NFC Notes: Sam Darnold, Jared Goff, Lions, Packers, Vikings

Lions

Packers

• Matt Schneidman of The Athletic comments that the Packers would free up about $6.8 million in cap space by moving on from CB Jaire Alexander, who has the third-highest cap hit on the team.

Vikings

• Kevin Seifert says that the Vikings are going to sit tight when the franchise tag window opens as there is no real incentive to tag QB Sam Darnold.
• Seifert adds that the team hasn’t ruled out tagging Darnold or signing him to a multi-year deal, yet there remains a chance they could tag and trade the veteran quarterback for draft compensation.
• Also, Seifert points out that Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell was on the Patriots roster when the team franchise-tagged QB Matt Cassel and then traded him to the Chiefs in 2009.
• Ben Goessling mentions that the interior of the offensive line could likely be a focus this offseason with the team currently sitting at around $60 million of cap space in free agency and a lot of turnover is expected.
• Per Goessling, Vikings G Dalton Risner could be back on another lesser deal, similar to the one he signed last season after hoping for a bigger deal. He is the most likely to return out of the interior group.
• Goessling has guards Blake Brandel, Ed Ingram, and C Garrett Bradbury all listed as either cut or restructure candidates, with a chance the team moves on from both Brandel and Ingram for salary cap reasons.
• The Vikings would save $5.2 million by cutting Ingram and would only take on $385,000 in dead money in doing so. They would be able to save $2.58 million against the cap by cutting Brandel, who will be guaranteed a $1.65 million salary for 2025 if he is on the roster at the start of the league year so a decision on his status will likely come soon.
• As for Bradbury, he has struggled with both larger defenders and his health, which could lead the Vikings to cut him and save $3.6 million against the cap if they don’t decide to restructure his deal.

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