Report: Vikings Gave Army UDFA Andre Carter II Huge Base Salary Guarantee

This is an indication that Minnesota believes Carter can make their 53-man roster.

One way to judge an undrafted free agent's odds of making their new team's roster is to look at how much guaranteed money they received to sign with that team. More guaranteed money means there was competition for their services after the draft — and could indicated that the team will give that player a greater opportunity to impress and earn a spot.

Thus, it's rather notable that the Vikings gave Army edge rusher Andre Carter II $300,000 in guaranteed base salary and a $40,000 signing bonus, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. That's one of the biggest deals ever given out to an undrafted player.

One of the biggest commitments ever to an undrafted free agent: The #Vikings signed former Army edge Andre Carter II to a deal that includes a $40,000 signing bonus and $300K base salary guarantee. A sign they believe Carter can make the active roster.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 2, 2023

Carter is one of three Vikings signees who made ESPN's list of the top 25 undrafted players this year, the most in the league. Along with Cincinnati inside linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., Carter highlights what might be the most impressive UDFA class in the NFL.

Carter is right there with Pace as the biggest name in the Vikings' UDFA class. The consensus board had him at 101, making him easily the highest-ranked player by that measure to not get drafted. Brugler gave him a 5th/6th round grade.

In 2021, Carter burst onto the scene with 15.5 sacks, second-most in the nation behind Will Anderson Jr., the third overall pick this year. He recorded 59 pressures, earned a 93.4 pass rush grade from PFF, and also had four forced fumbles and an interception that year. Teams then threw a ton of attention at Carter in 2022, and his numbers fell to just 3.5 sacks, 23 pressures, and 7.5 total tackles for loss (albeit in three fewer games).

Carter is a 6'6" edge rusher with long arms, good agility, and solid burst off the line. He just needs to bulk up and get stronger; he weighed in at 256 pounds and only managed 11 bench press reps at the combine. With a 6'6" frame, there's room for plenty of additional muscle mass and power. In college, Carter's lack of power hurt him in the run game and prevented him from effectively countering the double-teams he faced last season.

A focused plan with the Vikings' strength staff should help Carter, who has the length, quickness, and motor to develop into an NFL pass rusher.

After his dominant 2021 season, Carter was receiving some early-round buzz as he headed into the 2022 campaign. But when his production dropped off, he wound up going undrafted despite most analysts still believing he'd be a middle-round pick.

The Vikings giving Carter this much guaranteed money suggests that he'll have every opportunity to come in and earn a roster spot. He may not be ready to play as rookie, but the Vikings could keep him on the roster while he bulks up in the weight room. He'd be a potential candidate to get poached if they waived him and tried to get him to the practice squad.

There's room for Carter to emerge for the Vikings in the coming years if he can hone his game at the next level. At edge rusher, the futures of both Danielle Hunter and Za'Darius Smith are uncertain, Marcus Davenport and D.J. Wonnum are free agents after next season, and Patrick Jones II hasn't shown a ton in his first two seasons.

Carter will be a player to watch this offseason at rookie minicamp, OTAs, and into training camp and the preseason.

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