Minnesota Vikings: Previewing the Vikings' 2015 Salary Cap Situation

The Minnesota Vikings finished the 2014 season with a 7-9 record and high hopes that better days are around the corner, beginning in 2015.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and his coaching staff won't delve into player evaluations until next week. After that, Zimmer will meet with general manager Rick Spielman and the front office to start mapping out a plan for free agency and the NFL draft.

One of the overriding factors in those meetings will be the salary cap. The NFL is a business, as both players and coaches are reminded probably far too often. A hot commodity today can turn into dead weight overnight. The NFL, at every level, is a "What have you done for me lately?" business.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the Vikings' salary cap situation heading toward the 2015 season. 

According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the NFL believes the 2015 salary cap will be between $138.6 and $141.8 million. Schefter also says that the NFLPA believes that as much as $10 million could be added to the cap based on increased league revenues.

Working off a $140 million salary cap, the Vikings would have roughly $10 million in cap space heading into 2015, according to Over the Cap. That available number will obviously change as Minnesota begins tweaking its roster in the offseason.

Issue No. 1 for the Vikings this offseason is obviously what to do with running back Adrian Peterson. From a football perspective, there's every reason in the world to want Peterson on the team next year. From a business standpoint, however, it's murky to say the least.

Peterson's current contract with the team won't work, and if he's unwilling to restructure it, he'll be cut. Minnesota has paid him the guaranteed portion of his contract, but it is set to pay him $12.75 million next season, with a cap hit of $15.4 million. 

The Vikings aren't going to do that. No running back is worth that kind of money. The smart guess is that when the Vikings signed Peterson to that contract, they had no intention of paying him that kind of money beginning in 2015—even before his off-field issues arose. 

Rob Brzezinski is Minnesota's long-time salary cap expert, and you can be certain he's been telling the rest of the Vikings front office that they'd want out of Peterson's contract before 2015 from the get go.

Zimmer said on Tuesday that he'd welcome Peterson back, but that he'd like to know one way or another as soon as possible, according to Brian Murphy of the Pioneer Press.

Obviously the Vikings would like to bring Peterson back with a cap-friendlier deal, but if Peterson won't budge, they can cut him. That way, he'd only count $2.4 million against their cap, according to Over the Cap. That's a savings of $13 million. That means he either renegotiates or he's gone.

Wide receiver Greg Jennings has another huge contract that Minnesota should try to restructure this offseason. The Vikings are due to pay Jennings $11 million next year, which is, quite simply, one of the worst contracts in the NFL. 

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Minnesota paid Jennings way too much money when it signed him, and he's basically given the team very little return on its dollar. Jennings' cap number would rank 12th among receivers next season, while his receiving yards ranked 58th in the league.

It's highly unlikely the Vikings will cut Jennings, though, as his "dead-money" amount is $6 million for next season, and they'd only save $2 million by cutting him. Knowing his dead-money number is so high and that the Vikings won't want to cut him, Jennings probably won't be willing to restructure his contract.

Minnesota's best move is to offer to restructure his deal so that he is guaranteed more money in 2016 and 2017, but his cap hit won't be as severe next season. Jennings still has value, so Minnesota will probably have to bite the bullet on a bad contract for one more season.

Left guard Charlie Johnson will almost certainly be cut. He's due to make $2.5 million next season, with no dead money, meaning the Vikings can cut him and save the entire amount. He's nowhere near good enough to be making that kind of money.

As far as Minnesota's in-house free agents on offense heading into next season are concerned, reserve lineman Joe Berger and running back Matt Asiata might be the only ones brought back. Christian Ponder, Jerome Felton, Vlad Ducasse and Mike Harris are almost all certain to be gone. 

The Vikings like Berger's versatility, and they can bring him back for around $900,000. Asiata's future might depend on what happens with Peterson. 

Vikings 2015 Free Agents, Offense

Player	Position	2014 Cap Hit
C. Ponder	QB	$3.23 million
J. Felton	FB	$2.12 million
J. Berger	G/C	$640,000
V. Ducasse	G	$640,000
M. Harris	OT	$570,000
M. Asiata	RB	$570,000

On the defensive side of the ball, the two players who are question marks are linebacker Chad Greenway and defensive end Brian Robison. Neither played anywhere near the value of his contract in 2014. 

Greenway is set to make $8.8 million next season, and the Vikings could save $7.1 million against the cap by cutting him. ESPN.com's Ben Goessling reports that Greenway would like to return to Minnesota, but it only makes sense for the Vikings if he's willing to agree to a pretty big pay cut.

Robison will more than likely be back with Minnesota, due to his $4 million in dead money. Cutting him would only save the team $1.7 million against the cap, and although he had a disappointing 2014 season, he's still worth keeping around for at least one more year.

The Vikings' free agents on defense and special teams are a pretty underwhelming group as well. Jasper Brinkley and Tom Johnson both did enough to be brought back for reasonable deals. 

Vikings 2015 Free Agents, Defense

Player	Position	2014 Cap Hit
Corey Wootton	DE	$1.7 million
Tom Johnson	DT	$850,000
Jasper Brinkley	LB	$830,000
Justin Trattou	DE	$130,000
Cullen Loeffler	LS	$1.27 million

Most of what the Vikings will be able to do financially this offseason depends on what happens with Peterson. Yes, you'd love to have him back, but not under the current terms of his deal. 

That Peterson is suspended until April 15 may work in Minnesota's favor, as most teams will have spent their allotment of free agency money by then—and even at a reduced rate, Peterson will command enough money to significantly effect a team's cap number. It will be very difficult for a team to leave a $7 million-or-so hole in its cap on the outside chance that it would have a shot at signing him.

In a perfect world, the Vikings will be able to bring Peterson back at a reduced rate. That way they'd add the best back in the game to their lineup and have a lot more money to play with in free agency.

It'll be a very fluid offseason for the Vikings. There have been surprises at every turn in the Peterson scenario, and that probably won't change heading toward the 2015 season.

Stay tuned.