Minnesota Vikings salary cap health post NFL Draft and Jonathan Greenard trade is significantly better
Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski took the Vikings in a fascinating direction this offseason, and they are much healthier than last year.
When the Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, it was partly because he left them with a really poor salary cap situation this offseason.
It wasn’t the worst salary cap situation in the league, nor was it a long-term issue. It was, however, the direct result of his poor free agency last offseason. Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski was tasked with clearing $46 million in salary cap space just to get solvent, let alone sign anyone in free agency.
After the NFL Draft and the trade of Jonathan Greenard, we have a better sense of where the Vikings are going to be from a salary cap perspective.
Minnesota Vikings have a healthier salary cap
It’s important to know where the Vikings are at from a salary cap perspective, especially when signing free agents post-NFL Draft. Right now, the Vikings are projected to have $5.33 million in salary cap space per Over The Cap once they sign their draft class. That doesn’t include the signing bonuses that potential UDFAs have gotten, as that information hasn’t come in yet.
Next year, the Vikings are set to have a projected $66.4 million in salary cap space with 39 players on the roster. This is with all the NFL Draft picks added in and just a single UDFA in punter Brett Thorson. With another 14 roster spots having to be filled, you can take off another $14 million in base spending, so that will get the Vikings about $52 million in space to maneuver with. That will include the fifth-year option of wide receiver Jordan Addison, but not right tackle Brian O’Neill.
Essentially, the Vikings aren’t going to be the most flush with salary cap space, as they will need to dedicate about $20 million to the 2027 NFL Draft class, practice squad, and in-season extensions. That means around $32 million that the Vikings have to maneuver with in free agency and with extensions.
Some of that will likely be given to the likes of O’Neill and quarterback Kyler Murray. Whoever ends up taking the general manager job will have a healthy situation to work with.
In 2028, they will have over $150 million to work with and a relatively blank canvas moving forward. Overall, it’s a good salary cap situation to work with if you are the Vikings.