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Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors

Vikings Sign WR Tajae Sharpe

March 25th, 2020 at 10:33am CST by Ben Levine

Yesterday was an active day for free agent wideouts, and that theme is continuing today. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that receiver Tajae Sharpe is signing with the Vikings. It’ll be a one-year deal for the 25-year-old.

The 2016 fifth-rounder out of UMass had spent his entire four-year career with the Titans, including a rookie campaign where he hauled in 41 receptions for 522 yards. A foot injury knocked Sharpe out for the entirety of the 2017 campaign, and he’s combined for 51 receptions, 645 receiving yards, and six touchdowns since that time.

The Vikings have been hunting around for a wideout after trading Stefon Diggs to the Bills. Sharpe will be competing with the likes of Chad Beebe, Olabisi Johnson, and Alexander Hollins to be the number-two receiver behind Adam Thielen.

We saw a number of free agent wideouts can taken off the board yesterday, with Robby Anderson, Devin Funchess, and Breshad Perriman joining new teams.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/24/20

March 24th, 2020 at 10:00pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: LB DeMarquis Gates (XFL)

New York Giants

  • Signed: DB Dravon Askew-Henry (XFL)

New York Jets

Vikings Lowered Stefon Diggs Asking Price

March 24th, 2020 at 12:43pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Months before the Bills pulled the trigger on a Stefon Diggs trade, they were interested in doing so before last year’s deadline. The Bills called the Vikings on several occasions about Diggs’ availability last year, Breer reports, but Minnesota insisted on keeping him. The Bills reached out about an hour after an ominous Diggs tweet that emerged shortly after the Hopkins trade, Breer adds. Last year, the Vikings wanted either two first-rounders or first- and second-round picks for Diggs, but Breer notes they loosened their asking price when the Bills called last week. Although the Vikings mentioned the 2013 Percy Harvin trade — in which the Seahawks dealt first-, third- and seventh-rounders for the then-standout wideout — as a starting point, they ended up accepting a first-rounder and no Day 2 picks for Diggs.

Browns No Longer Interested In Anthony Harris

March 23rd, 2020 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson
  • While the Browns are still considering Williams, Vikings safety Anthony Harris –= whom Cleveland has reportedly considered in trade — is no longer an option for the Browns, per Cabot. Minnesota apparently wants at least a third-round pick in order to part with Harris, while the 28-year-old defensive back would want a new deal to supersede his franchise tag. Instead of pursuing Harris, the Browns signed free agent safeties Karl Joseph and Andrew Sendejo.

Vikings DE Danielle Hunter Reworks Contract

March 21st, 2020 at 10:37am CST by Ben Levine

10:38am: The Vikings converted $8MM of Hunter’s $10.9MM salary into a signing bonus, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin (via Twitter). The pass-rushers $14.5MM cap hit has been reduced to $9MM.

8:33am: Danielle Hunter has reworked his contract. The NFL’s transactions page listed the defensive end as having “signed, renegotiated contract,” per Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com.

It’s unclear how Hunter’s contract has changed. Tomasson notes that $10.4MM of Hunter’s $10.9MM 2020 base salary was set to become fully-guaranteed on Friday. The Vikings have been scrambling around for some extra cap space, and restructuring contracts is one natural solution.

The 2015 third-round pick has emerged into one of the NFL’s top pass rushers, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods during his five years with Minnesota. That includes a 2019 campaign where Hunter compiled 70 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and 14.5 sacks – the second-straight season that he’s finished with that many sacks.

The Vikings’ cap problems may have played a role in their breakup with Everson Griffen. Yesterday, the player’s agent said they’ve “broken off talks with Minnesota because they have to spend their money elsewhere.”

Contract Details: Mayo, Patriots, Bailey

March 21st, 2020 at 9:21am CST by Ben Levine

A handful of contract details to pass along:

  • LB David Mayo, Giants: three-year extension. $8.4MM deal, including $3.5MM guaranteed. Salaries: $1.5MM guaranteed (2020), $2.25MM (2021), $2.5MM (2022). Via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter.
  • WR Damiere Byrd, Patriots: one year, $2.5MM. $1MM base salary, $350K signing bonus, $900K in receptions incentives. Via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter.
  • S Adrian Phillips, Patriots: two years. Deal worth up to $7.5MM, $3MM guaranteed, $1.5MM signing bonus. Can earn up to $4MM in 2020. Via Yates on Twitter.
  • K Dan Bailey, Vikings: re-signed. Three-year deal worth up to $12MM. $5MM guaranteed, $3.15MM signing bonus. Via Yates on Twitter.
  • OL Joe Looney, Cowboys: signed. One-year, $2.4375MM deal. As Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets, one of the new CBA’s veteran benefits is that the deal will count $1.25MM less on the cap than it would have last season.
  • OT Shon Coleman, 49ers: one-year extension. Worth $962.5K, including $825K base salary and $137.5K signing bonus. Via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner on Twitter.
  • DB Jaylen Watkins, Texans: signed. Two-year deal worth $3MM, per Wilson.
  • OT Roderick Johnson, Texans: re-signed. One-year deal worth $1.75MM, per Wilson.

