Going into free agency , the Minnesota Vikings were in a great place with the salary cap. They entered the new league year with $63 million in salary cap space with a mission to improve the roster.
Well, they did just that and then some. The Vikings now have one of the best rosters in the National Football League and should be considered a favorite to make the Super Bowl (just don't look at the betting lines).
The Vikings signed multiple players to small-value contracts to round out the depth of the roster. You absolutely need elite talents to make a run at a Super Bowl, but it's the back end of the roster players who make the biggest difference as a collective whole.
On Wednesday night, The Star Tribune's Ben Goessling reported the contract details of four of the Vikings' low-level signings.
Jeff Okudah got a one-year, $2.35 million deal for the #Vikings, with a fully guaranteed veteran minimum salary of $1.17M and a signing bonus of $1.18M.
— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) March 27, 2025
This is a very solid contract for Okudah on essentially a fully guaranteed contract. The Vikings brought him in to be veteran depth and potentially compete for real playing time. Okudah is still just 26 years old and if he can stay healthy, there could be some upside here.
Justin Skule got a one-year, $2 million deal from the #Vikings, with a veteran minimum salary of $1.17M ($250K guaranteed), a $500K signing bonus, a $100K workout bonus and up to $230K of per-game roster bonuses.
— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) March 27, 2025
This is a really good deal for a swing tackle. Skule started multiple games last season for the Tampa Bay Bucaneers and he could end up starting games for the Vikings this year with Christian Darrisaw still recovering from his knee injury.
Eric Wilson got a one-year, $2.6 million deal from the #Vikings, with a $1.33M base salary ($1M fully guaranteed), a $1M signing bonus, a $100K workout bonus and up to $170K in per-game roster bonuses.
— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) March 27, 2025
This is a little bit hefty for Wilson, who essentially gets $2.33 million guaranteed, as the Vikings likely won't cut bait on Wilson with $2 million fully guaranteed. He will be the new Kamu Grugier-Hill: a backup who plays a lot of special teams.
Tim Jones got a one-year, $1.87 million deal from the #Vikings, with a $1.1M base salary, a $500K signing bonus, $100K workout bonus and up to $170K in per-game roster bonuses.
— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) March 27, 2025
Jones is essentially getting the same deal that Trent Sherfield got last year. He will provide wide receiver depth and be a solid player on special teams. With a good offseason, we might see Jones get some playing time at wide receiver.
According to Over The Cap, the Vikings have $21,616,239 in salary cap space. The only contract yet to be accounted for is wide receiver Rondale Moore, who is likely getting a similar deal to what Tim Jones received.
This is a healthy spot for the Vikings to be in. They need about $15 million saved for their draft class, practice squad, and in-season signings. Whatever is left over will be pushed into 2026, as they are currently projected to be $15,025,322 over the salary cap.
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