Post by Purple Pain on Aug 22, 2020 23:02:18 GMT -6
Prove-It Years: Many Key Minnesota Vikings are Playing For New Contracts by Sam Ekstrom
zonecoverage.com/2020/minnesota-vikings-news/prove-it-years-many-key-minnesota-vikings-are-playing-for-new-contracts/
The Vikings have up to nine potential starters entering the final year of their deals this season. That includes Chad Beebe, who may be the team’s preferred slot receiver. Besides Beebe, two more projected starters — Holton Hill and Ifeadi Odenigbo — will be restricted free agents after the season. Six others will be unrestricted free agents: Dalvin Cook, Anthony Harris, Eric Wilson, Pat Elflein, Jaleel Johnson and Dakota Dozier. Dozier’s primary competition at left guard, Aviante Collins, will be a restricted free agent.
If fans thought there was an exodus from last year’s team, there could be an even bigger one coming next offseason since the Vikings have little wiggle room with the salary cap. They do, however, have the leverage with RFAs to extend an affordable one-year tender, and they could utilize the franchise tag on a pending UFA as they did with Harris this past spring. Minnesota only had three pending free agents among their primary starters last season: Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander and Harris. The former two departed for Cincinnati, while only Harris remained via the franchise tag.
Wilson is playing the 2020 season on an RFA tender and will likely start at base linebacker, and Dozier is playing on his fourth different contract (perhaps simply keeping the left guard seat warm until rookie Ezra Cleveland is ready).
The remaining six are all completing rookie deals and looking to record life-changing paydays sometime in the near future. Some have more work to do than others.
None are under a microscope like Cook, who is likeliest of the group to sign an extension prior to the season. But the team recently tabled contract negotiations when they couldn’t come to terms with Cook’s camp. While the majority of the pending free agents are seeking to improve their stock, Cook’s may never be higher after his healthiest, most productive season in 2019. If Cook heads into 2020 without a deal, he’ll be betting on himself, wagering that he can build on last year’s 13 games played and 1,654 all-purpose yards.
“I was letting my agent and the Vikings do whatever they got to do on the business side,” said Cook, who says he intends to play Week 1, contract or not. “I love playing here in Minnesota. I love being here. I love being around the guys. I love football, obviously. That hasn’t been a thought in my mind. I’m just going to go out there and work hard every day, and I’m going to be ready to play come Week 1.”
Harris became the richest of the group when he signed his $11.441 million franchise tag. While it’s not the long-term deal he sought, and probably deserved after playing like one of the best safeties in football, it sets him up to reset his value for another run at free agency in 2021 where he could cash a multi-year deal. The Vikings missed the July 15 deadline to ink Harris to a multi-year extension before the season.
“In a dream world you want things to go completely your way, no hiccups or anything like that,” Harris said. “But honestly, I wasn’t really worrying about it. I’ve always just been saying, my destiny, it’ll come to me, and not really trying to worry about anything else.”
Beebe, Odenigbo and Hill all have room to grow before they can dream of eight-figure paydays like Cook or Harris, and they may be more than a year away because of their RFA statuses. Beebe only has six career catches but has again found favor with the coaching staff as a shifty slot receiver. His play in 2020 may be what determines his future. Odenigbo has the most impressive resume of the RFA group. His seven sacks in 2019 cemented him as Everson Griffen‘s replacement, putting him in line to become the Vikings next great pass rusher. Odenigbo would have grounds for extension talks if he delivered a big season in 2020.
Meanwhile, Hill has arguably the most to prove of any pending free agent but also the most upside. Despite being suspended for eight games last season, he currently profiles as one of the team’s top two cornerbacks, and a quality starter at Hill’s age (23) would be paid a premium on the open market.
“I came in with a different mentality just knowing I’d be able to have a starting job or have an opportunity to have a starting job,” Hill said. “So I just tried to change my mentality as far as preparation.”
Finally, there’s Elflein and Johnson, a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick that have one final opportunity to prove their worth to their current team.
If fans thought there was an exodus from last year’s team, there could be an even bigger one coming next offseason since the Vikings have little wiggle room with the salary cap. They do, however, have the leverage with RFAs to extend an affordable one-year tender, and they could utilize the franchise tag on a pending UFA as they did with Harris this past spring. Minnesota only had three pending free agents among their primary starters last season: Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander and Harris. The former two departed for Cincinnati, while only Harris remained via the franchise tag.
Wilson is playing the 2020 season on an RFA tender and will likely start at base linebacker, and Dozier is playing on his fourth different contract (perhaps simply keeping the left guard seat warm until rookie Ezra Cleveland is ready).
The remaining six are all completing rookie deals and looking to record life-changing paydays sometime in the near future. Some have more work to do than others.
None are under a microscope like Cook, who is likeliest of the group to sign an extension prior to the season. But the team recently tabled contract negotiations when they couldn’t come to terms with Cook’s camp. While the majority of the pending free agents are seeking to improve their stock, Cook’s may never be higher after his healthiest, most productive season in 2019. If Cook heads into 2020 without a deal, he’ll be betting on himself, wagering that he can build on last year’s 13 games played and 1,654 all-purpose yards.
“I was letting my agent and the Vikings do whatever they got to do on the business side,” said Cook, who says he intends to play Week 1, contract or not. “I love playing here in Minnesota. I love being here. I love being around the guys. I love football, obviously. That hasn’t been a thought in my mind. I’m just going to go out there and work hard every day, and I’m going to be ready to play come Week 1.”
Harris became the richest of the group when he signed his $11.441 million franchise tag. While it’s not the long-term deal he sought, and probably deserved after playing like one of the best safeties in football, it sets him up to reset his value for another run at free agency in 2021 where he could cash a multi-year deal. The Vikings missed the July 15 deadline to ink Harris to a multi-year extension before the season.
“In a dream world you want things to go completely your way, no hiccups or anything like that,” Harris said. “But honestly, I wasn’t really worrying about it. I’ve always just been saying, my destiny, it’ll come to me, and not really trying to worry about anything else.”
Beebe, Odenigbo and Hill all have room to grow before they can dream of eight-figure paydays like Cook or Harris, and they may be more than a year away because of their RFA statuses. Beebe only has six career catches but has again found favor with the coaching staff as a shifty slot receiver. His play in 2020 may be what determines his future. Odenigbo has the most impressive resume of the RFA group. His seven sacks in 2019 cemented him as Everson Griffen‘s replacement, putting him in line to become the Vikings next great pass rusher. Odenigbo would have grounds for extension talks if he delivered a big season in 2020.
Meanwhile, Hill has arguably the most to prove of any pending free agent but also the most upside. Despite being suspended for eight games last season, he currently profiles as one of the team’s top two cornerbacks, and a quality starter at Hill’s age (23) would be paid a premium on the open market.
“I came in with a different mentality just knowing I’d be able to have a starting job or have an opportunity to have a starting job,” Hill said. “So I just tried to change my mentality as far as preparation.”
Finally, there’s Elflein and Johnson, a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick that have one final opportunity to prove their worth to their current team.
zonecoverage.com/2020/minnesota-vikings-news/prove-it-years-many-key-minnesota-vikings-are-playing-for-new-contracts/