Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors

Dolphins Remain On Dalvin Cook Radar

The one team known to have discussed a trade with the Vikings for Dalvin Cook is not believed to be out of the running for the Pro Bowl back. The Dolphins remain interested in bringing the veteran back to South Florida.

No trade is in place between the teams, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, but it is expected the Dolphins will have interest if the Vikings move on via release. A South Florida native who played at Florida State, Cook, 27, is also expected to view Miami as an appealing destination were he to be cut, Jackson adds.

Cook is tied to a five-year, $63MM extension — agreed to just before the 2020 season, during Rick Spielman‘s lengthy tenure as the Vikings’ front office boss — that calls for a $10.4MM 2023 base salary and a $14.1MM cap hit. Both figures are in the top four at running back this year. The Dolphins, understandably, would not be expected to give Cook a salary close to that number, Jackson adds.

Trade talks between the Vikings and Dolphins commenced in March, but with no deal coming to pass, Miami made a steady effort to establish backfield continuity. Ex-Mike McDaniel 49ers charges Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson re-signed, as did Myles Gaskin. Even after those signings, Cook stayed on Miami’s radar. But, after spending extensive time with Texas A&M prospect Devon Achane, the Dolphins drafted him in the third round. Miami did not spend much to retain Mostert and Wilson, signing them both to two-year deals that contain less than $3MM guaranteed apiece. Gaskin did not receive any guaranteed money.

Despite adding Wilson at the trade deadline, the Dolphins ranked 25th in rushing last season. Cook would undoubtedly upgrade Miami’s backfield — for 2023, at least — while giving the Dolphins a much deeper position group compared to the Vikings. Minnesota appears prepared to go with longtime Cook backup Alexander Mattison as its starter. That might represent a downgrade in terms of peak production, but it would come at a steep discount as well. Mattison signed a two-year, $7MM deal that is nearly fully guaranteed.

Just $2MM of Cook’s salary is locked in for this year, but since the former second-round pick is a vested veteran, the entire $10.4MM would become the Vikings’ responsibility if he is on their roster come Week 1. With that unlikely to happen, the question will be whether the Vikings move on via trade or release. (Cook agreeing to a pay cut and likely a role reduction to stay in Minnesota is not entirely off the table, either.) With the Dolphins seemingly the lead suitor, it would make sense for the team to wait for a release and pursue the seventh-year veteran in free agency.

With Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle still tied to rookie-deal salaries, Cook could fit in as a 2023 Dolphins hired gun. Tagovailoa’s pay spikes in 2024, thanks to the fifth-year option the Dolphins quickly exercised this offseason, and the team has Tyreek Hill tied to a receiver-record contract. For now, Hill’s $30MM-per-year deal is the only notable expense at the QB or skill spots in Miami. Though, Cedrick Wilson‘s $8MM-per-year contract remains on the books. The Dolphins are believed to be open to trading the ex-Cowboy, however. The team separated from 2022 franchise tag recipient Mike Gesicki in March.

Cook, who has four 1,100-yard rushing seasons on his resume, would be an interesting addition for one of the many contenders in a loaded AFC. For now, the Dolphins look to be interested observers in the Vikings’ decision-making at running back.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/2/23

Today’s minor moves in the NFL:

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: WR Garett Maag

New England Patriots

Seattle Seahawks

 

Maag fills the open roster spot vacated by retired tight end Ben Ellefson yesterday. After four years at North Dakota, the local native returns home to the Minneapolis area after going undrafted in April. In 49 games for the Fighting Hawks, Maag caught 162 passes for 2,152 yards and 18 touchdowns. He’ll add some depth to a position group in Minnesota headlined by Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn, and first-round pick out of USC Jordan Addison.

2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

The start of June has served as a key NFL financial period for decades. While teams no longer have to wait until after June 1 to make that cost-splitting cut designation, teams pick up the savings from those transactions today. With a handful of teams making post-June 1 cuts this year, here is how each team’s cap space (courtesy of OverTheCap) looks as of Friday:

