HEADLINES

Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors

Vikings To Add DL Dean Lowry

March 17th, 2023 at 4:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Flores‘ first Vikings defense will feature one of the Packers’ longtime contributors. Veteran defensive lineman Dean Lowry is leaving for a two-year Vikings deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

An 80-game Green Bay starter from 2016-22, Lowry will head to Minneapolis on a two-year deal worth $8.5MM, Pelissero adds (on Twitter). Lowry will join a Vikings defensive line that just lost two-year standout Dalvin Tomlinson.

Prior to suffering a Christmas Day calf injury that ended his season two games early, Lowry had played 101 straight games. The Packers had previously extended the Kenny Clark sidekick — on a three-year, $20.25MM deal — back in 2019, but the team used one of its two first-round picks on defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt last year. With Lowry going into a contract year, that draft investment pointed him out of Wisconsin.

While Lowry only contributed a half-sack to the Packers’ cause last season, he totaled five — to go with a career-high nine QB hits and four pass batdowns — in 2021. Pro Football Focus ranked Lowry outside the top 70 last season. Although Lowry is not on Tomlinson’s level, the former fourth-round pick is still just 28 and makes sense as a starter or a rotational piece alongside Harrison Phillips up front for the Vikings.

Minnesota is attempting to bounce back from a woeful defensive season in its first post-Mike Zimmer campaign. Flores will be tasked with leading the charge, but the Vikes passed on going to the place the Browns went — four years, $57MM — for Tomlinson. While the Vikings wanted to re-sign Tomlinson and will be hit with a few million in void-years charges after not extending him, they will instead regroup with Lowry. The Packers still have Clark and Wyatt signed, with the veteran’s deal running through 2024. Still, Lowry’s 111 games played are tied for 10th by a defensive lineman in Packers history.

Vikings Re-Sign OL Austin Schlottmann

March 16th, 2023 at 7:16pm CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings are bringing back Austin Schlottmann. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Vikings are re-signing the offensive lineman. Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that Schlottmann will be signing a new one-year contract.

Schlottmann, a 2018 UDFA out of TCU, turned into a dependable backup lineman for the Broncos. He started seven of his 42 games for Denver between 2019 and 2021, and he also contributed a bit on special teams.

The lineman joined the Vikings last offseason and proceeded to appear in 16 games for his new squad, starting four. A broken fibula ended his season in Week 17 and kept him off the field for the postseason. He didn’t grade out all that well from Pro Football Focus, the third-straight season that he’s rated as a bottom-of-the-league lineman.

Apparently, the Vikings saw enough out of Schlottmann to keep him around for another year. Fellow Vikings offensive lineman Oli Udoh is also a free agent, but the team is otherwise looking to return much of their depth from 2022.

Vikings To Re-Sign RB Alexander Mattison

March 15th, 2023 at 8:02pm CST by Ben Levine

The first few days of free agency have seen a number of running backs switch teams, but one free agent is staying put. Alexander Mattison is re-signing with the Vikings, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Vikings Considering Dalvin Cook Trade?]

Mattison is inking a new two-year deal with Minnesota, per Pelissero. The new contract is worth $7MM and can hit $8MM via incentives. The deal includes $6.35MM in guaranteed money.

The 2019 third-round pick has established himself as one of the NFL’s top backup running backs, but considering the presence of Dalvin Cook, it was uncertain if Mattison would stick around Minnesota. Last offseason, there were reports that the Vikings were open to moving the backup RB, and that same report hinted that Mattison would be open to a move that offered more playing time.

The Vikings ended up holding on to their running back depth for the 2022 campaign, and it was a surprise when they got 17 games from the oft-injured Cook. As a result, Mattison was limited to a career-low 374 yards from scrimmage, although he did contribute a career-high six rushing touchdowns.

Mattison proved his value in previous seasons, topping 500 yards from scrimmage each season between 2019 and 2021. The 24-year-old has also compiled 693 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns in his six career starts, showing that he’s more than capable of replacing a player of Cook’s caliber in the lineup.

Recent reports indicated that the Vikings could be shopping Cook, who is under club control through 2025 thanks to the five-year, $63MM extension he signed in September 2020. Mattison’s new deal certainly isn’t unreasonable for a high-caliber backup, but you’ve got to wonder if the Vikings will be willing to commit all that money to the RB position.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/15/23

March 15th, 2023 at 7:46pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Washington Commanders

Smith got a two-year deal from Denver that can max out at $5.5MM, per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (via Twitter). Smith got a $1.4MM signing bonus to join the Broncos, per Troy Renck of Denver7 (via Twitter). After finishing last in kicker return average in 2022, the Broncos should get a bump from Smith, who averaged 23.9 yards on his 40 kickoff returns for Houston over the past two years.

