Brutal 2023 schedule should influence Vikings’ offseason decisions

Profitable 13 video games in 2022 was a mystifying expertise for the Minnesota Vikings and one could be loopy to assume they might go 11-0 in one-score video games and have Kirk Cousins lead eight fourth-quarter comebacks once more in 2022. Perhaps this season’s Vikings weren’t frauds, however they had been definitely one of many luckiest groups ever. 

Twenty-twenty-three shall be a brand new animal and Minnesota’s schedule will function quite a few encounters with harmful beats, together with the Eagles, Chiefs, Bengals, 49ers and lots of extra of the groups which might be anticipated to be among the many finest within the league. Ought to that issue alone affect selections the Vikings entrance workplace has to make this offseason?

“I positively assume that it ought to,” says Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller. “These aren’t groups that went all-in on this yr after which may doubtlessly collapse. All of the gifted gamers from these teams of groups are going to be again subsequent yr. not solely that, the NFC North is primed to be harder.”

Here is a reminder of the house video games the Vikings have subsequent season:

• San Francisco 49ers (13-4) – NFC West champs
• Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (14-3) – AFC West champs
• Los Angeles Chargers (10-7)
• New Orleans Saints (7-10)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9) – NFC South champs
• Inexperienced Bay Packers (8-9)
• Chicago Bears (3-14)
• Detroit Lions (9-8)

And the Vikings will play these eight groups on the street:

• Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) – NFC East champs
• Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) – AFC North champs
• Atlanta Falcons (7-10)
• Carolina Panthers (7-10)
• Denver Broncos (5-12)
• Las Vegas Raiders (6-11)
• Inexperienced Bay Packers (8-9)
• Chicago Bears (3-14)
• Detroit Lions (9-8)

That is a terrifying checklist of opponents that features six groups that made the playoffs this season and division foes in Chicago and Detroit which might be positive to be higher.

“The panorama that they are dealing with together with all the choices that they need to take care of this offseason ought to affect what they’ll do,” mentioned Coller. 

“In the event that they assume they’ll rebuild a whole protection with a handful of free brokers which might be on a budget and run all of it again after which hope and pray that a few draft picks are going to make the  distinction, I feel that they are dwelling in a little bit of a fantasy land. They’ve to take a look at how a lot the schedule from final yr influenced them successful 13 video games and the way far more tough it is going to be.”

Minnesota GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has to make selections about high-priced gamers that can have a big affect on each the competitiveness of subsequent season’s group and the wage cap. In line with OverTheCap, the Vikings are about $23.4 million over the 2023 NFL wage cap of $224.8 million. 

The Vikings may minimize seven widespread veterans – Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook dinner, CJ Ham, Harrison Smith, Za’Darius Smith, Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks – and create greater than $51 million in cap financial savings. Restructuring their contracts can be an choice, and whereas that may unencumber cap area in 2023 it’s going to solely delay the strained cap scenario till 2024 and past. 

“They might need to take a bit of little bit of a longer-term strategy figuring out that issues are going to be more durable for this yr than they had been for this yr,” Coller concluded. 

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