Three potential cuts for the Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are another one of the 14 teams who are over the NFL’s $224.8 million salary cap for 2023, and the team faces some tough decisions as it needs to trim $21.07 million off its payroll to become cap compliant.

Minnesota has six players who would create more than $9 million if released or traded and a few others who could make a sizable dent in the salary cap void with their salaries coming off the books.

Below are three potential players the Packers could cut to create more cap space:

Adam Thielen, receiver

Thielen was a revelation for Minnesota in 2017 and 2018, but his production has fallen off ever since. He restructured his deal last season to help work the cap, but now his $19.96 million salary in 2023 may be a little too pricey for a wideout who hasn’t had more than 75 receptions or 1,000 yards in the last four years.

A post-June 1 cut would cost $6.5 million in dead money but it would open up $13.41 million in cap savings, which could be used elsewhere to stabilize a few other positions or be thrown at a player like Jakobi Myeres or Allen Lazard to fill the void Thielen would leave.

Eric Kendricks, linebacker

While Kendricks hasn’t had fewer than 100 tackles since his rookie season in 2015, he led the team in missed tackles and he will be 31 by the time the season starts. It could be argued that his $11.43 million salary is too pricey while Jordan Hicks was just as productive, played better in run defense, and costs about half as much ($6.5 million) as Kendricks does. 

The $1.93 million in dead money Minnesota would absorb by cutting the former UCLA star is just a drop in the bucket compared to the $9.5 million it would save, which could be spent on a cheaper option in free agency like Devin Bush or Denzel Perryman.

Brian O’Neill, tackle

Although he’s still relatively young, the 27-year-old O’Neill didn’t exactly blow anyone away in pass protection last season. He allowed the third-most sacks (six) and fourth-most pressures (24) on the team, and his $19.65 million salary might look awfully enticing for a team looking to clear more than $20 million to get under the cap.

The Vikings would take a $4.68 million hit in dead money if it released O’Neill post-June 1, but they would save close to $15 million. Minnesota could throw that money at Mike McGlinchey (considered one of the best right tackles in free agency) or it could invest it at another position and find a replacement tackle in the draft such as Georgia’s Broderick Jones, Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison or North Dakota State’s Cody Mauch.