Vikings mailbag: Season outlook? Roster reconstruction? Top-five positions?

Thank you for submitting questions for this week's Vikings mailbag. You can always send questions to @Andrew_Krammer on Twitter or andrew.krammer@startribune.com, and listen for answers on the weekly Access Vikings podcast or find them here on Friday mornings. Let's get to it.

Q: How have the recent cuts, signings and injuries affected your outlook on the season? — @skolorwhatever

AK: There are a couple prominent, lingering injuries that likely keep coach Mike Zimmer up at night as both linebacker Anthony Barr and left tackle Christian Darrisaw remain in the rehab group of players during practices. Their unknown statuses, combined with the recent season-ending injury to tight end Irv Smith Jr., do put a cloud over TCO Performance Center.

But we still don't know what Zimmer has in this roster. Arguably the team's top eight players, from running back Dalvin Cook to defensive end Danielle Hunter, didn't play in the preseason. They're healthy and coming off strong camps. The defense should return to top-10 form this season given the additions.

What needs to be seen is competence from quarterback Kirk Cousins and a retooled offensive line that will open the year with Rashod Hill at left tackle. It looks like a playoff-caliber roster on paper and when healthy. But a volatile Cousins and/or injuries can change that quickly.

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Q: Why all the cuts and re-signings? Seems so weird. Also, do you see a different punter and different veteran quarterback in the mix? — @vikesfan1930

AK: The Vikings have released and re-signed a handful of veterans, Everson Griffen, Britton Colquitt, Ameer Abdullah, Dakota Dozier, as they stay within the 53-man roster limit while navigating injured reserve rules and gaming the system around waivers.

They had to carry three injured reserve candidates on the initial roster in Irv Smith Jr., Kene Nwangwu, and Dan Chisena. It's the only way injured players can be designated to return, if they're on the initial regular season roster. So they released vested NFL veterans, who are not subject to waivers and can choose where to go (they, not surprisingly, chose to stay in Minnesota). Some were eventually re-signed to the 53-man roster, others landed on the practice squad where COVID rules allow up to six veteran exemptions as well as two game-day elevations, meaning they can still contribute on Sundays.

Taking advantage of those practice squad rules also allows the Vikings to protect, essentially, a younger or more "cut-able" player from waivers, where any team can claim them.

At punter, the Vikings moved on from Britton Colquitt in favor of former Steelers punter Jordan Berry. Quarterback Sean Mannion, who was released by Seattle, was a logical fit to return as Cousins' backup again. As much as its talked about, I just don't see a known unvaccinated player like Cam Newton drawing interest from a team with a vaccination problem among players.

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Q: What is your personal favorite position group? Could be based on anything: skill level, personalities, drama. — @NStumoLanger

AK: I'd have to go with defensive tackle, based on talent and personalities. They have three starters for two spots between Michael Pierce, Dalvin Tomlinson and Sheldon Richardson. They'll be able to rotate based on situation, with Richardson expected to primarily rush the passer as Pierce and Tomlinson man the early-down defense. They're also characters. Pierce and Richardson are two of the most candid players with reporters. Tomlinson is a former state champion wrestler in high school who chose Alabama over Harvard. There's no shortage of intrigue when it comes to that group, both on and off the field. They should be fun to watch on Sundays.

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Q: You often talk on the podcast about how the Vikings have a top-heavy roster at the expense of more reliable, middle-tier players. I'm curious, is this a relatively common phenomenon across the league, or is Minnesota among only a few teams whose roster is structured this way? — @MNDrew_Halunen

AK: We do revert to this frequently, and your question made me curious to go searching for further context. Turns out, the Vikings front office is currently paying top-end money to just a slightly above average number of players. Looking at contracts on 16 NFC teams, the Vikings' eight deals averaging at least $10 million per season are the most, but they're tied with six other teams in the conference. Teams have four to eight top-dollar starters, with most having at least six.

Where the Vikings' situation stands out is cap space allocated to this season. There you'll see the teams whose proverbial chips are pushed into the middle of the table. Only the Cowboys (52.5%), Packers (48.3%), and Bucs (47.6%) are allocating more cap space this season to their highest-paid players – earning at least $10 million per season – than the Vikings (46.7%). That's even after the Vikings saved about $3.3 million in 2021 cap space with how they structured Harrison Smith's extension. As the top of the roster takes up nearly half of the cap space, the Vikings have had less room for as many middle-tier contracts as other teams.

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Q: Is Troy Dye going to be the starting outside linebacker? — @jtone01

AK: No, newcomer Nick Vigil will replace Eric Wilson at weak-side linebacker. Vigil signed a one-year deal in free agency after spending four seasons with the Bengals and one with the Chargers. He's familiar with the defensive playbook, as former Bengals coordinator Paul Guenther – now a Vikings senior assistant – coached a similar scheme in Cincinnati.

Dye, the 2020 fourth-round pick, had a rough training camp and was uneven in the preseason. He's expected to contribute on special teams. The linebacker depth is thin, which is why it was surprising to see them keep seven on the initial roster. "A lot" of that, according to Zimmer, had to do with their work on special teams. Perhaps some of it also has to do with Barr's injury.

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Q: What areas of the team are likely to be league-wide top five units this season? Sounds like defensive line and receiver are good possibilities. — @donraul007

AK: The only question mark on the defensive line is the other edge spot, where D.J. Wonnum is the expected starter opposite Hunter. Everson Griffen will likely sub off the bench as a situational pass rusher. But they're loaded down the rest of the line. Receiver is another good one.

I'd add running back, where a healthy Cook often states his case for being one of the game's best. But he's appeared in 43 of 64 regular season games as a pro. As he comes off a career-high 356 touches last year, his durability will be tested even more in what is now a 17-game season. With Alexander Mattison and a speedy rookie in Kene Nwangwu, the backups also offer potential.