Vikings Territory: Releasing Kyle Rudolph Was Not The Wrong Move

Press release from Vikings Territory:

Dustin Baker Dustin Baker

2021-08-30

Cumulous clouds actually fell onto the heads of Minnesota Vikings fans on Sunday when news revealed that tight end Irv Smith Jr. was beset by an injured meniscus.

Rudolph signed on with the New York Giants a couple of weeks later, entering a hodgepodge of tight end firepower in the Big Apple that includes Evan Engram, Kaden Smith, and now Rudolph.

Somehow, Minnesota has maintained around $13-14 million in cap room for approximately three months. It is bizarre in the best way possible. Any and all remaining free agents on the wire were available to the Vikings during the summer, and it’s reassuring to holster that flexibility. That doesn’t generally occur in a Vikings offseason.

Irv Smith Jr. was ascending the depth chart while a veteran tight end – who was paid like a Top 5 caliber player at his position – was just existing on the Vikings depth chart. It was time for Rudolph to either restructure – or start his second act elsewhere. He chose the latter.

The Vikings needed cap space, Rudolph was hogging it, and the team no longer featured him in the offense as it did in years past. It was an elementary decision to move on.

Lamenting Rudolph’s exodus to New York just because Smith got hurt is counterproductive. It’s also revisionist history. For example, “the Vikings should have never drafted Teddy Bridgewater; look what happened to his knee” sounds silly to read.

But paying a tight end who will be 32 years old in November at a Top 5 TE rate was never reasonable with an upstart Smith waiting in the wings.

This press release was produced by Vikings Territory .The views expressed here are the author’s own.