Monthly archive: March, 2012

And We Have Interest In (Wait For It)… A Center

March 13, 2012, by 18 comments

As Vikings fans with access to a Twitter account blow up the internet with their, I’ll put this nicely, dissatisfaction with the front office we finally have report of them talking with a player.

You might want to sit down for this one.

Shawn Zobel reports that the Vikings, along with two AFC teams, are “talking to” Packers free agent center Scott Wells.

This is surprising news, especially considering the Vikings gave current starter John Sullivan a hefty contract extension at the end of 2011, but perhaps they envision one of the two starting at guard. 

Wells is not exactly a spring chicken at age 31 and doesn’t play a position of real need, so this one is fascinating if true.

REPORT: Claiborne Could Leapfrog Kalil

March 13, 2012, by 5 comments

It has been widely assumed that if the Vikings remained at the third spot in April’s Draft, they would select USC left tackle Matt Kalil.

Now, before I go any further, it would be a mistake for me not remind you that it is never too early to begin throwing smoke screens around, and the Vikings may be doing just that.

Still, it is worth noting that an unnamed Vikings official recently told The Sports Xchange that there is still heavy debate over which prospect would be the best available at the three spot.

The report singles out LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne as a player still in the mix to be selected third overall.

“But some people here love (Claiborne),” the official said. “I mean really love him.”

Obviously these two, and also Justin Blackmon, are prospects earning high praise and have the potential to help any team they are selected by.  Also, all three positions are major needs for this Vikings team that is, so far today, being very conservative in free agency.

Letroy Guion’s Contract Details

March 13, 2012, by 5 comments

Letroy Guion is a defensive tackle that has flashed plenty of ability but failed to separate himself from the competition despite a golden opportunity in 2011.

The Vikings, however, are apparently sold on his potential and extended him a decent contract on Tuesday that could make him a low-end starter alongside Kevin Williams.

Guion’s contract is worth $9 million over three years.  He received a signing bonus in the amount of $3.565 million.

The money included in this deal suggests that Rick Spielman and Leslie Frazier have high hopes for Guion’s future with the team.  I have to admit, I like this signing, although I was hoping we would be talking about help being brought in from outside the organization by now.

Guion Returns On Three Year Deal

March 13, 2012, by 1 comment

In a move that makes sense but is highly unlikely to satisfy your free agency appetite, it is being reported that defensive tackle Letroy Guion will return to the team on a three year deal.

Terms of the deal are not yet known, but we will keep an eye out for that.

Also, if you haven’t seen by now, receiver Brandon Marshall is the newest member of the NFC North as the Bears have struck a trade with the Dolphins to acquire his services.  The Vikings secondary will have its work cut out for them this season with Marshall, Greg Jennings, and Calvin Johnson within the division.

The good news is, however, that the Bears may now be out of the running for Vincent Jackson.

Apparently It Won’t Be Carr

March 13, 2012, by 2 comments

While we all sit eagerly awaiting word of whom the Vikings will be interested in during the free agency period, for at least 15 more minutes you will have to settle for news on who they are not interested in.

Vikings Now tweets that soon-to-be free agent cornerback Brandon Carr will not be targeted by the Vikings.  Carr seems to be a good fit for the Vikings and is relatively young, so it is surprising to hear that they have no interest.

Perhaps this is a sign that the team is not looking to dedicate a large chunk of cap space to any single player.

At The Last Minute, Receiver Market Gets Slimmer

March 13, 2012, by 13 comments

News is flying around at the moment, but little is out there directly relating to the Vikings.

Former Vikings such as Randy Moss, Steve Hutchinson, and Ben Leber are all active as free agency nears.  Moss signed a deal that has made him a San Francisco 49er, Hutchinson is visiting the Titans with Peyton Manning, and Leber is possibly going to be an Eagle.

Even though  Moss was never on the Vikings radar, the wide receiver market took a hit on Tuesday and is looking suddenly thin.  Marques Colston reportedly re-signed with the Saints getting him $40 million over five years, with just under $20 million guaranteed.

Rick Spielman appeared on the radio at 1500 ESPN this morning and reiterated that the goal is to get younger.

Less Than A Day

March 13, 2012, by 3 comments

In well under 24 hours the NFL will begin its free agency period, and the Minnesota Vikings have been unexpectedly quiet.

On Monday, they signed Sage Rosenfels to a two year contract that should put him third on the depth chart behind Joe Webb and Christian Ponder.  Other than that, not much was happening.

In fact, pending free agent linebacker Erin Henderson took to Twitter to seemingly let us know that his phone has yet to ring.

He tweeted, “Let’s write a letter. I’ll start it…. Dear Vikings,”

By the time a letter arrived at Winter Park, however, free agency will be well underway and those hoping that Minnesota retains their weakside linebacker better hope they use more modern technology, such as a telephone, to contact Henderson.

The Vikings will forego the chance to tender linebacker Kenny Onatolu as a restricted free agent, as Brett wrote Monday, but they still sound interested in retaining him.

Defensive tackle Letroy Guion is close to signing a contract extension, according to a source in this report, and contract talks were described as “fruitful” on Monday.  No news has surfaced regarding safety Husain Abdullah and his status with the Vikings.

The Vikings are thought to be a team gearing up to be active in free agency when it starts at 3:00 Central Lutefisk Time on Tuesday. 

The top targets talked about are wide receiver Vincent Jackson, cornerback Brandon Carr, and guard Carl Nicks.  These are names we have discussed for quite some time on these pages, and the odds are good that by Wednesday night we will know if the Vikings actually land any of them.  The Vikings were thought to be on a road to disappointment in this regard, but major free agency players such as Washington and Dallas are going to have trouble chasing big money players in light of their punishments handed down by the league for dumping too much money into the uncapped year.

We will be here to cover every last second of free agency, so get all your chores done early on Tuesday… it could be a long and interesting evening.