Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Lately, there has been a decent bit of chatter about the Vikings and Camryn Bynum.
The soon-to-be fourth-year safety is coming off a strong 2023, the kind of year that points toward the need for ongoing employment in the Twin Cities. Making that possibility even more appealing is that Harrison Smith is nearing the end of his career, so locking up Bynum now guards against too much safety turnover. Would handing a deal to Bynum, though, create a different contract issue?
The Vikings and The Potential Contract Problem
To a certain extent, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could become a victim of his own success.
The GM demonstrated great foresight by re-signing Josh Metellus before the safety became a starter on defense. At the time, Metellus was a special teams stalwart who had a few strong moments on defense. With Brian Flores, though, things changed for Mr. Metellus. His 2023 involved 116 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 7 tackles for a loss, 5 passes defended, 1 interception, and 4 forced fumbles.
Nov 12, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus (44) celebrates cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) interception against the New Orleans Saints in the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
As a result, the two-year extension is looking like a total bargain since it’s sending over just $8 million across the pair of seasons. Adofo-Mensah did the deal early and looks to have gotten tremendous value.
The problem arises when we circle back around to Mr. Bynum, the other versatile safety who is being leaned on to be both Minnesota’s present and future at safety. Last year, Bynum piled up 137 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 9 passes defended, 2 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 tackles for loss.
The Metellus negotiation involved arriving at a deal with someone who had yet to firmly prove he could be a defensive starter. The Bynum negotiation will involve someone who has been an entrenched starter for two straight years. See the issue? Bynum has a bit more on his resume going into negotiations. Could he demand more money than Metellus?
Nov 27, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell greets safety Camryn Bynum (24) before the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
One wonders if Bynum could land a major deal without there being a corresponding move with Metellus. Put differently, does a Bynum deal mean Metellus needs to get a raise? There’s no indication that Metellus is unhappy but the 26-year-old would be reasonable if he saw his safety counterpart land a beefy deal and be a bit concerned about the modesty of his contract.
At just a $4 million per year average, Metellus is far down the list among NFL safeties. In all likelihood, Bynum wouldn’t accept something so low. There are a dozen safeties who average $10 million or more and it would be surprising if Bynum pushed the total to thirteen. Something within the $7-$9 million range would seem more realistic.
Again, though, that comes from within a team context where the similarly versatile Metellus isn’t bringing in nearly as much. Last season, Camryn Bynum played 561 snaps deep, 282 snaps in the slot, and 186 snaps in the box; last season, Josh Metellus played 396 snaps in the slot, 377 snaps in the box, and 206 along the defensive line. Bynum had a 73.2 PFF grade; Metellus had a 69.2 PFF grade.
Dec 31, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (11) scores a touchdown as Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus and safety Camryn Bynum (24) attempt to make the tackle during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
The two work well together. Both are 26. One tends to play closer to the line of scrimmage and one tends to patrol the deep area a little more, but their versatility and their stats are similar. Disentangling their contracts, then, may be prove to be difficult.
An extension for Camryn Bynum may necessitate a contract adjustment for Josh Metellus.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
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Publish date : 2024-07-29 10:05:00
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