Vikings Futures

While 8 teams prepare for the NFL's Divisional Round of the playoffs, 24 teams have started working toward the 2019 season. The Minnesota Vikings kicked off their offseason, after a very disappointing regular season, by signing all 10 members of their practice squad to "futures contracts."

Jeff Badet, WR
Jalen Myrick, CB
Storm Norton, OL
Curtis Cothran, DL
Reshard Cliett, LB
Roc Thomas, RB
Adam Bisnowaty, OT
Cornelius Edison, C
Cole Hikutini, TE
Ifeadi Odenigbo, DE

"Futures Contracts" are no different than regular active-roster contracts for minimum veteran salaries, cap charges. signing bonuses. The only difference being that they don't take effect until the start of the new league year on March 13. The contracts don't count against the salary cap or 53-man limit. Instead, the contracts will count against the salary cap and the 90-man camp limit of the following season. Thus, futures.

Ifeadi Odenigbo had a will-traveled 2018 season. He was waived by the Vikings on September 1. Claimed by the Cleveland Browns on September 2. Waived by the Browns on September 22. Claimed by the Arizona Cardinals on September 24. He played in one game for the Cardinals before being waived on October 23. The Vikings signed him to their practice squad on October 31. The Philadelphia Eagles tried to pluck Odenigbo from the Vikings practice squad late in the season. He decided to stay on the practice squad in Minnesota rather than join the active roster in Philadelphia. The Vikings boosted his practice squad contract to $28,235 per week, which is the same that he would have made on a minimum deal with the Eagles. The practice squad minimum is $7,600. Bouncing around the league's practice squads isn't all that unusual for a player but ending up where they started is. The Vikings liked Odenigbo when they selected him in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft and were probably reluctant to let him go this past September. He's with the Vikings now and moving forward. As are all of the players signed to "futures contracts."