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Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors

Vikings, Britton Colquitt Agree To Deal

March 16th, 2020 at 3:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings will bring back Britton Colquitt. Minnesota will re-sign its punter, per Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (on Twitter).

Colquitt agreed to a three-year, $9MM deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. He will receive $5MM guaranteed. Colquitt, 34, was a free agent so he is signed through the 2022 season.

The Browns featured Colquitt as their punter for three seasons but cut him just before the 2019 regular season, and he landed in Minnesota. He averaged 45.2 yards per punt last season. The former Broncos punter will attempt to become a long-term Viking on his latest NFL contract.

Vikings Place Second-Round Tender On LB Eric Wilson

March 16th, 2020 at 2:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Vikings aren’t going to let Eric Wilson get poached in free agency. Minnesota has tendered the restricted free agent at the second-round level, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).

As Tomasson notes, the second-round tender is going to be worth a little bit over $3.1MM for 2020. The move ensures that if any team signs Wilson to an offer sheet and the Vikings decline to match, they’d get that team’s second-round pick in return. Wilson has been a solid contributor the past two seasons, but it’s extremely unlikely any team would give up that kind of pick for him, so he’ll almost certainly be back in Minnesota next season.

The Cincinnati product signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent back in 2017, and mostly played on special teams as a rookie. He has since become a nice diamond in the rough find, starting ten games over the past two years and playing a big role on defense.

This past year he played around 35 percent of the defensive snaps while still playing a lot on special teams. He made six starts and racked up 62 tackles and three sacks. The original-round tender is projected to be a little over $2.1MM but since he was undrafted the Vikings wouldn’t have gotten any compensation had he left in that scenario, so they decided to pony up and pay the extra $1MM to make sure he stays put.

Seahawks, Vikings Interested In Stefon Diggs Trade?

March 16th, 2020 at 1:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored off-and-on as a trade candidate, Stefon Diggs has emerged on this front again. The Seahawks are interested, with Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweeting interest has emerged on both sides in a potential Diggs deal. Diggs himself added a lot of fuel to the fire shortly after this report emerged, cryptically tweeting “it’s time for a new beginning.”

Diggs dissatisfaction with his role on Minnesota’s offense led to 2019 trade rumors, but the Vikings squashed that and depended on their well-paid wideout the rest of the season. Adam Thielen‘s injury thrust Diggs to the top of the Vikings’ aerial pecking order. But the Vikings have two receivers making $14MM-plus annually, with Diggs at $14.4MM per year and Thielen now north of $16MM on average.

Reports of drama with Diggs percolated throughout 2019. The wide receiver wasn’t happy with his role early on in the season and even after he eased up on some of his comments, many still believed that he wanted out. The Vikings, meanwhile, said they’d smooth things out. Right now, it looks like he could be on his way to another NFC contender.

Diggs, on the verge of his age-27 season, is signed through 2023 thanks to his five-year, $72MM extension. Last year, he caught 63 passes for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. He was targeted just 94 times – down from his 149 targets in 2018 – but he was more efficient than ever as he averaged 17.9 yards per catch.

Vikings To Place Franchise Tag On Anthony Harris

March 16th, 2020 at 10:55am CST by Sam Robinson

Monday morning’s tag mania continues. A 13th team will use its tag. Less than ten minutes before the deadline, the Vikings will deploy their tag on safety Anthony Harris, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It will cost the Vikings $11.4MM to use this tag.

[RELATED: Vikings, Cousins Agree To Extension]

Harris was not viewed as a tag candidate, instead being set for free agency as one of the market’s top defenders. Now, he’ll be tethered to Minnesota’s payroll. The Vikings’ cuts of Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph, and their Kirk Cousins extension, helped create cap space to make a Harris tag possible.

Harris and Justin Simmons were the consensus top two options at the safety position, but the Broncos whittled that down recently by applying the franchise tag to their star in the secondary. Harris, a proven vet, has ranked among the league’s best safeties in his time with the Vikings. Understandably, the Vikes didn’t want to let him get away.

According to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus, Harris has been a top-five safety in each of the last two years. Between 2018 and 2019, he’s totaled nine interceptions, 17 passes defended, and 106 tackles.

Vikings, Kirk Cousins Agree To Extension

March 16th, 2020 at 8:59am CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings will make a major move before the tampering period begins. They have reached an agreement on a Kirk Cousins extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’ll be a two-year deal worth $66MM, bringing the grand total to $96MM over three years, with $61MM guaranteed at signing.

