Vikings Restructure Brian O'Neill's Contract, Create $1.5 Million in Cap Space

The Vikings have converted $1.87 million of right tackle Brian O'Neill's base salary into signing bonus, creating $1.5 million in cap space, per ESPN's Field Yates.

This isn't a precursor to a free agent signing or anything along those lines, it just gives the Vikings some much-needed flexibility going forward. They were extremely tight against the cap. They had enough room to add T.J. Hockenson and his small 2022 base salary in a trade, but not much more than that.

"Nothing specific for this particular move," GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said when asked if the Vikings had to move things around to add Hockenson's contract. "But we might do moves in the future, and you want to make sure you have room as injuries start to happen in the NFL season."

This just gives the Vikings the ability to make minor moves like elevating or signing players from the practice squad, or adding low-cost free agents from elsewhere if needed in the case of injury. Teams restructure deals all the time, pushing a bit of signing bonus into future seasons for cap space in the present.

From O'Neill's perspective, it doesn't change anything. He gets a chunk of his base salary up front.

O'Neill has quietly, once again, been one of the premier right tackles in football this year. He ranks fourth in PFF grade at the position, trailing only Tristan Wirfs, Ryan Ramczyk, and Lane Johnson.

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