  1. Chicago Bears: $32.58MM
  2. Carolina Panthers: $27.25MM
  3. Arizona Cardinals: $26.68MM
  4. New York Jets: $24.79MM
  5. Detroit Lions: $23.72MM
  6. Indianapolis Colts: $23.39MM
  7. Dallas Cowboys: $20.48MM
  8. Houston Texans: $16.81MM
  9. Green Bay Packers: $16.57MM
  10. Pittsburgh Steelers: $15.73MM
  11. Cincinnati Bengals: $14.92MM
  12. New Orleans Saints: $14.27MM
  13. New England Patriots: $14.12MM
  14. Miami Dolphins: $13.9MM
  15. Cleveland Browns: $13.86MM
  16. Philadelphia Eagles: $13.85MM
  17. Los Angeles Chargers: $12.61MM
  18. Jacksonville Jaguars: $12MM
  19. Washington Commanders: $11.57MM
  20. Baltimore Ravens: $11.54MM
  21. San Francisco 49ers: $10.72MM
  22. Atlanta Falcons: $10.7MM
  23. Denver Broncos: $10.13MM
  24. Minnesota Vikings: $9.75MM
  25. Tennessee Titans: $7.99MM
  26. Seattle Seahawks: $7.94MM
  27. New York Giants: $3.82MM
  28. Las Vegas Raiders: $3.37MM
  29. Los Angeles Rams: $1.49MM
  30. Buffalo Bills: $1.4MM
  31. Kansas City Chiefs: $653K
  32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $402K

The Dolphins gained the most from a post-June 1 cut (Byron Jones) this year, creating $13.6MM in cap space from a deal that will spread out the cornerback’s dead money through 2024. But the Browns (John Johnson, Jadeveon Clowney) and Cowboys (Ezekiel Elliott) created more than $10MM in space as well.

The Jets’ number is a bit deceiving. They are still working on a restructure with Aaron Rodgers, as the trade acquisition’s cap number — after a Packers restructure — sits at just $1.22MM. In 2024, that number skyrockets to $107.6MM. Rodgers’ cap hit will almost definitely will climb before Week 1, so viewing the Jets along with the other teams north of $20MM in space is not entirely accurate.

Minnesota is moving closer to separating from its $12.6MM-per-year Dalvin Cook contract. The team already created some space by trading Za’Darius Smith to the Browns. Cleveland, which is one of the teams connected to DeAndre Hopkins, added Smith and did so with help from its Deshaun Watson restructure. Watson was set to count $54.9MM against the Browns’ 2023 cap. That number is down to $19.1MM, though the Browns’ restructure both ballooned Watson’s mid-2020s cap figures to $63.9MM — which would shatter the NFL record — and added a 2027 void year.

Tampa Bay and Los Angeles sit atop the league in dead money, with the Bucs — largely from their April 2022 Tom Brady restructure — checking in at $75.3MM here. That total comprises nearly 33% of the Bucs’ 2023 cap sheet. The Rams, at more than $74MM, are not far behind. Despite the Bills and Chiefs — the teams most frequently tied to Hopkins — joining the Bucs and Rams near the bottom of the league in cap space, both AFC contenders also sit in the bottom five in dead money.

Vikings Likely To Move On From Dalvin Cook

More than three months have passed since Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stopped short of guaranteeing Dalvin Cook would be back with the team for a seventh season. The Pro Bowl running back remains on Minnesota’s roster, but it does not look like that will be the case for too much longer.

As they did with Za’Darius Smith, the Vikings are hoping to collect an asset for Cook. Smith stood in limbo alongside Cook for several weeks, but the Vikings ended that uncertain period by dealing the edge rusher to the Browns in a pick-swap deal that brought back only 2024 and 2025 fifth-round picks. A Cook trade package likely would not bring too much back to Minnesota, if the short-lived Austin Ekeler trade market is any indication, but the Vikings still look to be pursuing that effort.

Be it via trade or release, ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert notes the Vikings are likely set to close the book on what has been a successful Cook partnership. Minnesota agreed to terms with longtime backup Alexander Mattison in March. While the fifth-year running back’s deal is quite modest — two years, $7MM, even less than the Broncos are paying Samaje Perine — the Vikes guaranteed the long-running RB2 $6.35MM. With a Justin Jefferson contract in the cards, potentially by Week 1, Minnesota authorizing this guarantee for Mattison and keeping Cook’s $12.6MM-per-year extension on the books might be a bridge too far. After his signing, Mattison said he did so with an “understanding how it’s all laid out and how it’s all going to work out.”

That said, Seifert adds the Vikings have been in talks with Cook on a pay cut ahead of his age-28 season. This would also seemingly be contingent on a role reduction. Adofo-Mensah said in April the Vikings could “in theory” run back the Cook-Mattison pair, but they have not previously formed much of a committee. Mattison has generally served as a fill-in for Cook when he misses time. The former third-round pick has not offered the ceiling Cook provides, but he has also served as one of the game’s best backups. Mattison, 25 in June, is also three years younger than Cook and has 474 career touches. Cook, who is coming off shoulder surgery, has accumulated 1,503 in six seasons as Minnesota’s starter.