This could be a significant help to a franchise that is annually up against the cap. The Vikings authorized a historic three-year, $84MM fully guaranteed Cousins pact two years ago. This move will help bring down their quarterback’s $31MM 2020 cap number.

While a Minnesota-Cousins re-up was rumored, this stands to change the Vikings’ near-future outlook. Cousins had one season left on his initial Vikings contract. The soon-to-be 32-year-old passer is now signed through the 2022 season. This will put to rest any further rumors of a Cousins-Kyle Shanahan reunion. With the 49ers also passing on Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo again appears to be in the clear.

Minnesota already cleared cap space by cutting Linval Joseph and Xavier Rhodes, going from over the 2020 cap to $15MM-plus under it. This Cousins accord will create additional space for the team in free agency.

Cousins has played fairly well since choosing the Vikings in 2018. He has thrown 56 touchdown passes compared to 16 interceptions. The former fourth-round pick, however, has only finished 14th and 13th in QBR during his two Vikings seasons. The Vikings did win a playoff game in 2019, but their offense accomplished little in a divisional-round loss to the 49ers.

Nevertheless, this deal will keep Cousins in Minnesota for the foreseeable future. While it is likely not a fully guaranteed contract like the 2018 deal was, Cousins surely did well again. Given where the quarterback market has gone since Cousins’ landmark deal, it’s likely this contract will come in north of $30MM per year.

NFC North Notes: Harris, Kwiatkoski, Kearse, Kilgo

March 14th, 2020 at 9:17pm CST by Marc Delucchi

The Vikings secondary was one of the most inconsistent parts of their defense last season, but safety Anthony Harris remained a star amidst an inconsistent supporting cast. While Harris is set to become a free agent, Minnesota fans should be happy to know that he has a positive view of the Vikings. In an interview on Sirius XM, Harris stated, “I love the organization.”

Here are a few more notes from the NFC North:

  • The Bears organization has seen linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski progress into a legitimate contributor since he was selected in the 4th round of the 2016 draft. However, Dan Pompei of The Athletic, reports that after signing fellow linebacker Danny Trevathan to a three-year extension, Chicago appears prepared to let Kwiatkoski leave the organization via free agency.
  • Vikings impending free-agent defensive back Jayron Kearse took to Twitter on Friday and said he does not want to return to the team. A pair of Vikings fans were engaging in common social media speculation about the various ways Minnesota could approach the offseason. When one argued that they thought Jayron wanted to stay in the twin cities, Kearse jumped in and said, “No jayron doesn’t want to come back.”
  • Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports Lions nose tackle Darius Kilgo will soon be cleared to return to action from the quadriceps injury that cost him all of last season. Pelissero further notes that Detroit has no intention of resigning Kilgo, but it’s obviously ideal for Kilgo to be back to health before entering the open market. Of course, teams would likely want to see Kilgo workout in person, but the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak could make teams more tentative to give Kilgo any guarantee if they are unable to see him in person.

Vikings Cut Xavier Rhodes, Linval Joseph

March 13th, 2020 at 1:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Three seasons remained on Xavier Rhodes‘ five-year, $70.1MM contract. Instead, the Vikings will remove that deal from their books in an effort to create cap space.

Minnesota made its expected move Friday, cutting Rhodes, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Vikings, however, are also releasing defensive tackle Linval Joseph. The former enjoyed a seven-season Twin Cities tenure, while the latter spent six seasons in the middle of Minnesota’s defensive line.

These cuts will create over $18MM in cap space for the Vikings, who entered the day barely $1MM below the projected salary ceiling. This also marks a major shift for the Vikings, who spent years crafting extensions and adding to Mike Zimmer‘s veteran defense. But the team’s payroll, headlined by a fully guaranteed quarterback contract, became flooded with veteran contracts in recent years.

Rhodes’ play had declined considerably, although Joseph remained one of the league’s better interior defenders. The Vikings will need to fill holes at these spots, likely with cheaper and younger cogs. Minnesota has Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander as free agents as well, so the franchise that has drafted three first-round cornerbacks since 2013 will need to have a plan at this priority position.

Joseph, 31, and Rhodes, 29, were two of the best players at their respective positions as recently as 2017. Both made the 2016 and ’17 Pro Bowls, and Joseph graded as one of Pro Football Focus’ top players in both 2015 and ’17. They will head to free agency, with Joseph joining a strong defensive line group.