Restructure Details: Cousins, Bills, Cowboys, Saints, Warner, Jets, Texans

March 15th, 2023 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Facing a Kirk Cousins cap crunch last year, the Vikings worked out a third contract with their starting quarterback. They did not take that path this year. Minnesota instead agreed to a restructure, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The reworking frees up $16MM in cap space for the Vikings, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweets. The Vikes look to have tacked on two more void years to Cousins’ deal. While the void years — for cap-reducing purposes — run through 2027, Cousins’ contract expires after the 2023 season. No extension is imminent.

The 34-year-old passer has enjoyed leverage throughout his Vikings relationship — via his free agency in 2018, ahead of his 2020 contract year on that fully guaranteed deal, and in 2022 as his second Vikes pact was set to produce a historic cap hit — but Minnesota’s new regime may now be looking toward moving on after the season. This will be a situation to monitor moving forward; Cousins has not played in a contract year since his 2017 Washington finale.

Here is the latest on teams’ restructures:

  • The Bills moved close to the 2023 league year in a cap hole, but they restructured the deals of their two highest-profile players to create considerable space. Buffalo reworked Josh Allen and Von Miller‘s contracts to create approximately $32MM in space, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. The Bills have moved their way up past $8MM in cap room.
  • Per usual, the Saints have been hard at work on restructures. They adjusted the deals of Cameron Jordan, Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore to create cap space, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Katherine Terrell (all Twitter links). The Jordan move created more than $10MM in cap space for New Orleans, which was back to being north of $20MM over the cap following its Derek Carr signing. As the league year begins, New Orleans made it under the cap by just more than $300K.
  • In addition to restructuring Tyron Smith‘s deal to ensure the All-Decade tackle plays a 13th season with the team, the Cowboys adjusted the contracts of DeMarcus Lawrence and Michael Gallup, Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes (Twitter links). Between them, the Lawrence and Gallup restructures freed up around $16MM for Dallas, which had already created more than $30MM in space by redoing Dak Prescott and Zack Martin‘s deals last week.
  • The 49ers restructured Fred Warner‘s extension, according to Yates (on Twitter). The move created nearly $9MM in cap space for San Francisco, which gave Javon Hargrave a four-year, $84MM deal to start the legal tampering period. A void year now exists in Warner’s contract, which runs through 2026 (with the void year coming in 2027). Warner’s cap number drops to $9MM but spikes past $24MM in 2024, which will probably prompt more maneuvering from the 49ers. They currently hold just more than $12MM in cap space.
  • Circling back to the Vikings, Jordan Hicks agreed to a restructure that will keep him in Minnesota this season, Insidethebirds.com’s Adam Caplan tweets. Hicks signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Vikings last year.
  • Amid their Aaron Rodgers pursuit, the Jets created $4.8MM in cap space by restructuring John Franklin-Myers‘ contract, Yates tweets. Two void years are attached to the defensive lineman’s pact, which runs through 2025.
  • Texans safety Eric Murray agreed to a restructured deal as well, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes. Attached to a two-year, $10MM deal he signed in 2022, Murray remains on a Texans team that has seen its roster become crowded at safety. The team has added Jimmie Ward and re-signed M.J. Stewart this week. Murray played 17 games for the Texans last season but did not start any. This sounds like a pay-cut agreement, with Wilson adding Murray can make up to $4MM this season.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/14/23

March 14th, 2023 at 9:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s tender decisions from around the NFL:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Vikings To Sign CB Byron Murphy

March 14th, 2023 at 9:06pm CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings have found their replacement for Patrick Peterson. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the Vikings are finalizing a deal with cornerback Byron Murphy.

Byron Murphy (vertical)[RELATED: Steelers To Sign CB Patrick Peterson]

Murphy is inking a two-year deal, according to Rapoport (on Twitter). Minnesota will pick up Arizona’s No. 1 corner of the past two seasons on just a two-year, $17.5MM deal, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets.

Going into his age-25 season, the fifth-year defender will see $12.5MM guaranteed. The deal includes $2MM in playing time and Pro Bowl incentives. Of Murphy’s 2024 salary, $4.5MM is already guaranteed for injury. That shifts to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2024 league year, per Wilson, giving the Vikings some options.

The former second-round pick emerged as one of Arizona’s most dependable defenders in recent years. The defensive back started only half of his games during his sophomore campaign but rebounded nicely in 2021, starting all 16 of his appearances and finishing the season with a team-leading four interceptions and 12 passes defended.

Murphy had a firm hold on the starting gig heading into the 2022 campaign. He started the first nine games for the Cardinals, compiling 36 tackles and four passes defended. A back injury forced him off the field for the second half of the season, and he was ultimately placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Despite the injury, Murphy still showed more than enough to establish himself as one of the top CBs available in free agency. While Pro Football Focus has generally graded Murphy as a slightly above-average cornerback, the site has always been fond of his run-stopping ability.