As we are now past June 1, it will cost the Vikings less to move on. They can trade Cook and pick up $11MM or release him and gain $9MM. The trade scenario, however, will be tough to complete due to Cook’s $10.4MM base salary. That figure sits as the third-highest among backs this year. Another team would likely ask the Vikings to pick up some of Cook’s salary. This scenario fetched the Broncos (Von Miller) and Bears (Robert Quinn) better draft capital in deals, but it is unknown how willing Adofo-Mensah is to follow this path. Another team could also acquire Cook and restructure his through-2025 contract, but absent a robust trade market, a suitor could bet on the Vikes cutting him. The team holds just more than $9.7MM in cap space.

The Dolphins are the only team to be connected to Cook via trade, and while they picked up the most money on a post-June 1 cut (Byron Jones) this year, Miami still drafted Devon Achane in Round 3 after re-signing Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson and Myles Gaskin. Still, Cook is a South Florida native who would upgrade the Dolphins’ 2023 backfield.

As for the Vikings, they used a seventh-round pick on running back DeWayne McBride and still roster 2022 fifth-rounder Ty Chandler and 2021 fourth-rounder Kene Nwangwu. Cook could soon be an interesting domino as aspiring contenders assemble their rosters. While the door is not entirely closed on Cook staying in Minnesota, a divorce is likely coming.

TE Ben Ellefson Announces Retirement

Ben Ellefson is calling it a career after only three professional seasons. The veteran tight end announced on Instagram today that he’s retiring from the NFL. In his announcement, Ellefson indicated that injuries played a role in his decision.

“Thank you football for the people you’ve brought into my life and the opportunities you’ve given me to pursue my dreams to the fullest,” Ellefson wrote (via the Vikings’ website). “I’ve been blessed on my path to have people who believed in me, which has drowned out those who doubted. So, thank you believers, for the chances you’ve taken on me, helping and supporting me in my drive to give this game all I could and to reach my fullest potential. The list is long and I am fortunate.

“Injuries are part of the game and although they are a big reason for me moving on, I am fortunate to be in a spot where I can still walk away from the game as a player, ready to tackle whatever is next in my life.”

The former UDFA out of North Dakota State landed on injured reserve in each of his three NFL seasons. This included a 2022 campaign with the Vikings where he was limited to only four appearances while dealing with a lingering groin injury. The 26-year-old re-signed with Minnesota this past offseason.

In 16 career games (five starts), Ellefson hauled in four catches for 36 yards. While he mostly served as a blocker during his time in the NFL, Pro Football Focus was generally favorable of his receiving skills, including a top-two mark this past season.

Each NFL Franchise’s Richest QB Contract

The quarterback market has moved again this offseason. A year after Aaron Rodgers raised the average annual value bar past $50MM, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson did so on long-term extensions. Overall, four teams have authorized the most lucrative QB deal in their respective histories this offseason. Two more — the Bengals and Chargers — are in talks about record-setting extensions as well.

On that note, here is the richest quarterback contract each team has authorized. Although teams like the Jets and Lions have acquired big-ticket contracts via trade, only teams’ extensions or free agency agreements will qualify here.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Jay Cutler, January 2014. Seven years, $126.7MM. $38MM fully guaranteed

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Carson Palmer, December 2005. Six years, $97MM. $30.8MM fully guaranteed

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

In trading this contract to the Jets in April, the Packers restructured the deal. Rodgers’ exit will still tag the Pack with $40.3MM in 2023 dead money.

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Carr’s second Raiders deal — agreed to in April 2022 — was worth $40.5MM per year. The full guarantee, thanks to the February escape hatch the team built into the contract, checked in lower than Carr’s initial Raiders extension.

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Cousins’ 2020 extension checked in with a higher AAV ($33MM) but did not approach his initial Minnesota pact for guarantees.

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Chad Pennington, September 2004. Seven years, $64MM. $23MM guaranteed.

The Jets have signed three quarterbacks to deals involving more guaranteed money, but each of those contracts — for Mark Sanchez (2009), Sam Darnold (2018) and Zach Wilson (2021) — was a rookie pact.

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell Addresses 2022 Roster Approach

2022 marked a new era for the Vikings, since the team had a rookie head coach (Kevin O’Connell) and general manager (Kwesi Adofo-Mensah) in place. Several key players were holdovers from the previous regime, though, which led some to expect a clearing of house during the offseason.

Instead, the team decided against such action, choosing to maintain a core which helped deliver a 13-4 record and an NFC North title. When speaking on the subject, O’Connell noted the value of keeping veterans around in lieu of opening up financial flexibility right away, something which would have allowed for a quicker re-shaping of the roster with players of his choosing.

