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Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors

Vikings To Sign George Iloka To The Practice Squad

September 17th, 2020 at 12:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings are set to sign George Iloka to their practice squad, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). From there, Iloka is likely to be flexed into the active roster, giving the Vikings some sorely needed support at the safety position.

[RELATED: Vikings, Kendricks Agree To Reworked Deal]

As it stands, the Vikings have Anthony Harris and Harrison Smith at safety with recent callup Nate Meadors serving as the only reserve for both players. That’s less than ideal, especially since Meadors is a converted cornerback. Iloka, on the other hand offers years of NFL experience, including three seasons under Mike Zimmer‘s tutelage.

Iloka hasn’t seen live action since his 2018 season with the Vikings. In that season, Iloka appeared in all 16 games while starting in three. He’s best known for his time with the Bengals, where he played for six years and served as a starter for five. During his run with the Bengals, the Boise State product registered nine interceptions and made 446 tackles.

In other Vikings news, the club has restructured the contract of Eric Kendricks to free up millions in cap space. With cooperation from the veteran linebacker, they were able to formally ink running back Dalvin Cook to his brand new five-year, $63MM extension.

Vikings Expected To Sign S George Iloka

September 15th, 2020 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

George Iloka met with the Vikings for a second time this year, working out Tuesday. That is expected to lead to a reunion.

The veteran safety is going through COVID-19 testing protocols and is expected to sign with the Vikings later this week, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets.

The Vikes were not especially interested in bringing Iloka back last week, due to his vested-veteran status mandating his salary become guaranteed at the season’s outset, Tomasson adds (on Twitter). With that no longer an issue, it appears Mike Zimmer will have a familiar face back in his secondary.

A former Bengals draftee who played for Zimmer in Cincinnati from 2012-13, Iloka last played in the NFL in 2018 with the Vikings. Although he played in 16 games with Minnesota that season, he was out of football in 2019. The Vikings previously met with Iloka in mid-August.

In Week 1, the Vikings carried just two pure safeties on their active roster — starters Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris. They promoted Nate Meadors from their practice squad last week, however, and have converted him from cornerback to safety. Iloka, however, brings extensive experience at the position and has three seasons in Zimmer’s system. Iloka, 30, was a full-time Bengals starter from 2013-17.

Vikings, Eric Kendricks Agree To Reworked Deal

September 13th, 2020 at 10:16am CST by Rory Parks

The Vikings just agreed to a five-year extension for running back Dalvin Cook, and in order to create sufficient cap room for that deal, the club restructured the contract of LB Eric Kendricks. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, Minnesota converted $6MM of Kendricks’ base salary into a signing bonus to spread out his cap charge (Twitter link).

This is the second year in a row that the Vikings and Kendricks have come together on a reworked deal. Last May, the club and Kendricks agreed to a similar restructure that may have allowed TE Kyle Rudolph to remain in Minnesota.

Of course, these types of kicking-the-can-down-the-road maneuvers always carry some risks, especially considering that the 2021 cap is expected to decrease. But Kendricks, who signed a five-year extension in 2018 that runs through the 2023 campaign, continues to play at a high level. As of right now, it looks like he will see the end of his contract — or sign another extension before then — so the dead cap charges that increase in a restructure like this one may never come into play.

Kendricks, 28, posted his fourth consecutive 100+ tackle campaign in 2019. He tallied 110 tackles in 15 games (all starts), and he graded out as the second-best LB in the league per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. That effort led to a Pro Bowl nod and First Team All-Pro selection in 2019, the first such honors of his career.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/20

September 12th, 2020 at 4:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves. Many of these roster decisions involve practice squad promotions. Under the new CBA, teams are permitted to promote two P-squad players without corresponding roster moves per week. Teams can carry 55 players on their rosters for game days and can have up to 48 active.

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Promoted: RB Nathan Cottrell, TE Ben Ellefson

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Nate Brooks

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

Vikings Sign RB Dalvin Cook To Five-Year Extension

September 12th, 2020 at 11:18am CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings and running back Dalvin Cook have agreed to terms on a five-year contract extension, reports Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (via Twitter). Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets that the deal is worth $63MM with $28MM in guaranteed money. Pelissero adds that Cook earned a $15.5MM signing bonus, which is the largest for a non-QB in team history.

It was only a few days ago that we heard the two sides were “not close” on a deal. The Vikings had been negotiating with Cook’s camp for some time, and despite the Vikings front office tabling talks back in August, both sides were still focused on completing a deal. Talks never sounded contentious, although Cook did stage a mini holdout earlier this offseason. While it never seemed like Cook was going to sit out, things could have gotten worse if Minny tagged the running back following the 2020 campaign. Now, obviously, that isn’t a concern.

Earlier this year, Cook was reportedly targeting a $15MM/year salary, but it always seemed unlikely the Vikings would come anywhere near that figure. The new deal will pay him around $12.6MM per year, which is a step up on Joe Mixon‘s recent four-year, $48MM deal with the Bengals.

