The Vikings splurged last year. This year, they’ll likely be purging.
Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press has taken a close look at the Vikings’ current cap crunch. They currently have $4.94 million in 2019 cap space. And, as Tomasson notes, they’ll need roughly $3 million to sign their draft picks.
As a result, the Vikings will need to create some cap space. Per Tomasson, they can easily cap dollars by dumping safety Andew Sendejo, clearing $5.5 million. Moving on from defensive end Everson Griffen would clear more than $11 million from the books, with only $1.2 million in dead cap charges.
Tight end Kyle Rudolph is in the final year of his contract, with a cap number of $7.625 million. Cornerback Trae Waynes and his $9.07 million cap number could be traded.
Something needs to be done, due in large part to the fact that quarterback Kirk Cousins has an extra-large $29 million cap number for 2019.
Whatever the Vikings do, they’ll need to figure out how to create some cap space in order to keep some of the players they have, and to use free agency as a way to address some of their needs. Otherwise, the Vikings will be hoping that recent draft picks develop, and that they find players who can make an instant impact in 2019.