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Vikings Linebackers Appear Committed to Minnesota

Vikings Linebackers Appear Committed to Minnesota

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of things that they need to figure out over the next few months, as they go through much of the pre-draft process and the start of NFL free agency. But it’s also possible, by the time we get to mid-March and the bell rings on a new league year, many of their biggest decisions will be made.

 

We’ve already seen the Vikings re-up Kevin O’Connell for a yet to be made public amount of time and money. Reportedly, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will be right behind him. Once Kwesi’s new deal is out of the way, attention will turn to the Minnesota Vikings 2025 roster.

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of things that they need to figure out over the next few months, as they go through much of the pre-draft process and the start of NFL free agency. But it’s also possible, by the time we get to mid-March and the bell rings on a new league year, many of their biggest decisions will be made.

 

We’ve already seen the Vikings re-up Kevin O’Connell for a yet to be made public amount of time and money. Reportedly, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will be right behind him. Once Kwesi’s new deal is out of the way, attention will turn to the Minnesota Vikings 2025 roster.

 

Minnesota Vikings have lots of work to do this offseason…

As of today, nearly half of the players from 2024 team that finished 14-3 are pending free agents. And these aren’t 3rd string nobodies, either. Many of the most important pieces to the Vikings success from last season is due for free agency, come 3 p.m. CT on March 12.

 

 

But deciding on which pending free agents to bring back and who to let walk is only part of the offseason puzzle that Kwesi & Co has to put together. For example, outside linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard’s contracts are not due, like those of the players listed above.

What about Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel?

The 29-year-old Van Ginkel, however, is entering the final year of a two-year deal that has a very team-friendly out built into into it this offseason. Should the Minnesota Vikings choose to cut Andrew Van Ginkel — who is set to count $12.4 million against the cap in 2025 — before the start of the league year, they’d save nearly $6 million, even after eating his $6.6 million in dead cap.

On the other end of the line, Jonathan Greenard’s contract from March of last year, makes him much more secure for next season. The 27-year-old pass rush specialist took most of his cash for 2024 in form of a signing bonus, in order to save the Vikings money against last year’s salary cap.

 

This season, though, it is scheduled to increase from $5.7 million to $22.3 million. Unlike Van Ginkel, cutting Greenard prior to March 12 is not an option, being it would cost Minnesota $32.2 million in dead cap penalties.

This time next year, that security goes away for Greenard. Yes, his salary ($18.4M) remains the same, and so does his cap hit of $22.3 million. But the Minnesota Vikings could also cut him next offseason for a measly $9.9 million dead cap penalty.

Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard sticking with Minnesoat Vikigns long term?

Here’s the thing, though. Neither guy looks like they will be leaving the state of Minnesota any time soon. On Saturday, Andrew Van Ginkel was spotted at the Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets game at Target Center in Minneapolis.

 

That photo of Van Ginkel was posted within hours of Jonathan Greenard posting his own photo on Instagram of him standing in the the MN house he is in the process of building, while wearing a Brock Faber Minnesota Wild jersey. The Wild play tonight, too.

For different (but similar) reasons, contract extensions for both Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard make sense. Both guys vastly outperformed expectations last season. Thus, the Vikings could offer Greenard more term and a nice signing bonus, in exchange for a discount on his cap hit in 2025. Obviously, he isn’t planning on leaving Minnesota anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Andrew Van Ginkel’s extension is even more obvious, because he will want to turn his “prove it” two-year deal from last offseason into more long-term security and WAY more total dollars. In return, the Minnesota Vikings will get to lock in one of the premiere coverage outside linebackers in the NFL for a decent discount, especially in the first year or two.

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