Doomsday101
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The safest, simplest way to ensure Peterson's return in 2015, then, would be to keep him under his current contract. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Vikings would be roughly $13.76 million under a $140 million cap, counting Peterson's $15.4 million cap figure. A few roster moves could push the Vikings' available cap space north of $20 million.
The Vikings are expected to reduce linebacker Chad Greenway's 2015 contract. Let's say they kept Greenway and guaranteed a base salary of $3.1 million, which would result in a net savings of $4 million. Otherwise, releasing Greenway would produce a cap savings of $7.1 million. Wide receiver Greg Jennings is scheduled to carry an $11 million cap number in 2015. He will be 32 in September after two years of underwhelming production. Considering the Vikings could save $9 million by releasing him with a June 1 designation, they might approach him with a similar offer to the ones they have made to Greenway and defensive tackle Kevin Williams in recent years, offering to guarantee a reduced base salary in exchange for cash savings. Let's call it a $5.4 million base salary in exchange for a savings of $3.5 million. Cutting guard Charlie Johnson would save another $2.5 million.
That's $10 million in savings with three moves, and the Vikings suddenly have almost $24 million in cap space and Peterson in the backfield with their young quarterback. They would have another year to gauge how much Peterson has left and more time to see if Teddy Bridgewater can get them closer to contention, and they would avoid any restructuring talk with Peterson until he's 31. By that point, he would be a year removed from reinstatement, possibly more amenable to redoing his deal if he felt the Vikings were close to a deep playoff run and less likely to recoup his $14.75 million base salary for 2016 on the open market.
"Jared Allen had a $17 million cap number [in 2013], and they let him play that out," said a source who works on NFL contracts. "Adrian at $15.4 million is a better value than that. Maybe you kick the can down the road for a year and see where you're at."
Said Baratz: "If you've got a young QB and an absolute monster like Adrian Peterson, he frees everything up. I've never been one that's gotten caught up in, 'This is what the top running back makes.' When you get into the category of being one of the more dominant players in
http://espn.go.com/blog/minnesota-v...gs-could-keep-adrian-peterson-at-15-4-million
The Vikings are expected to reduce linebacker Chad Greenway's 2015 contract. Let's say they kept Greenway and guaranteed a base salary of $3.1 million, which would result in a net savings of $4 million. Otherwise, releasing Greenway would produce a cap savings of $7.1 million. Wide receiver Greg Jennings is scheduled to carry an $11 million cap number in 2015. He will be 32 in September after two years of underwhelming production. Considering the Vikings could save $9 million by releasing him with a June 1 designation, they might approach him with a similar offer to the ones they have made to Greenway and defensive tackle Kevin Williams in recent years, offering to guarantee a reduced base salary in exchange for cash savings. Let's call it a $5.4 million base salary in exchange for a savings of $3.5 million. Cutting guard Charlie Johnson would save another $2.5 million.
That's $10 million in savings with three moves, and the Vikings suddenly have almost $24 million in cap space and Peterson in the backfield with their young quarterback. They would have another year to gauge how much Peterson has left and more time to see if Teddy Bridgewater can get them closer to contention, and they would avoid any restructuring talk with Peterson until he's 31. By that point, he would be a year removed from reinstatement, possibly more amenable to redoing his deal if he felt the Vikings were close to a deep playoff run and less likely to recoup his $14.75 million base salary for 2016 on the open market.
"Jared Allen had a $17 million cap number [in 2013], and they let him play that out," said a source who works on NFL contracts. "Adrian at $15.4 million is a better value than that. Maybe you kick the can down the road for a year and see where you're at."
Said Baratz: "If you've got a young QB and an absolute monster like Adrian Peterson, he frees everything up. I've never been one that's gotten caught up in, 'This is what the top running back makes.' When you get into the category of being one of the more dominant players in
http://espn.go.com/blog/minnesota-v...gs-could-keep-adrian-peterson-at-15-4-million
