Minnesota Vikings are set to gain huge benefit thanks to Ronnie Stanley's new contract and could make one trade free
Free agency is less than 48 hours away and the Minnesota Vikings are going to be big time players with just under $63 million in salary cap space to utilize. With the quarterback position still uncertain, things will calm down a lot once the Vikings sign a quarterback to pair with J.J. McCarthy. If that […]
Free agency is less than 48 hours away and the Minnesota Vikings are going to be big time players with just under $63 million in salary cap space to utilize. With the quarterback position still uncertain, things will calm down a lot once the Vikings sign a quarterback to pair with J.J. McCarthy. If that quarterback is Aaron Rodgers, maybe things won't.
With that being said, the beginning of free agency is going to be a fascinating one. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is primed to do a lot of work on the roster, and one strategy should be at the forefront.
What Ronnie Stanley's contract means for Cam Robinson
Saturday afternoon brought us a lot of different pieces of contract news with multiple new contracts. Arguably the biggest one came from the Baltimore Ravens. They gave left tackle Ronnie Stanley a three-year, $60 million contract with $44 million guaranteed at signing.
It's not a surprise that Stanley got paid, as he was the top left tackle available on the market. What is somewhat of a surprise is Stanley not getting to the open market, especially with a team like the New England Patriots desperate to find offensive linemen and with money to spend.
The intriguing thing here for the Vikings is what this means for them during free agency. One thing they did last season which should be a pillar of their free agency strategy this offseason is maximizing compensatory picks. The signing of Aaron Jones was the biggest element of that and it should translate to this offseason as well.
Stanley's contract translates immediately to Cam Robinson, who is set to be a free agent. The Vikings acquired Robinson right before the trade deadline and he stabilized the left tackle position when Christian Darrisaw got hurt.
The biggest reason why Stanley's contract helps the Vikings? With Stanley off the market, Robinson is now the top left tackle on the market. Because of that and the amount of teams that need quality tackles this offseason, his price certainly goes up.
With that factor, Robinson's salary should fetch the Vikings a quality compensatory selection, or at the very least, cancel out another contract so whatever contract Darnold signed gets them a third-round compensatory pick. Plus, when you consider that the draft pick the Vikings gave up for Robinson (fourth-rounder), they could potentially get one bigger or equal in return.
Getting multiple compensatory picks can be how the Vikings can elevate the roster on a long-term basis, especially when the time comes that McCarthy likely needs an extension.
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