The Minnesota Vikings and Kyle Rudolph have broken off talks over restructuring and extending the veterans contract.

Minnesota is in need of finding some cap space to sign the rest of its rookie draft class. Rudolph's deal has been the target with no guaranteed money owed to him and $7.5 million set to be against the cap this season according to Spotrac.

That means the Vikings can release or trade Rudolph and save the $7.5 million of cap space without any penalty against them. Rudolph, who saw the Vikings draft tight end Irv Smith in the second round, has the right to decline all talks and play for the contract his agreed to back in 2014. The chances of the Vikings allowing that to happen though are low, which is why the team has been attempting to restructure the current deal for more cap room.

That attempt to fix the contract is currently at a standstill as of now according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The chances of Rudolph being traded have certainly increased following this getting out today. Rudolph, as he's tweeted all offseason, believes the best years of his career are ahead. The Vikings have drafted another tight end that would be a cheaper option.

Rudolph would have the chance to bet on himself by being traded to a different team. His contract would follow, and team's can try to restructure after a trade, and he would have the chance to earn more money in the short-term with another new deal. The other option for Rudolph would be to take a pay cut with the Vikings for more long-term security. Either way, the salary cap puts teams and players in this situation each season and it comes down to business.

There is always a chance that the two sides can come back together and figure out a plan that works. At this rate though, it appears that both sides would be better off going different directions.

 

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