With Eric Kendricks Gone, 2023 is Officially Brian Asamoah Time for the Vikings
The Vikings released veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks on Monday, clearing nearly $10 million in salary cap space. The move also cleared something else: a starting spot for 2022 third-round pick Brian Asamoah II, who flashed tantalizing potential as a rookie.
Moving on from Kendricks was undoubtedly a tough decision for the Vikings, given what he has meant to the franchise both on and off the field. Kendricks was a team captain, a 2019 first team All-Pro, and a 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. He started nearly 120 games over eight seasons in Minnesota, including the playoffs, and was one of the league's best linebackers at his peak.
But this is part of the business of the NFL. Kendricks, who recently turned 31, seemed a step slower last season as he adjusted to playing in a new scheme. He still has gas left in the tank, but the Vikings releasing him gets them closer to cap compliance and opens up a major opportunity for Asamoah, who turns 23 this month. While Kendricks was set to count for over $11 million on the cap this season, Asamoah is on a rookie contract that carries a cap hit in the range of $1.25 million in 2023.
That's the NFL life cycle. Even All-Pro type players eventually decline and get replaced by younger, cheaper options. Kendricks' relative struggles in 2022 shouldn't minimize how effective he was for the vast majority of his time in Minnesota. He should have plenty of suitors this offseason.
Releasing Kendricks felt like a possibility this offseason because of what it would mean for the salary cap, especially after the Vikings replaced Ed Donatell with Brian Flores at defensive coordinator. Flores likes speed and explosiveness in his linebackers, which isn't Kendricks' calling card at this point of his career.
Asamoah's upside is all about speed and explosiveness. He was selected 66th overall out of Oklahoma last year largely due to his sideline-to-sideline range and playmaking ability. That was on display at time during Asamoah's rookie year, from the preseason to playing 121 defensive snaps (and a huge role on special teams) during the regular season.
Playing behind Kendricks and Jordan Hicks, there wasn't a role for Asamoah on defense early in the season. He saw his first NFL defensive snaps in Week 5 against the Bears, mixing in for a handful of plays most weeks after that. Asamoah then played 15 snaps in a blowout loss to the Cowboys, 13 against the Lions, and exceeded 20 snaps in each of the final three games of the regular season.
It was a Week 16 Christmas day victory over the Giants where Asamoah's potential truly popped. He played a career-best 27 snaps in that game and made an unbelievably athletic play to create a turnover, punching the ball away from Giants TE Daniel Bellinger and scooping it up himself.
The athleticism is there for Asamoah, who ran a 4.56 40 with good jump numbers at 6-foot, 226 pounds during last year's combine. He has the range and acceleration to make plays across the whole field in coverage and fly downhill as a run defender and blitzer. Now it's about working closely with Flores and other coaches to be mentally ready to handle a full-time starting role as an NFL linebacker.
Asamoah won't be handed that job, but it would be surprising if he was unable to earn it this year. Logic suggests the Vikings will give him a great opportunity to do so. After releasing Kendricks, the next question at the LB position is whether or not the team will also move on from Hicks, who had an up-and-down 2022 season. They could create another $5 million in cap space by doing so, although they'd then need to bring in another starting-caliber player.
Either way, the release of Kendricks means the runway is cleared for Asamoah to take off this year. How quickly he can become a quality starter under Flores is a big question ahead of the Vikings' 2023 campaign.
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