NFC North Notes: Packers, Stafford, Bears

March 13th, 2020 at 9:48am CST by Sam Robinson

Bryan Bulaga did not quite make it to free agency in 2015; the Packers extended their starting right tackle at the 11th hour. This time, he could be on the move. The 10-year veteran is expected to generate immense interest, with Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com tweeting the Bulaga market should come in around $12MM per year. Bulaga signed for five years and $33.75MM five years ago, so this would mark a substantial raise for the veteran. Despite going into his 11th year, Bulaga will only be 31 come Week 1. After more injury trouble surfaced in 2017, he has played in 30 of a possible 32 regular-season games since.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • The Lions appear likely to have their quarterback back in time for OTAs. Matthew Stafford has healed up from the back injury that ended his 2019 season, according to his wife (Instagram link). Kelly Stafford indicated her husband has been healed for several weeks now. Kelly recently refuted a report the Staffords wanted out of Detroit, and GM Bob Quinn said the Lions are not shopping him. While this still figures to be a key year for the longest-tenured starting quarterback in Lions history, Stafford should be able to throw come April.
  • If the Raiders make Derek Carr available, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune expects the Bears to show interest. The Bears are interested in bringing in competition for Mitchell Trubisky; Carr might be overqualified for such a role. The third-place MVP finisher in 2016 posted the NFL’s 10th-best QBR last season — well north of Trubisky, whose 39.5 figure ranked third-to-last. Carr carries a non-guaranteed contract; he is set to earn $18.9MM in 2020 base salary. That price comes in $1.4MM higher than Dalton’s.
  • Do not expect a reunion between the Vikings and Mike Remmers. Even if the team makes left tackle Riley Reiff a cap casualty and moves right tackle Brian O’Neill to that spot, Chris Tomasson notes the Vikings are not expected to be interested in a low-cost Remmers deal (Twitter link). Remmers was Minnesota’s right tackle starter from 2017-18 and will not return to the Giants next season.
  • The Packers recently added to their coaching staff, with Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweeting the team hired Butch Barry as a senior assistant. A Wisconsin native, Barry was the Buccaneers’ assistant offensive line coach from 2015-18. He spent the 2019 season as the Miami Hurricanes’ offensive line coach.
  • Additionally, the Packers promoted second-year staffer Jason Vrable from offensive assistant to wide receivers coach, the team announced. Vrable has not coached a position since serving as the Bills’ assistant QBs coach for part of the 2016 season. Otherwise, he’s spent his career as an offensive assistant or a quality control staffer.

Vikings Rumors: Cook, Colquitt, Jones

March 11th, 2020 at 1:20pm CST by Rory Parks

Like many teams with a top-flight running back, the Vikings are in a bit of a quandary when it comes to a potential extension for Dalvin Cook. Cook has been susceptible to injury throughout his young career, but after a breakout 2019 that saw him rack up 1,135 yards and 13 TDs for the run-first Minnesota offense, we heard that the team would explore an extension for him this offseason.

Cook, 24, is now eligible for a new contract since he has three years of service time, and the $1.3MM he is due to make in 2020 — the last year of his rookie deal — is a pittance relative to his value. Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com details the pros and cons of a Cook re-up, but it sounds like GM Rick Spielman wants to keep the 2017 second-rounder in the fold for the long haul.

“Right now, we have so much ahead of us and a lot of decisions to make before free agency begins and the new league year begins, and then we look at the draft once we settle down and everything,” Spielman said. “But I consider Dalvin as one of those core group of players that we definitely want to try to keep.”

Negotiations could get complicated, but expect the Vikings to start talking with Cook’s reps not long after the draft.

Now for more out of Minnesota:

  • Punter Britton Colquitt expects to re-sign with the Vikings, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Colquitt turned in a strong performance in 2019, his first year with Minnesota, and the Vikes — who have deployed four punters in the past four seasons — are seeking stability. It sounds as if the two sides are close on a three-year deal that would pay Colquitt between $2-3MM per season.
  • The Vikings are interested in re-signing right tackle Rashod Hill, per Cronin (via Twitter). Hill, a former UDFA, is eligible for unrestricted free agency, but Minnesota values his contributions as a swing tackle and his abilities in pass protection. It will be interesting to see if a RT-needy team on a budget takes a flier on Hill as a potential starter.
  • The Vikings also want to keep center Brett Jones, as Tomasson tweets. Jones started 13 games as recently as 2017, when he was a member of the Giants, and Minnesota acquired him via trade with New York in August 2018. He started the first three games of the 2018 season but was displaced by Pat Elflein, who was returning from injury, and when the Vikings selected Garrett Bradbury in the first round of the 2019 draft, Jones was again relegated to a reserve role. He was actually cut in September to make room for Josh Doctson, and though he re-signed shortly thereafter, he appeared in just two games and was ultimately put on IR. Per Tomasson, Jones wants to test the market in search of a shot at a starting job.
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