The Vikings have begun overhauling their roster this offseason, releasing franchise icons Adam Thielen and Eric Kendricks and moving on from cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Cameron Dantzler. There are more moves to come, with players like Harrison Smith, Za'Darius Smith, and Dalvin Cook among the next candidates to be headed elsewhere.
It appears to all be part of a concerted plan from GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell to address the Vikings' salary cap situation, make the roster their own, and aim for a window of contention in 2024/25.
But the Vikings have also made a few minor moves to help out the cap situation without players departing. According to various reports, they've worked out restructured deals with LB Jordan Hicks, G/C Chris Reed, and DT Ross Blacklock that create some cap space.
Hicks is the big one here. The veteran linebacker, who turns 31 this summer, signed a two-year deal with the Vikings last year. Hicks started all 18 games for Minnesota, including playoffs, playing just shy of 1,000 defensive snaps. He was pretty good alongside Eric Kendricks, earning a 66.7 PFF grade. Hicks was excellent as a run defender, tackler, and blitzer, totaling 129 tackles and three sacks. His coverage grade was below average.
Hicks, who previously spent three seasons with the Cardinals and four with the Eagles, was set to have a $6.5 million cap hit in 2023. Releasing him would've freed up $5 million with $1.5 million in dead money. Instead, the Vikings are keeping him on a restructured deal that will lower his cap hit, although the exact details aren't yet known. Sirius XM's Adam Caplan broke the news on Monday.
As of now, the Vikings' starting linebackers this fall will be Hicks and second-year player Brian Asamoah. The team seems to believe Hicks will be a good fit under new defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Interior offensive lineman Chris Reed, who signed a two-year deal last offseason, agreed to a restructure that will reduce his cap hit from $2.75 million to about $1.75 million, according to ESPN's Field Yates. Reed was a backup who played center in the final two games of the regular season, when both Garrett Bradbury and Austin Schlottmann were injured. Bradbury returned for the playoff game.
Lastly, defensive tackle Ross Blacklock took a pay cut of roughly $683K that he can earn back with incentives, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. That means that instead of being cut, his salary is reduced to the veteran minimum to remain with the team. Blacklock, a former second-round pick of the Texans, was traded with a seventh-round pick to the Vikings for a sixth-rounder right before final roster cuts last year.
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