“Those guys had earned respect for a reason,” O’Connell said, via SI’s Albert Breer“As a young first-time head coach, I wanted to not only engage with them; I wanted to learn from them. I wanted to allow them to have their fingerprints on our team, based upon their experiences and how we put together something we could be really proud of, and do it in Year 1. And in my mind, there really wasn’t a real necessity to say goodbye to a lot of those guys immediately.”

Indeed, it was not until the 2023 offseason that the likes of linebacker Eric Kendricks and receiver Adam Thielen were released in cost-cutting moves. Those decisions came as little surprise given the cap constraints the team found itself in, despite the production the pair demonstrated they are still capable of. Still, Minnesota will be dealing with more than $30MM in dead money this year as a result of those cuts, along with their contract handling of defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson and the terms of their trade involving edge rusher Za’Darius Smith.

Further questions have been raised regarding the future of quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Dalvin Cook. The former’s deal was restructured but not extended, leaving him set for free agency in 2024. The latter, meanwhile, has been the subject of trade speculation and would yield considerable cap savings if released, particularly after June 1.

For now, though, Cousins is in place as the Vikings’ starter at the helm of what was one of the league’s top offenses last year in terms of scoring and yardage. Much of their success, of course, came though phenom wideout Justin Jefferson, who is now eligible for what will no doubt be an enormous extension. As the franchise transitions to a new core centered around Jefferson, O’Connell is confident the now ex-Vikings who contributed last year will reflect on the 2022 season and the team’s handling of the roster fondly.

“It was hopefully as much to their benefit as it was to ours, that they get to have another great year, experience some success, continue to grow in their own right… and get to look back at that year and feel like they had a real hand in it,” he said. “Because they really did.”

Za’Darius Smith Addresses Vikings Contract, Recovery From Knee Injury

As expected, the Vikings moved on from Za’Darius Smith this offseason by trading him to the Browns. The veteran edge rusher recently spoke about his financial situation, which was the driving force behind his arrival with a new team for the third time in his career.

Smith signed a three-year Vikings contract last offseason, but guranteed money was a sticking point for the 30-year-old heading into this spring. He requested his release in March, something which would have allowed him to test the open market once again. Instead, Minnesota ended up trading him to Cleveland in a deal which saw Day 3 picks swapped and the Vikings elect to retain some of his compensation. Smith’s new contract still has him one year from free agency, however, something which is clearly a signficant factor for him.

It wasn’t set up right,” the former fourth-rounder said of his Vikings pact. “It was the guarantee part. The first year was only guaranteed. Now I’m basically in the same situation, but it’s OK now because I can get a chance to go into free agency next year” (h/t Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune).

All $6.45MM of the signing bonus Smith earned on his Minnesota agreement was indeed paid out in 2022, but after the re-working of his pact following the trade, he could still see up to $13MM in cashflow this season. Expectations will be high for him with the Browns, a team which will have one of the league’s better edge rushing groups if Smith is able to remain healthy in his new home.

The Kentucky product joins Myles Garrett and free agent addition Ogbonnia Okoronkwo in that department for Cleveland. Smith earned his third Pro Bowl nod in 2022 after notching 10 sacks in his lone Vikings campaign. That marked the third time in the least four years that he eclipsed double-digit sacks, with the lone exception being the 2021 season in which he was limited to just one game. Another injury – to his knee – slowed him down last last season, though.

Smith recorded only 0.5 sacks during the final eight games (regular and postseason combined) while he dealt with the ailment. He cited the weekly roster bonus he was paid out as the reason he continued suiting up despite being at less than 100%, and the resultant drop-off in production. Ahead of his Browns debut, however, he said he is much healthier.

“I couldn’t rest last year,” Smith said. “I was making like [$176K] just to dress up. So, you’d dress up, too, right? Exactly. That was different for me. I had a chance to rest my knee, get some rehab… I’m all healthy now and ready to go.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/23/23

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: WR Jadakis Bonds
  • Waived: TE Nick Guggemos

Minnesota Vikings

Seattle Seahawks

Jackson has toured North America’s non-NFL coalitions, playing in The Spring League, CFL and XFL over the past three years. Jackson played in The Spring League in 2021, was on the Edmonton Elks’ roster last year and was on the D.C. Defenders’ roster during the most recent XFL season. His 573 receiving yards ranked fifth in the XFL. Jackson played collegiately at Western Kentucky, finishing his Hilltoppers career with a 1,133-yard season in 2019. That season included 16- and 17-reception efforts. Jackson’s 209 catches rank second in program history. This will be his first NFL shot.

Poll: Which Team Has Improved Most This Offseason?

Although several starter-caliber veterans remain unsigned, NFL teams have largely taken their big swings this offseason. Be it through free agency, the trade market or the draft, franchises have updated their rosters in hopes of improving in 2023.

