General News

Links Of The Week: Free Agency, Round 1 Edition

March 23, 2012, by 4 comments

We’ll start this thing off with something that happened yesterday that we really didn’t touch on here at VT… Tedd Ginn Jr. is staying with the 49ers.

Our ever-loquacious punter believes Jonathan Vilma should be banned from the NFL for life.

Rick Spielman seems to be trying to throw everyone off and put up smoke screens regarding our #3 pick. They are smoke screens, right? Right…?!

“In Attempt Not to ‘Spend to Spend,’ Vikings Seemingly Already Spending to Spend,” states this Vikings writer.

In the never-ending-stadium-story, it looks like the Vikings may be getting a sign-off by the Minneapolis City Council.

Over at KAB, our friends get a little crazy and question where the franchise would be had it used Rosenfels instead of Favre in 2010 (amongst many other things).

Do the referees deserve some of the blame for the bounties placed on Favre and how it affected the 2009 NFC Championship game?

Jared Allen thinks the Saints got what they deserved.

Chris Kluwe stands up for “snitches” and goes on (expletive-filled) Twitter rant.

Now, I don’t have any videos to show for the “moment of zen” that Adam typically does here… I do have a story though. (One I told Adam yesterday after he brought up his concern that WR prospect Stephen Hill reminded him of another ex-Viking who bolted up in the draft due to great workouts. He insisted that I try to fit this little story in somewhere and I guess right here is as good as anywhere.)

A few years ago, my family and I went to a buffet (they’re in every casino here in Vegas) around the corner for breakfast on a Sunday morning. Of course, I was in my big, purple, #28 jersey; I wore it proudly (the Vikes were hot stuff at the time). We all sat down and waited for our waiter to greet us and take our drink orders so we could be unleashed and pounce upon the endless spread of food. Our waiter came and this is the short exchange that followed:

“Good morning, I’m [Derek] and I’ll be your waiter this morning. Oh! You a Vikings fan?”

“Yep!”

“Cool! My little nephew actually used to play for the Vikings a while back.”

“Really?! Who was he?”

“Troy Williamson!”

“…”

“…”

“Oh, cool…”

“…”

“Iced tea, please.”

“Moment of zen?” I think not… And yes, Adam compared Stephen Hill to Troy Williamson. Hold your tongue, Adam!

Extra Details Regarding Contracts

March 22, 2012, by 13 comments

Outside of tight end John Carlson, the Vikings have yet to commit to any free agent contracts that could potentially make them look uber-foolish, mainly because none of the contracts handed out are of major consequence.

Courtesy of Judd Zulgad, we have some more details regarding contracts for some player signings:

OT GEOFF SCHWARTZ:  A one year deal that has a maximum value of $1.5 million, and contained a signing bonus of $150,000.  Schwartz is expected to use 2012 to prove his health and competence with hopes of signing a longer, more lucrative deal in 2013.

FB JEROME FELTON:  A one year deal worth $700,000, which included a $50,000 bonus for workouts and making the 53-man roster.

RB/FB LEX HILLIARD:  A one year deal worth $615,000.

NT LETROY GUION:  A three year deal that came with a $1.5 million signing bonus.  His base salary this year will only be $950,000.  In 2013 that number jumps to $2.45 million, and jumps again to $3.95 million in 2014.  In other words, Guion will only realize the full value of his deal if he develops into a reliable contributor.

NT FRED EVANS:  A two year contract with an unknown signing bonus.  His base salary this year is $700,000 and jumps to $1.45 million in 2013.

Overall, each of these deals can be classified as “low risk” in terms of finances.  Whether or not any of these players can add value on gameday, however, remains to be seen.

Former Raven Chris Carr To Visit

March 22, 2012, by 3 comments

The Vikings are continuing to take a slow, drawn out approach to free agency and nine days in they have finally set up a visit with a free agent defensive back (at least one that has, you know, played professional football).

According to 1500 ESPN, the veteran cornerback Chris Carr will visit the Vikings on Thursday night after already having visited the Chiefs.

After three seasons with the Ravens, Carr was released earlier in March.  Last season, he missed seven games due to a back injury, and fell down the depth chart with the emergences of Ladarius Webb and others.  Prior to last year, however, Carr didn’t miss a game in six seasons.

The Vikings were interested in Carr back in 2009, when the Ravens signed him.

Chris Cook seems likely to return without suspension following his acquittal from recent charges.  Antoine Winfield should also be returning, but will likely be spending most of his time as a nickel back.

Carr, who will be 29 years old when the season starts, would be a decent pickup for a team that desperately needs stability in the secondary.  He may not be the best that was available during free agency, and he may not be the best of who is still available at this point, but right now Vikings fans will welcome just about anybody that seems like they could help out.

Schwartz Agrees To A Year With Minny

March 21, 2012, by 10 comments

The Vikings somehow managed to beat out the 49ers in wooing a free agent.  That probably had something to do with the potential for upward mobility (i.e. the lack of talent) and the presence of former Panthers offensive line coach Jeff Davidson.