Now 25 years old, Cook has been always been productive when he’s been able to remain on the field. Last year, the former second-round pick posted 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground and added 53 receptions and 519 yards in the passing game. Health has always remained a question mark for Cook, however, and his 14 games in 2019 marked a career-high.

Vikings, Dalvin Cook Not Close On Extension

September 9th, 2020 at 5:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings are “not close” on an extension with running back Dalvin Cook, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Minnesota reportedly tabled talks in mid-August, but the club is still apparently hoping to work out a new deal for Cook before the season begins. However, the two sides still appear to be far apart in negotiations.

Earlier this year, Cook was reportedly targeting a $15MM/year salary, but it always seemed unlikely the Vikings would come anywhere near that figure. Joe Mixon, perhaps the best comparable for Cook, recently inked a four-year, $48MM deal with the Bengals that contains a team-friendly structure (just $10MM guaranteed), but it’s unclear if Cook and his camp would accept such a pact.

Cook staged a mini-holdout earlier this year, but the new CBA essentially prevents any longstanding preseason holdouts from taking place. Additionally, if Cook sits out regular season games, he could put his 2021 unrestricted free agent status at risk.

Now 25 years old, Cook has been always been productive when he’s been able to remain on the field. Last year, the former second-round pick posted 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground and added 53 receptions and 519 yards in the passing game. Health has always remained a question mark for Cook, however, and his 14 games in 2019 marked a career-high.

Vikings Place Danielle Hunter On IR

September 9th, 2020 at 4:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings have placed defensive end Danielle Hunter on injured reserve, per a club announcement. To take his place on the roster, they’ve promoted kicker Chase McLaughlin from the practice squad. 

Thanks to the league’s modified IR rules for 2020, Hunter will only be required to sit out for three weeks before returning. It’s not clear if he’ll be ready to go by mid-October, however. All we know for now is that he’ll be out for Sunday’s opener against the Packers, plus the next two games against the Colts and Titans.

Hunter has been limited and out of practice with a rumored neck injury since August 16th. Fortunately, new addition Yannick Ngakoue is there to help keep the pressure on. He’ll be paired with Ifeadi Odenigbo, who will fill-in as the other starting bookend in Hunter’s absence.

The Vikings have four more years of club-friendly control over Hunter, thanks to the five-year, $72MM deal extension he inked in 2018. Now entering his age-26 season, Hunter has 54.5 career sacks to his credit.

Vikings Sign K Chase McLaughlin To Practice Squad

September 8th, 2020 at 12:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings signed kicker Chase McLaughlin, kicker Chase McLaughlin, linebacker Hardy Nickerson, and defensive tackle Albert Huggins to the practice squad on Tuesday. With that, the Vikes have filled out their 16-man unit:

McLaughlin bounced around last year, appearing in games for the Colts, Chargers, and 49ers. He started off the 2019 season with the Vikings’ practice squad, and they’re bringing him back in 2020 to serve as extra insurance for Dan Bailey. Earlier this summer, he lost out on the Colts’ kicking job when Chris Ballard & Co. chose rookie Rodrigo Blankenship.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/20

September 6th, 2020 at 5:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Sunday’s minor moves. The players who landed on injured reserve are eligible to come off teams’ respective lists after three weeks. For 2020, teams can also activate an unlimited number of IR players — as opposed to the two-man max of 2019.

Atlanta Falcons

  • Claimed (from Washington): T Timon Paris

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Claimed (from Dolphins): G Deion Calhoun
  • Signed: CB Torry McTyer

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Matt Moore, DeAndre Washington Land On Chiefs’ Practice Squad

September 6th, 2020 at 4:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

After agreeing to re-sign with the Chiefs late in the offseason, Matt Moore learned he did not make their active roster. But he is not leaving Kansas City.

The defending Super Bowl champions are carrying Moore on their expanded practice squad. Moore joins Josh McCown as veteran quarterbacks who agreed to join practice squads Sunday. Teams are now permitted to carry up to six veterans of unlimited service time on their taxi squads, and the Chiefs will also use one of their slots for quarterback insurance.

Moore, signed after he’d left the game and begun working as a scout and a high school assistant coach, started two games in relief of Patrick Mahomes last year. He won one of those, against the Vikings, and that game ended up helping the Chiefs clinch the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Moore, 36, will play an emergency role behind Mahomes and Chad Henne. The Chiefs are carrying two QBs — Moore and former XFL passer Jordan Ta’amu — on their P-squad.

Former Raiders backup running back DeAndre Washington also rejoined the Chiefs after being released. The Chiefs signed the veteran back this offseason but gave holdovers Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson roster spots over him, despite Washington having played with Mahomes at Texas Tech.

Here is Kansas City’s full squad:

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