Post by Purple Pain on Sept 28, 2023 11:07:32 GMT -6
A GM cannot be everyone's friend. He cannot make everyone the highest paid player in his position. He cannot trade high draft picks like they are meaningless.
Alec Lewis: How is Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s ‘competitive rebuild’ going a year and a half in?
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could have torn it all down. He could have disposed of all the middling assets, absorbed a hefty dead-cap penalty and placed the Minnesota Vikings in prime position to select a highly regarded quarterback in the draft.
Instead, the general manager opted for what he called a “competitive rebuild.” The goal, as Adofo-Mensah has explained multiple times, was to do two things simultaneously: create salary cap flexibility for the long haul and win while doing so.
This team-building approach wasn’t devoid of challenges, and Adofo-Mensah has admitted as much. The GM even said this summer that the competitive rebuild is a more difficult undertaking than simply tanking.
“It’s a little riskier than tearing everything down and being bad for a while and coming back up,” Adofo-Mensah said. “I know that. I can tell you the mathematical probability of doing it that way. And that’s the way other teams may have chosen, but that’s not the way we’re trying to do it.”
Almost a year and a half since he was hired, and with the 2023 Vikings sitting at 0-3, it feels like the right time to take stock of the Vikings in a macro sense. To do that, I explored where things stand in three critical aspects of team building: the quarterback situation, the draft and the state of the salary cap.
Instead, the general manager opted for what he called a “competitive rebuild.” The goal, as Adofo-Mensah has explained multiple times, was to do two things simultaneously: create salary cap flexibility for the long haul and win while doing so.
This team-building approach wasn’t devoid of challenges, and Adofo-Mensah has admitted as much. The GM even said this summer that the competitive rebuild is a more difficult undertaking than simply tanking.
“It’s a little riskier than tearing everything down and being bad for a while and coming back up,” Adofo-Mensah said. “I know that. I can tell you the mathematical probability of doing it that way. And that’s the way other teams may have chosen, but that’s not the way we’re trying to do it.”
Almost a year and a half since he was hired, and with the 2023 Vikings sitting at 0-3, it feels like the right time to take stock of the Vikings in a macro sense. To do that, I explored where things stand in three critical aspects of team building: the quarterback situation, the draft and the state of the salary cap.
State of the salary cap
Adofo-Mensah inherited a suboptimal salary cap situation. Prior to last season, the Vikings were projected to be $15 million over the cap.
Instead of stripping the roster down to the studs, Adofo-Mensah strategized with Vikings executive vice president Rob Brzezinski. The team parted ways with veteran linebacker Anthony Barr and absorbed his dead-cap hit. Then, to create more cap room, the Vikings extended Cousins and converted Hunter’s salary to a signing bonus. Those two moves paved the way for the signing of Za’Darius Smith and, later, the trade for Hockenson. Both were major contributors to the team’s 13-win season.
This offseason, Adofo-Mensah and Brzezinski faced a similar challenge. The team was projected to be about $24.5 million over the cap. This time around, Minnesota was more rigorous with its cuts, releasing wide receiver Adam Thielen, running back Dalvin Cook and linebacker Eric Kendricks. They also elected not to bring back defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson or corner Patrick Peterson.
Collectively, these departures created a $42 million dead-cap hit, according to Over The Cap, which limited the Vikings’ spending for 2023. Restructuring Cousins’ contract gave them some financial wiggle room. The team allocated some of its available capital to Hunter, cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., tight end Josh Oliver, center Garrett Bradbury and edge rusher Marcus Davenport. Through three games, the returns on those signings have been middling.
And yet for as difficult a start as it has been, we should note the team’s financial outlook for 2024 and 2025. The Vikings are due to have about $46 million of effective cap space this offseason, according to Over The Cap, and about $143 million of space in 2025. Those figures don’t account for the potential departure of veteran safety Harrison Smith, nor do they factor in potential extensions for Jefferson and Darrisaw.
This level of financial flexibility should help the team fill its abundance of needs, especially on the defensive side. That will only matter, though — and help the Vikings in their pursuit of a championship — if the quarterback spot is squared away.
Adofo-Mensah inherited a suboptimal salary cap situation. Prior to last season, the Vikings were projected to be $15 million over the cap.
Instead of stripping the roster down to the studs, Adofo-Mensah strategized with Vikings executive vice president Rob Brzezinski. The team parted ways with veteran linebacker Anthony Barr and absorbed his dead-cap hit. Then, to create more cap room, the Vikings extended Cousins and converted Hunter’s salary to a signing bonus. Those two moves paved the way for the signing of Za’Darius Smith and, later, the trade for Hockenson. Both were major contributors to the team’s 13-win season.
This offseason, Adofo-Mensah and Brzezinski faced a similar challenge. The team was projected to be about $24.5 million over the cap. This time around, Minnesota was more rigorous with its cuts, releasing wide receiver Adam Thielen, running back Dalvin Cook and linebacker Eric Kendricks. They also elected not to bring back defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson or corner Patrick Peterson.
Collectively, these departures created a $42 million dead-cap hit, according to Over The Cap, which limited the Vikings’ spending for 2023. Restructuring Cousins’ contract gave them some financial wiggle room. The team allocated some of its available capital to Hunter, cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., tight end Josh Oliver, center Garrett Bradbury and edge rusher Marcus Davenport. Through three games, the returns on those signings have been middling.
And yet for as difficult a start as it has been, we should note the team’s financial outlook for 2024 and 2025. The Vikings are due to have about $46 million of effective cap space this offseason, according to Over The Cap, and about $143 million of space in 2025. Those figures don’t account for the potential departure of veteran safety Harrison Smith, nor do they factor in potential extensions for Jefferson and Darrisaw.
This level of financial flexibility should help the team fill its abundance of needs, especially on the defensive side. That will only matter, though — and help the Vikings in their pursuit of a championship — if the quarterback spot is squared away.
... and neither is this Chris guy.