The Vikings made a big splash Sunday in beefing up their defensive line by agreeing to trade for disgruntled Jacksonville star defensive end Yannick Ngakoue.
A source said Ngakoue will join the Vikings and agree to take a pay cut this season from the one-year, $17.788 million franchise tag the Jaguars had placed on him. Minnesota will send to Jacksonville a 2021 second-round pick and a conditional 2022 fifth-round pick that could go as high as a third-round pick.
Ngakoue, 25, will replace defensive tackle Everson Griffen, who left as a free agent to sign with Dallas, and will give the Vikings two top-notch players at the spot younger than 26. Ngakoue is five months younger than Hunter, 25.
Because Ngakoue did not sign his franchise tag by the July 15 deadline, his contract can be restructured for this season. It’s expected that he will agree to sign a one-year deal for about $13 million. Salary-cap analyst Jason Fitzgerald, who runs the website www.overthecap.com, said Ngakoue will need to sign his deal with the Jaguars and then be dealt since a player who has simply signed a tender can’t be traded.
The Vikings entered Sunday with $12.2 million available under the salary cap, so they would need to make a roster move or restructure a contract of a player on the roster to create room for Ngakoue. Fitzgerald estimated that the Vikings will need to clear about $5 million to get Ngakoue under the cap and to have enough money to start the season. Fitzgerald said options could be converting money earned by quarterback Kirk Cousins or linebacker Anthony Barr to a signing bonus or restructuring the contract of tackle Riley Reiff.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said on a conference call that he wasn’t “allowed to comment on it until the trade’s official” and that general manager Rick Spielman and executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski were “trying to finalize the business side of things.” However, he did acknowledge that the Vikings have been looking for a replacement for Griffen.
“We’ve been looking for another pass rusher for quite a while,” Zimmer said. “I think that’s important when you have a young secondary as well. If (the trade) goes through, then I think that adds to what we can do.”
Ngakoue has played the past four seasons with the Jaguars, and has 37 1/2 sacks. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017.
Ngakoue, a third-round pick in 2016 out of Maryland, has been vocal is his desire to be traded. The Jaguars reportedly offered Ngakoue a long-term deal last year that would pay him $19 million annually but he turned it down and played out the final year of rookie contract for $2.025 million.
“We’re all excited as an organization to have that addition,” defensive backs coach Daronte Jones said of the Vikings on the verge of acquiring Ngakoue. “We’re looking forward to (Ngakoue) joining us, and so I know the guys in the back end, we’re all excited. So, it’ll be fun. Any time, you have a chance to affect the passing game, it’ll be clean.”
Griffen, 32, announced last March he would not re-sign as a free agent and signed a one-year deal with Dallas that could be worth as much as $6 million. Their defensive line was further weakened after they released nose tackle Linval Joseph, 31, in March and then signed Michael Pierce as his expected replacement. But Pierce opted out of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic and his respiratory problems.
Ngakoue has played left defensive end, the spot manned by Hunter. Hunter has missed 12 straight practices with what Zimmer has called a “little tweak.”
Ifeadi Odenigbo, who emerged last season to be third on the team with seven sacks, had been pegged to be the starter at right defensive tackle. However, Odenigbo is now expected to be a rotation player. He can be used at three-technique defensive tackle as well as at end. After news broke that the Vikings had agreed to acquire Ngakoue, Odenigbo tweeted, “Fools gold.”
Fools gold
— Ifeadi The Storyteller (@IfeadiOdenigbo) August 30, 2020
Zimmer was asked how his defensive line has been looking in training camp. They’ve been without Hunter since an Aug. 14 practice.
“I think there’s been good moments and bad moments just like all positions,” Zimmer said.
Zimmer said declined to speculate on when Hunter will return to practice, saying it’s up to athletic trainer Eric Sugarman. He’s hopeful Hunter will be able to get up to speed quickly before the Sept. 13 opener against Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium.
“Well, it’s more conditioning than anything,” Zimmer said. “It won’t take him long to get ready to play football. Even if we just put him in on third downs or pass-rush situations, he’s been in great shape, he looks great. I don’t think it’ll take long. We’re being cautious with him, which, rightfully so.”
The Link LonkAugust 30, 2020 at 08:35PM
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Vikings beef up defensive line by agreeing to trade for disgruntled Jaguars end Yannick Ngakoue - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press
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