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Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors

Five Teams Interested In C/G Brett Jones

March 19th, 2019 at 3:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Since losing interior lineman Nick Easton to the Saints, the Vikings have ramped up their efforts to re-sign center/guard Brett Jones, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press hears (on Twitter), adding that he expects a contract offer to come soon. However, the Vikings will have competition for his services. 

The Seahawks, Jets, Eagles, and Chiefs are also looking at the soon-to-be 28-year-old, Tomasson hears. Jones, who earned $2.914MM under the one-year restricted free agent tender assigned to him by the Giants, is likely in line for a pay raise.

Last year, Jones appeared in 14 games and came off of the bench for eleven of those contests. His 191 snaps were not enough to qualify for a Pro Football Focus ranking, but he was a top 20 center for the Giants in 2017.

Vikings Re-Sign Dan Bailey

March 19th, 2019 at 10:46am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings re-signed kicker Dan Bailey to a one-year, $1MM deal, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal can max out at $2MM with incentives, but his $250K signing bonus represents his only guarantee.

The Vikings began the 2018 season with rookie Daniel Carlson as their kicker, but the fifth-round pick was cut after he missed three kicks in Week 2. After that, Bailey took over and held the job for the remainder of the season. Results were mixed: Bailey made 21-of-28 field goal tries, giving him a 75% conversion rate. For what it’s worth, he did nail 30-of-31 on extra points.

Despite the recent hiccups, Bailey is the fifth-most accurate kicker in NFL history with a career 86.6% conversion rate. Before joining the Vikings, Bailey was actually second on the all-time chart after making more than 88% of his tries.

Vikings Want To Re-Sign QB Trevor Siemian

March 18th, 2019 at 10:40pm CST by Ben Levine

If the Vikings have their way, Trevor Siemian will be back in Minnesota next season. Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that the Vikings are trying to re-sign their backup quarterback. The reporter notes that head coach Mike Zimmer desires a veteran signal-caller behind Kirk Cousins.

Siemian, 27, joined the Vikings last offseason after spending the first three seasons of his career on the Broncos. The former seventh-rounder ultimately made $1.9MM to serve as Cousins’ backup, but Siemian didn’t end up seeing the field during the 2018 campaign.

Still, the quarterback does provide the experience that the Vikings are apparently seeking from their backup. In 2016, Siemian looked like a solid starting quarterback, completing 59.5-percent of his passes for 3,401 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. In total, the four-year veteran has appeared in 26 career games.

Besides Cousins, the Vikings are also currently rostering quarterback Kyle Sloter.

OL Josh Kline Expected To Visit Vikings

March 18th, 2019 at 7:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Josh Kline is expected to meet with the Vikings. ESPN’s Ben Goessling reports (via Twitter) that the veteran offensive guard is currently “coordinating visits with different teams,” a grouping that will presumably include Minnesota.

We learned yesterday that the Vikings had interest in Kline, whom Tennessee released several days ago. In Minnesota, the 29-year-old would compete for Minnesota’s starting right guard job, which Mike Remmers had held down since the end of the 2017 campaign. The Vikings released Remmers last week.

Kline signed a four-year, $26MM deal ($12MM guaranteed) with the Titans last offseason, but the team ended up moving on from him after Kline rejected a pay cut. The lineman started all 16 games in 2018, although the advanced metrics imply that he took a step back from his previous seasons. After rating as a fringe top-20 guard in 2017, Pro Football Focus graded Kline 50th among 77 eligible guards in 2018.

The Vikings need some reinforcement on the offensive line, and the team reportedly made a push to keep Nick Easton in Minnesota. Ultimately, the lineman signed a four-year deal with the Saints.

Vikings Re-Sign RB Ameer Abdullah

March 18th, 2019 at 3:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings re-signed running back Ameer Abdullah, according to a team announcement. Abdullah himself indicated it is a one-year pact, as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. Abdullah didn’t see any carries during his Minnesota tenure last year, but the Vikings are curious to see what he can do moving forward.

The Vikings claimed Abdullah, a 2015 second-round pick, off waivers from the Lions in November. He appeared in seven games and returned ten kicks for an average of 25.8 yards per try.

Coming out of Nebraska, Abdullah had a good deal of hype around him. He was reasonably productive as a rookie, averaging 4.2 yards per carry out of the Lions’ backfield, and added 25 catches for 183 yards. His follow-up season was mostly lost to injury and he was unable to reassert himself in 2017, as he averaged just 3.3 yards per tote.

Abdullah will work to secure a spot on the Vikings’ depth chart behind standout Dalvin Cook.

Jets, Vikings Interested In Stefen Wisniewski

March 18th, 2019 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent guard Stefen Wisniewski will visit with the Jets on Monday, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. The Vikings also reached out about the veteran last week after learning that Nick Easton was New Orleans-bound, Tomasson adds. 

Wisniewski spent the last three seasons with the Eagles, who declined to go for a fourth when they turned down his option last week. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has been an on and off starter at left guard for Philly with six starts in 2016, eleven in 2017, and seven this past season. He entered the 2018 season as the starter at left guard, but was later benched for Isaac Seumalo. Seumalo inked an extension recently, while Wisniewski was asked to pack his bags.

Wisniewski could be an intriguing pickup for the Jets, who are looking for ways to make holes for new star running back Le’Veon Bell. He should also hold appeal for the Vikings and others thanks to his versatility. The 6’3″, 305-pound lineman offers experience at both guard and center, so he can be a solid super-sub on the interior line.