Any conversation of 2023 improvement efforts probably needs to start with the Jets. Thanks to the Sacramento Kings’ playoff advancement, the Jets hold major North American sports’ longest postseason drought — at 12 years. After missing on a few rookie-contract QBs in the time since their last playoff run, the Jets now have Aaron Rodgers. The six nationally televised games on Gang Green’s docket illustrate Rodgers’ impact on the team’s perception, and although the four-time MVP will turn 40 before year’s end, he has made the Jets a free agency destination of sorts. The team added ex-Rodgers Packer wideouts Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, with those moves coming after the addition of safety Chuck Clark via trade.

As the Jets stands to be a factor in the one of the deepest conferences in recent memory, the Dolphins added Jalen Ramsey via trade and will pay Vic Fangio upwards of $4.5MM to run their defense. Miami will bank on Tua Tagovailoa health and showed faith in the oft-scrutinized passer by picking up his fifth-year option two months early.

The Ravens took their biggest steps yet — in the Lamar Jackson era, at least — to strengthen their receiving corps, keeping Odell Beckham Jr. from a Big Apple return (via a $15MM guarantee) and drafting Zay Flowers in the first round. The Browns bolstered their receiving corps as well, trading for Elijah Moore and drafting Cedric Tillman in Round 3. Cleveland also has now added two edge rushers — with Jadeveon Clowney not expected back — in Za’Darius Smith and Obo Okoronkwo to complement Myles Garrett. Cincinnati may have made the biggest outside addition in the AFC North, signing Orlando Brown Jr., though the team did lose both starting safeties (Jessie Bates, Vonn Bell) in free agency. The Steelers added two likely O-line starters, in Broderick Jones and Isaac Seumalo, and made changes at cornerback by signing Patrick Peterson and drafting Joey Porter Jr.

The returns from this year’s top AFC South headlines likely will not emerge until the mid-2020s, but the Texans, Colts and Titans drafted hopeful long-term QBs (C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Will Levis). Houston also gave up a bounty to move back into the top three for Will Anderson Jr.

Making Nathaniel Hackett just the third HC since the 1970 merger to be fired before his first season ended, the Broncos paid up — both in terms of draft capital and salary — to add Sean Payton. They also spent heavily to better protect Russell Wilson, signing Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey. The latter will be Denver’s 11th Week 1 right tackle in 11 years. The Raiders added Tyree Wilson in Round 1, but the team’s Derek Carr-to-Jimmy Garoppolo transition injects considerably more injury risk into their equation.

Darren Waller going from Las Vegas to New York provided the centerpiece of the Giants’ hopeful pass-game upgrade, which includes a few midlevel wide receiver investments. The team added likely starters in cornerback Deonte Banks and center John Michael Schmitz. Dallas brought in Pro Bowlers Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore via trade, and Mike McCarthy will dust off his play-calling chops after Moore’s Chargers exit. The Eagles drafted two more Georgia defenders (Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith) in Round 1 but lost Javon Hargrave and both coordinators.

Few position groups received more attention than the Lions’ secondary. The rising team added Cameron Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Moseley and second-rounder Brian Branch. This came after Jameson Williams‘ six-game gambling ban and after two first-round picks (Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell) receiving positional value-based criticism. While the Bears collected future assets from the Panthers in the Bryce Young swap, they pried D.J. Moore from Carolina and added two likely O-line starters in Nate Davis and Darnell Wright.

Carolina stopped its QB carousel with the Young move, and Frank Reich will be tasked with developing the atypical prospect. The Panthers also lured Ejiro Evero from the Broncos, despite Denver’s interest in retaining its DC. Though, the team’s receiving situation — now featuring Adam Thielen and DJ Chark — may take multiple years to fix post-Moore. The rest of the NFC South will also include new Week 1 starting QBs. The Saints made the second-most notable veteran quarterback addition this year — in giving Carr what amounts to a three-year, $100MM deal — and will hope this brings the QB stability Drew Brees‘ retirement stripped away two years ago.

While the 49ers lost another coordinator (DeMeco Ryans) to a head coaching job, they gave new DC Steve Wilks superior D-line talent via Hargrave’s $20MM-AAV deal. With the Colts taking Richardson at No. 4, the Seahawks doubled down on the recently re-signed Geno Smith by beginning this year’s receiver run with Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 20. Seattle also zagged from its Pete CarrollJohn Schneider M.O. by taking cornerback Devon Witherspoon at 5. This and the Dre’Mont Jones contract headlined a big year for Seahawks defensive investments.

What other teams deserve mention here? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.