Dalvin Cook and Za’Darius Smith were two players that were rumored to be available from the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, but as of Saturday they remain on the roster.
According to SI’s Albert Breer, that hasn’t been due to a lack of effort. Breer reports that the Vikings are willing to listen to offers on Cook and Smith but several obstacles are in the way of completing a deal.
“The problem with both is each will require a contract adjustment to be moved,” Breer said. “An adjusted contract needs to sit for a day before it can be traded – meaning at this point, those trades would have to be for 2024 picks.”
Cook comes into next year with a cap hit of $14.1 million and recently earned a $2 million injury guarantee after undergoing surgery on his shoulder. Although Breer reports the Vikings had talks with the Miami Dolphins on a potential deal, Miami’s selection of Texas A&M running back Devon Achane in the third round of the draft may “take them out of the running for Cook.”
Smith holds a cap number of $15.4 million for next season but he wants an increase on his $9.4 million base salary. Smith already said his goodbyes to the Vikings on Twitter back in March, but he remains on the roster as Minnesota looks to find a deal.
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Breer speculates that a deal would probably happen with the Vikings taking back part of his salary to buy a pick back from the other team, but he also notes that those picks may be hard to come by thanks to the quality of the 2024 class.
“The potential top six picks in next year’s draft—USC QB Cale Williams, UNC QB Drake Maye, Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison, Alabama OLB Dallas Turner, Penn State OT Olu Fashanu, and Georgia TE Brock Bowers – might be the first six picks in this year’s draft, had they been eligible,” Breer said. “Or at least that’s what one GM said to me earlier this week.”
For now, the Vikings are stuck and could have to make deals as post-June 1 decisions, which would increase the cap savings but limit their returns. With their options dwindling, it will be interesting to see how this situation plays out.