Murphy will fill in the void left by Peterson, who ended up signing with the Steelers. Peterson expressed an interest in re-signing with Minnesota, but it’s uncertain if the interest was reciprocated. With Peterson entering his age-33 season, it’s feasible that the organization preferred the 25-year-old Murphy.

Vikings To Re-Sign K Greg Joseph, LS Andrew DePaula

March 14th, 2023 at 7:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Greg Joseph struggled at points early last season, but after submitting a better second half, he is on track to remain the Vikings’ kicker. Joseph is re-signing with Minnesota, per his agent (on Twitter). The one-year pact has a base value of $2MM and offers an extra $500K in incentives, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (on Twitter).

Joseph bounced around the league a bit before finding a home in Minnesota prior to the 2021 campaign. The kicker connected on 86.8 percent of his field goal attempts and 36 of his 40 extra point tries during his first season in Minny, but he took a step back in 2022.

The 28-year-old struggled a bit this past year, missing seven of his 33 field goal attempts (although six of those misses came from beyond 50 yards). He also missed six of his 46 XP tries, leading to some questions about his future with the organization. Ultimately, it sounds like the front office is willing to give him another go for at least the 2023 campaign, although it wouldn’t be surprising if the Vikings bring in some competition.

The Vikings are also bringing back their All-Pro long snapper, Andrew DePaola, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The veteran has been hanging around the NFL since 2014, and he’s spent the past three years with the Vikings. After getting into all 17 games for Minnesota in 2022, DePaola earned his first career All-Pro and Pro Bowl nod.

Vikings To Re-Sign C Garrett Bradbury

March 14th, 2023 at 12:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings will have continuity in the middle of their offensive line for the next few seasons. Minnesota has reached an agreement to retain center Garrett Bradbury, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). His colleague Ian Rapoport tweets that the new deal is worth $15.75MM over three years.

[RELATED: Vikings To Retain QB Nick Mullens]

Bradbury entered the league with considerable expectations, after he was drafted in the first round following a strong college career. His level of play early in his NFL tenure, however, left plenty to be desired and left his Minnesota future very much in doubt. The team declined his fifth-year option last spring, which would have made him a free agent tomorrow in the absence of this new deal.

The 27-year-old has been a full-time starter throughout his career, one which saw him earn consistent but underwhelming PFF grades for three straight seasons. He took a step forward in that regard in 2022, though, generating an overall rating above 70 for the first time. Overall, he ranked 11th in the league amongst qualified centers, giving the team optimism that his ascent will continue.

The NC State product made it clear on multiple occasions that his desire was to remain with the Vikings. He will now get his wish, and give the team a familiar face at the position at a reasonable AAV, compared to other, generally older, options at the position around the league. Retaining Bradbury marks a more long-term commitment on the Vikings’ part than the one currently in place with their starting quarterback.

Signs are pointing to Kirk Cousins playing out the final year of his current contract in the absence of an extension. That will no doubt lead to speculation about the team’s plans under center, but regardless of who is in place at the quarterback position for the short-term future, Bradbury will be a constant on the offensive line.

Vikings Expected To Re-Sign QB Nick Mullens

March 14th, 2023 at 8:16am CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings saw some notable departures on defense yesterday, but they will see continuity under center in 2023. Minnesota is expected to re-sign backup quarterback Nick Mullens, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).

Mullens spent last season in Minnesota but arrived in the Twin Cities after initially committing to a Las Vegas stay. The Raiders ended up trading him to the Vikings, where he spent the season as Kirk Cousins‘ backup. The latter’s durability led to Mullens riding the bench throughout, after he had seen some action as a Browns reserve in 2021.

The team’s Mullens acquisition preceded a trade of 2021 third-round pick Kellen Mond, who spent the season in Cleveland. Mullens, 27, completed 21 of 25 passes during his initial Vikings season, which ended Sean Mannion‘s run as Cousins’ backup. Minnesota also released Mannion just before Week 1.

Best known for his work as a Jimmy Garoppolo fill-in with the 49ers, Mullens has 17 starts on his resume. Sixteen of those came with San Francisco, with which he sported a 25-to-22 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio. Kyle Shanahan turned to Mullens, despite the presence of former third-round pick C.J. Beathard, frequently in 2018 and 2020 — as Garoppolo dealt with multiple major injuries — and he completed 64% of his passes during the three-season Bay Area stay.

Mullens profiles as an inexpensive backup. While the Vikings could certainly land a higher-profile QB2 option on a crowded market here, Cousins has not missed a game due to injury during his five-season run in Minneapolis.

Load More Posts