Vikings Interested In Josh Kline

March 17th, 2019 at 9:29am CST by Rory Parks

The Vikings are interested in former Titans right guard Josh Kline, per Darren Wolfson of KSTP.com (via Twitter). Kline, whom Tennessee released several days ago, would compete for Minnesota’s starting RG job, which Mike Remmers had held down since the end of the 2017 campaign. The Vikings released Remmers last week.

It is difficult to say, however, whether Kline would be a marked upgrade. He has been a full-time starter since 2015, his last season with the Patriots, and the advanced metrics appreciated his play in 2016 and 2017, his first two years with the Titans. However, he took a noticeable step back last season after signing a four-year, $26MM deal with Tennessee. Pro Football Focus graded Kline 50th among 77 eligible guards in 2018, while Remmers was graded 48th. Remmers, soon to be 30, is less than one year older than Kline.

Of course, advanced metrics don’t tell the whole story, and Kline has proven he is capable of more than what he showed last year. Minnesota’s biggest need entering free agency was the offensive line, and the club has still not made any moves to address that need.

But given the Vikings’ limited cap space, it was clear they would have to wait until the second wave of free agency anyway, and it appears they may be on the verge of two signings. In addition to its interest in Kline, Minnesota has made an offer to Nick Easton, who was expected to serve as the team’s left guard in 2018. Easton, though, suffered a herniated disc in training camp and missed the entire season as a result.

Easton has several offers in hand and is expected to make his decision by tomorrow.

NFC Notes: Giants, Diggs, Easton

March 16th, 2019 at 4:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eli Manning collected his $5MM roster bonus Saturday afternoon, essentially ensuring he will be with the Giants for a 16th season. This confirms what has been reported throughout the offseason. Less certain: whether or not this will be the year the Giants draft a true option to be Manning’s successor. After early indications that move would be coming this year, that now appears far from a locked-in strategy. Not only are the Giants not believed to be looking to package their Nos. 6 and 17 picks to move into the top five for a quarterback, sources informed The Athletic’s Mike Lombardi the team is not enamored with any of the passing prospects in this year’s draft (subscription required). This follows an SNY report that pegged the Giants as less bullish on Dwayne Haskins, the most popular Giants mock pick at this point. Issues with Kyler Murray‘s height also may persist among Giants brass, though that may be a moot point given that Murray could be the No. 1 overall pick.

The Giants may be looking to solidify their defense, which is full of holes, instead of using a first-round selection on a quarterback. Shifting away from the Giants, here is the latest from the NFC:

  • Interesting NFL art emerged this weekend. Stefon Diggs‘ brother shared an image of the Vikings wide receiver in a Redskins uniform, but this does not appear to be an indication of another wide receiver trade. A Vikings source emphatically informed ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter there has been no talk of dealing Diggs to Washington (Twitter link). (A Redskins source informed ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini, via Twitter, they may not be in position to make such a move.) The Diggses are from Maryland, which may be at the root of this Photoshop job.
  • Three teams remain in the mix for Nick Easton, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter). The Vikings submitted an offer to their two-year starter, who also visited the Saints. These two comprise two-thirds of the interior lineman’s suitor list, with an unnamed third team also in the mix, per Tomasson. Easton wants to make his decision by Monday. It’s possible Max Unger‘s retirement prompts the Saints to make a stronger push for Easton, but they have two veteran salaries and Andrus Peat‘s fifth-year option price allocated to their offensive line.
  • In case you missed it, the Rams are set to host five-year Jaguars starter Blake Bortles on a visit.

Texans, Vikes Interested In Ryan Schraeder

March 15th, 2019 at 7:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Both the Texans and Vikings have expressed interest in free agent offensive tackle Ryan Schraeder, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Schraeder was released by the Falcons earlier this week.

Houston fielded one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines in 2018, but the club hasn’t yet been linked to any free agent tackles. Last season, the Texans not only gave up the most sacks in the league (62), but ranked 27th in adjusted line yards, Football Outsiders’ run-blocking metric. Schraeder would presumably displace incumbent Texans right tackle Seantrel Henderson if signed.

Minnesota, meanwhile, wasn’t quite as poor as Houston: the Vikings’ front five gave up only 40 sacks (ninth in the NFL), but finished 23rd in ALY. The Vikings haven’t yet decided on an offensive line configuration for 2019, but reports have suggested they could shift Riley Reiff from left tackle to left guard and move 2019 second-round pick Brian O’Neill to the blindside. That would theoretically open right tackle for Schraeder.

A former undrafted free agent out of Valdosta State, Schraeder latched on with the Falcons in 2013 and proceeded to start 73 games over the next six years. He signed a five-year, $31.5MM extension in 2016, but only completed a portion of that contract. Schraeder lost his starting right tackle job to Ty Sambrailo at the end of the 2018 campaign; Sambrailo was subsequently extended by Atlanta.

Vikings Make Offer To OL Nick Easton

March 15th, 2019 at 2:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings are looking to retain one of their former starting offensive guards. Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that the organization made an offer to free agent Nick Easton.

Tomasson notes that Easton met with the Saints yesterday, and there are several other teams currently in the mix for the lineman. The 26-year-old may take several additional visits before making a decision at some point over the next week.

The former undrafted free agent out of Harvard bounced between the Ravens and 49ers as a rookie before landing in Minnesota, where he’s spent the past three years. The offensive guard emerged in 2016 by starting five of his 11 appearances, and he proceeded to start all 12 of his games during the 2017 campaign. However, a fractured right ankle ended his season early, while a neck injury forced him to miss the entirety of the 2018 campaign.

Still, considering his starting experience and versatility (he’s also played some center), it isn’t surprising that several teams are eyeing Easton. Danny Isidora and Aviante Collins are currently slotted in as the Vikings’ starting guards, and Easton could realistically beat out either of the two for a starting nod.

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