It appears the Vikings may have more salary cap space than originally thought for the 2014 season.
Originally owners were told the salary cap would climb from $123 million in 2013 to $126.3 million. However, recent reports indicate the NFL’s Salary Cap could rise as high as $132 million or more.
Pro Football Talk reports a source tells them the cap could be a few million higher than the $132 million. The higher cap obviously gives all NFL teams more space to resign players and sign free agents.
For the Vikings if the NFL’s salary cap goes from the projected $126.3 million to $132 million it would raise their cap space from roughly $23 million to around $30 million or more, according to the Star Tribune.
The newspaper says that would put the Vikings with the seventh most cap space in the NFL just behind the Green Bay Packers, who have around $34 million in cap space. Oakland has the most cap space in the NFL at nearly $66 million.
The cap space will give Vikings general manager Rick Spielman an opportunity to either resign some of its free agents, like defensive end Everson Griffen, extend future free agents, like tight end Kyle Rudolph or add pieces that fit Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer’s defensive scheme.
The Vikings do have some need at left guard and more than likely will be looking for a backup running back on offense.
Adrian Peterson’s backup Toby Gerhart has been biding his time to test the market. FOX Sports Net reports that Gerhart is looking forward to testing the free agent market.
“It’s the first time that I’ve been a free agent and (could) see what else could potentially be out there,” Gerhart told FSN earlier in the month. “Been here for four years backing up Adrian in that role and it’s always nice to see what other people think across the league and what other opportunities I may have. We’ll see how it all plays out.”
Although Spielman had planned to meet with Gerhart’s agent during the NFL Scouting Combine last week he said before the combine that the team would have to address the backup situation for Peterson, according to FSN.
The demand for running backs could be interesting this year. Other than Gerhart the running backs on the open market include players like LeGarrette Blount, Ahmad Bradshaw, Andre Brown, Donald Brown, Rashad Jennings, Maurice Jones-Drew, Darren McFadden, Willis McGahee, Rashard Mendenhall, Knowshon Morena, James Starks and Ben Tate.
