.