Geoff Schwartz has reportedly agreed to a one year deal with the Vikings after visiting with them on Monday.

Schwartz is the third free agent to join this roster that didn’t play a single NFL snap in 2011, in this case due to an injury that sidelined him.

In 2010, however, he appeared like an up-and-coming offensive lineman for the Panthers.  He was near-dominant at right guard and serviceable at right tackle.  He will immediately jump into the mix, competing to replace Anthony Herrera in the starting lineup, and possibly even pushing Phil Loadholt for his job.

While numbers are not yet available, the length of the deal is somewhat surprising to me.  At age 25, Schwartz could possibly be a steal for teams looking for a long-term rebuild (anybody know one?) so I would’ve expected the Vikings to try and increase the length of the deal.

Vikings Will Release Remi Ayodele

March 21, 2012, by 5 comments

The decision to re-sign defensive tackles Letroy Guion and Fred Evans will make more sense to those that thought the moves made no sense at all (of which I was not one).

In light of the punishments being handed down by the NFL to those involved with the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, the Vikings are expected to be in the process of releasing nose tackle Remi Ayodele.

No players, including Ayodele, have been punished individually yet, but the NFL is expected to do so relatively soon.

Just last week it appeared like the Vikings had every intention to keep Ayodele around when they paid a deferred portion of his $3.6 million signing bonus.  It is not known if the actions taken by Ayodele in the past could result in the Vikings recovering any of the money they spent on what essentially turned out to be a horrible post-lockout free agent signing.

On the plus side, this move could be the first one the Vikings have made this offseason that won’t be met with criticism from the masses.

UPDATE:  The Vikings have made the move official.

Goodell Brings The Hammer Down On Saints

March 21, 2012, by 16 comments

Today, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made a huge statement when he brought the hammer down on the New Orleans Saints for their bounty program. And while this isn’t exactly Vikings news, we felt that the punishment should be mentioned here since we’ve touched on the subject off and on since it came into the news.

No, the Vikings don’t get any compensatory picks. We don’t get a re-do of the NFC Championship game. The Saints didn’t lose their Superbowl ring. The Vikings will be compensated in no way, shape or form (for all you hoping they would be). But they did receive a punishment far more extreme than anything the likes of the NFL has ever seen. Seriously – it’s crazy.

The punishment (according to ESPN):

  1. Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams suspended indefinitely from the NFL.
  2. Head coach Sean Payton suspended (without pay) for one year. Roger Goodell will meet with Payton after the 2012 season to determine the coach’s status.
  3. General Manager Mickey Loomis suspended for 8 games (without pay).
  4. Loss of the Saints second round pick in both 2012 and 2013.
  5. A fine of $500,000.
  6. Assistant Coach Joe Vitt suspended 6 games (without pay) and fined $100,000.
  7. The players and coaches involved will be required to participate in efforts by the NFL to educate others on the importance of the respect for the game and those who participate in it. Their safety, sportsman-like conduct, etc…

In regards to the punishment, Goodell said,

“We are all accountable and responsible for player health and safety and the integrity of the game… We will not tolerate conduct or a culture that undermines those priorities. No one is above the game or the rules that govern it. Respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised… A combination of elements made this matter particularly unusual and egregious… When there is targeting of players for injury and cash rewards over a three-year period, the involvement of the coaching staff, and three years of denials and willful disrespect of the rules, a strong and lasting message must be sent that such conduct is totally unacceptable and has no place in the game.”

It is expected that there will also be punishments for the 22 of 27 players involved eventually.

One thing to keep an eye out for is if this has any effect on what the Vikings do with Remi Ayodele. It seems he’s already been displaced by some of the free-agency moves made so far this off-season. If he is one of the 22 players that will eventually (assumingly) be punished by the NFL, it may be wise for the Vikings to just cut their ties now.

Oh yeah, and since we’re already talking about things that aren’t really Vikings news… Tim Tebow is a Jet. Don’t you just love football?

Vikings Announce Felton Signing

March 20, 2012, by 12 comments

The battle for backup running back and starting fullback may not be the most exciting one when training camp rolls around, but the Vikings are making sure there will be plenty of competition.

A couple of days after signing Lex Hilliard to a one year contract, the Vikings have now announced the addition of fullback Jerome Felton. 

A 2008 fifth round selection by the Lions, Felton figures to compete for a roster spot at age 25.  He had spent three seasons with the Lions, playing in 42 games before being waived in 2011.  He was claimed by the Panthers and then later in the season joined the Colts.

Felton joins a running back squad that consists of the following:  Adrian Peterson, Toby Gerhart, Lex Hilliard, Matt Asiata, and Ryan D’Imperio.  It might be safe to assume that no bruising backs are targeted on Draft weekend, and that we should instead keep our eye on any quick, speedy scat backs in the later rounds.

Terms of Felton’s deal are not yet known.

The Vikings also officially announced the re-signing of Letroy Guion on Tuesday, a move that we knew was coming for a week.