Vikings To Re-Sign Rashod Hill

March 20th, 2020 at 8:06pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Swing tackles are flying off the board left and right. Just moments after Brent Qvale was swooped up by the Texans, we’ve got word that Rashod Hill will be returning to the Vikings, via his agent Brett Tessler on Twitter. Terms of the deal weren’t immediately available.

In his tweet, Tessler notes that Hill had other offers but opted to return to Minnesota. Hill originally signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2016, and was signed by the Vikes off Jacksonville’s practice squad later that year. He then started seven games in 2017, and entered 2018 as Minnesota’s starting right tackle. He briefly shifted to left tackle for an injured Riley Reiff, and promptly got his job at right tackle taken by a rookie Brian O’Neill.

After getting demoted Hill then spent last year as the team’s swing tackle. The Southern Miss product turned 28 in January. There’s been some speculation that the Vikings could move on from Reiff this offseason, in which case O’Neill would likely switch to left tackle and Hill could possibly regain a starting job. It’s also likely Minnesota would draft a new tackle in that scenario.

Everson Griffen Won’t Re-Sign With Vikings

March 20th, 2020 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Everson Griffen and the Vikings are going their separate ways. On Friday, agent Brian Murphy released the following statement (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). 

“We have broken off talks with Minnesota because they have to spend their money elsewhere and we decided to now focus our attention on free agency,” said Murphy.

There has been mutual interest between the two sides, but the price tag proved to be prohibitive. One league source estimated that the 32-year-old is in line for a deal worth $8MM-$10MM, plus incentives.

His last deal – a four-year, $58MM extension signed in 2017 – was cut short when Griffen triggered his option to escape. But, had he stayed, there was no guarantee that the Vikings would have kept him. Given their current stance, it seems likely that he would have been released.

The former fourth-rounder has spent his entire career with the Vikings, earning four Pro Bowl nods in ten seasons. This past season, Griffen finished with 41 tackles, eight sacks, and an interception. Since 2011, he’s put up at least 5.5 sacks in every campaign.

Vikings Re-Sign K Dan Bailey

March 19th, 2020 at 2:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dan Bailey will be set for a third season with the Vikings. The team announced the veteran kicker re-signed to stay with Minnesota for what will be his 10th NFL season.

The longtime Cowboy bounced back after a shaky 2018 season, making 27 of 29 field goal tries for a connect rate of 93.1% — his most accurate season since a Pro Bowl 2015 campaign. That connect percentage ranked fourth in the NFL.

Minnesota brought in Bailey after 2018 fifth-round pick (and current Raider) Daniel Carlson‘s early-season struggles, and the nine-year veteran has provided stability to Minnesota’s special teams. Bailey held off Kaare Vedvik after the Vikings’ trade last August. Neither of the former’s two regular-season misses came from beyond 50 yards; Bailey was 3-for-3 from long distance in 2019.

Bailey has four seasons with a connect rate of at least 93%. At 87.3% for his career, the 32-year-old specialist is the sixth-most accurate kicker in NFL history.

Vikings, DT Michael Pierce Agree On Deal

March 18th, 2020 at 6:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

6:05pm: The deal is done, and it’s a nice one for the four-year veteran. Pierce agreed to a three-year, $27MM contract with the Vikings, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The 27-year-old defender will receive $18MM guaranteed, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

5:47pm: With longtime Vikings defensive tackle starter Linval Joseph bound for Los Angeles, the team appears close to bringing in a big-name replacement.

The Vikings are close to a deal with former Ravens D-lineman Michael Pierce, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. The sides are discussing a three-year contract, per Anderson.

Minnesota has retooled considerably in recent days, moving on from some key starters. Pierce would represent a solid first-stringer to come in and fill Joseph’s spot. Pierce graded as one of the top interior defenders in football in 2017 and ’18, per Pro Football Focus, before dipping to a middle-of-the-pack spot in his contract year.

The 6-foot, 340-pound defensive lineman recorded 35 tackles (two for loss) last season in 14 starts. The Ravens, however, have made changes up front as well. They’ve added Calais Campbell and Michael Brockers, almost certainly signaling a lucrative Pierce contract is off the table.

Starter Shamar Stephen, fourth-year cog Jaleel Johnson and third-year player Jalyn Holmes remain under contract with the Vikings, so it will be interesting to see what the team pays for Pierce. The mammoth lineman had a conditioning issue that prevented him from early work at Ravens minicamp last year. The former UDFA rebounded in time for the regular season, however, and resides as one of the top defensive linemen left on the market.

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