After one of the more public contract disputes in recent memory, edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue has finally found a new home. He also found himself a new contract, albeit a lot cheaper than he might have hoped for.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will receive a 2021 second round pick, as well as a conditional fifth round pick in 2022 and in return the Minnesota Vikings will get Yannick Ngakoue.
The Vikings entered Sunday with roughly $12.9 million in cap space, meaning a pay cut had to happen in order to complete the trade. Minnesota and Yannick Ngakoue agreed on a 1 year deal worth $12 million. That is $5.78 million less than his franchise tender ($17.78M) he would have received in Jacksonville.
That conditional fifth round pick in 2022 becomes a fourth round pick if Ngakoue becomes a Pro Bowler, and can even become a third round pick if Ngakoue is a Pro Bowler and the Vikings win the Super Bowl. Another tidbit of information is that due to the fact that Ngakoue didn’t before the July 15th deadline, he will have to wait until after this season to negotiate a long term deal with the Vikings.
Ngakoue was a third round pick out of Maryland University in 2016, and has been one of the league’s better edge rushers since entering the league. He has at least eight sacks in each of his four seasons with Jacksonville, with a career high of 12.5 in 2017. He has a career total of 85 QB hits and 14 forced fumbles, along with a Pro Bowl nod in 2017 as well.
