Vikings release Eric Kendricks, which may be just the beginning
When the owners put out a statement, you know it’s significant.
On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings released linebacker Eric Kendricks, who has been with the team since being drafted in 2015. Along the way he played a key role on the No. 1 defense in the NFL in 2017, made All-Pro in 2019 and gave countless hours to improving the Twin Cities community.
“Eric’s impact on our franchise has been immeasurable,” the Wilfs wrote in a statement. “At the core of our defense, Eric exemplified perfectly what it means to be a Minnesota Viking. He was the ultimate competitor and incredible leader who set a high standard and consistently carried himself with class. Off the field, Eric set an example for others with his passion for giving back and using his platform to drive positive change. We especially appreciate his immediate contributions as a member as an original member of the team’s social justice committee and partnership with us in the fight against social and racial inequalities. We are grateful to Eric and his wife Ally and look forward to watching them continue to make a difference in the future.”
Kendricks was already the last of a dying breed of Zimmer-Spielman era players who were part of the team’s run to the NFC Championship in 2017. Like Xavier Rhodes, Everson Griffen and Linval Joseph before him, eventually his age, production and contract did not match up. After grading by PFF as one of the elite linebackers in the NFL in 2019 and 2020, the last two seasons were not as kind to the long-time Viking star. While it’s worth pointing out that Ed Donatell’s system may not have been the best fit for Kendricks and impacted his numbers, the decline was noticeable. PFF graded him as the 33rd best LB out of 52 qualified starters. That is far from terrible but not in the range of the elite players at his position.
Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said at the NFL Combine last week that it’s difficult for the team to project player performances more than two years ahead. With Kendricks turning 31 years old this offseason, that projection becomes even more difficult. And with his contract situation, there wasn’t an option to kick the can down the road by restructuring in order to lower his immediate cap hit.
It’s a sign of the times with the Vikings’ roster. Kendricks was set to make around $11 million this season and releasing him creates $9.5 million in cap space. Even after Kendricks’s release the team is still around $14 million over the cap (per OTC), meaning that more moves are on the way. The front office will still need to make decisions on Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook, Za’Darius Smith, Danielle Hunter and Harrison Smith.
Making enough cap space in order to be cap compliant isn’t nearly enough. Adofo-Mensah made it clear that he wants to re-sign defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, which could cost in the ballpark of $15 million per year or more based on comparable players at his position. They also will have a draft class (albeit small) to sign and a number of spaces to fill (i.e. center) with outgoing free agents.
For years the Vikings have restructured deals and added void years to contracts in order to retain players like Kendricks — and they could do more of that this year with Harrison Smith or Thielen — but the All-Pro linebacker’s exit is an example of the constraints of those moves in the long run.
While last offseason marked the official start of the Adofo-Mensah/O’Connell era, this offseason appears when the roster will become theirs. Both acknowledged at the Combine that moving on from players like Kendricks is difficult considering they were significant parts of the team’s 13-win season but decisions like this are the norm for teams with aging cores and cap trouble. Now they will have an opportunity to find the next group of players who make up the core for years to come.
Kendricks will land somewhere else. Like Anthony Barr playing with the Dallas Cowboys or Linval Joseph with the Eagles, it’s going to look weird. He was a Viking-for-life type player and made a strong case both on and off the field to be a candidate for the Ring of Honor someday.
Cutting him was the clear choice but considering what he meant to the organization, it’s impossible to look at Kendricks’s exit as just another cap casualty. He was a highly intelligent, heart-and-soul player who made the entire locker room and defense better. That void won’t be easily filled.
