The Minnesota Vikings previously failed to make it back to the playoffs for the second straight year after ending the 2021 season with an 8-9 record. Following another mediocre campaign, the team is now heading in a different direction as they moved on from longtime head coach Mike Zimmer.

Moreover, the front office would also need to do a ton of work in their roster in order to field the best team possible for next season, given that they are currently $11.4 million over the salary cap for 2022. With that said, contracts that are deemed as cap casualties shall be rightfully addressed in the offseason in order to help the team retool the rest of its roster moving forward.

1 surprise roster cut for the Vikings in the offseason

A player that could find himself on the verge of getting cut would be defensive tackle, Michael Pierce. The lineman started his career when the Baltimore Ravens took a chance on him as an undrafted free agent back in 2016 and developed him to be a regular starter in the trenches. After four years with the team, he then signed a three-year, $27 million contract to suit up for the Vikings.

However, Pierce decided to opt-out of his first year in Minnesota back in 2020 due to concerns about the COVID-19 virus. Despite being a newcomer, he quickly inherited a major role for the team as a starter in the defensive line in 2021. Unfortunately, an elbow injury forced him to be sidelined after Week 4 and caused him to only make six total appearances for the season. The 29-year-old ended his campaign with a meager output of 14 combined tackles and 3.0 sacks.

Looking back, he was initially expected to fill in the hole left by former nose tackle Linval Joseph who relocated to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020. However, it didn't turn out so well for them as the Vikings' defense still underwhelmed after allowing the fifth-most rushing yards over the past season.

On an individual basis, Pierce can still be considered as a quality player on most occasions but his frequent absences on the field just made him a liability for the cash-strapped Vikings. As of the moment, the defensive tackle is set to enter the final year of his current deal where he is expected to have a $10.5 million cap hit with $4 million in dead money for the Vikings. If the team decides to cut him then they can save around $6.5 million which can help them stay afloat in the offseason.

Another reason for Michael Pierce to be a potential cut candidate would be the emergence of his backup in Armon Watts who just completed a respectable campaign. The third-year player has shown that he can step up to fill the nose tackle position and stay relatively healthier than Pierce as he played all 17 games in 2021.

Additionally, DT Dalvin Tomlinson is also versatile enough to move over to the nose tackle position in light of Pierce's potential departure in the offseason. The Vikings can opt to address the other holes on their defensive unit starting with the 12th overall pick in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft, given their current financial situation.

Surely enough, Minnesota's defense needs to make more adjustments, especially as they are set to play under a new defensive coordinator in Ed Donatell. Michael Pierce's subpar 2021 campaign has certainly affected his position in the team and would need to look for a new home elsewhere if the Vikings do cut him off their roster for next season.