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NFC Notes: Olsen, Suh, Remmers, 49ers

March 11th, 2019 at 6:23pm CST by Ben Levine

We now have some details on Mike Remmers‘ release from the Vikings earlier today. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle points out (on Twitter) that the offensive lineman was cut with a “failed physical designation.” ESPN’s Courtney Cronin notes (via Twitter) that the 29-year-old was listed on Minnesota’s final injury report of the season with a back injury, but he proceeded to play the entire game.

This provides a bit of reasoning for why the Vikings decided to bail on Remmers after inking him to a five-year, $30MM in 2017. In fact, it sounds like Minnesota is actually considering bringing Remmers back. Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press tweets that the team would considering re-signing the lineman on a lesser deal.

The move ultimately saved the organization $4.55MM against $1.8MM in dead cap. The veteran has experience playing both offensive guard and offensive tackle, so a team will surely bite on his versatility.

Let’s check out some more notes out of the NFC…

  • Ndamukong Suh isn’t expected to stick with the Rams, but it sounds like the hulking defensive lineman wants to stay on the West Coast (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). As the writer points out, that’d leave Suh with three options: the 49ers, Chargers, or Seahawks. The 32-year-old signed a one-year, $14MM deal with the Rams last offseason, and he proceeded to compile 59 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 16 starts.
  • It sounds like some networks were working hard to add Panthers tight end Greg Olsen. Joe Person of The Athletic tweets that both ESPN and Fox made offers to the veteran, but it wasn’t enough to convince Olsen to retire. Person warns that Monday Night Football “could still come calling, but nothing imminent.” The 34-year-old battled injuries for a second straight season, finishing with 27 receptions for 291 yards and four scores in nine games.
  • Bradley Roby isn’t the only cornerback the 49ers are eyeing. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic (via Twitter), the team is also showing interest in Colts cornerback Pierre Desir. The 28-year-old has a breakout season with Indy in 2018, finishing with 79 tackles, eight passes defended, two forced fumbles, and one interception.

Vikings Tender Anthony Harris

March 11th, 2019 at 11:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings are tendering safety Anthony Harris at the second-round level, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The move will earmark Harris for a one-year tender, $3.095MM contract. 

The decision to tender Harris comes on the heels of the club’s call to decline Andrew Sendejo‘s option. Even after losing Sendejo, the Vikings will maintain some continuity by keeping Harris in the secondary.

Over the last four seasons, Harris has appeared in 51 games for the Vikings. In 2018, he took a step up in responsibility and started nine games at safety after Sendejo was lost for the year. The Vikings’ defense improved from that point, so the decision to retain Harris was something of a no-brainer.

The call on which tender to use, however, was a bit trickier. Apparently, the Vikings did not feel comfortable with using the original round tender on the former UDFA for fear of losing him.

Vikings To Release G Mike Remmers

March 11th, 2019 at 11:13am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings are releasing starting guard Mike Remmers, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. This figures to be the first of several offensive line moves as the Vikings look to fortify their front five. 

Remmers inked a five-year, $30MM deal with the Vikings in March of 2017. Releasing him will save Minnesota $4.55MM in 2019 against $1.8MM in dead money.

Remmers worked as the Panthers’ starting right tackle from 2014-16, but he moved to right guard towards the end of the ’17 campaign with the Vikings. He hasn’t necessarily lived up to his deal, but the 29-year-old (30 in April) should still draw interest as a free agent.

In other Vikings news, the club declined to pick up the option on safety Andrew Sendejo.

Vikings To Decline Andrew Sendejo’s Option

March 11th, 2019 at 10:35am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings will decline the option on safety Andrew Sendejo, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Sendejo will join an exceptionally talented safety market, which could limit his earning potential. 

Sendejo, 32 in September, suffered a groin injury in Week 5 of last season and was unable to return. It may be coincidental, but the Vikings’ defense actually got better since turning to reserves Anthony Harris, George Iloka, and Jayron Kearse in his stead. In the first five weeks of the season, the Vikings surrendered 26.2 points per contest. Sendejo’s campaign ended with 27 total tackles and one pass deflection across five games.

The veteran was due a $5.5MM salary for 2019, but that sum was completely non-guaranteed. By declining Sendejo’s option, the Vikings will gain a good deal of flexibility to take care of their own free agents and make some small additions this week.

Rudolph Wasn't Asked To Take Pay-Cut

March 10th, 2019 at 6:57pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Kyle Rudolph isn’t going anywhere. We heard earlier today that the Vikings had asked Rudolph to take a pay-cut, but his management team is pushing back forcefully on those rumors. Rudolph’s agent, Brian Murphy, released a statement saying “despite rumors, Vikings are not in negotiations with Kyle Rudolph, have not asked him to take a pay reduction and have told us explicitly that Rudy will not only be on the team this year, but hopefully for years to come,” via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

It’s a strong statement, and it doesn’t leave much room for doubt. Rudolph is scheduled to make $7.275MM next season and the Vikings have almost no salary cap space, but they’ll apparently have to create room somewhere else. Rudolph has spent the last eight seasons in Minnesota after the Vikings took him in the second round of the 2011 draft. He hasn’t been in the top-tier of tight ends, but he’s been a solid and consistent player, and he made the Pro Bowl in 2017. Rudolph has also been very durable recently, appearing in all 16 games in four straight years.

Vikings Ask Kyle Rudolph To Take Pay Cut?

March 10th, 2019 at 10:26am CST by Rory Parks

The Vikings have virtually no salary cap space at the moment, with Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune reporting that the club is expected to have just $5.24MM in room when free agency opens on Wednesday. Goessling takes a position-by-position look at some of the difficult decisions Minnesota will have to make in order to free up some cash, and one of the most notable names involved in his piece is tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Per Goessling, it is believed that the Vikings are in talks with Rudolph about taking a pay cut in 2019, the final year of his current contract. Rudolph is due a $7.275MM salary, and roster/workout bonuses would increase the club’s cash outlay and corresponding cap hit to $7.625MM. The Vikings could shed that entire figure from its books by cutting Rudolph and would absorb no dead money by doing so, but there is not much by way of proven talent behind Rudolph on the depth chart.

Rudolph has started all 16 regular season games for the Vikings in each of the past four seasons, but he will turn 30 in November and had offseason ankle surgery last year. He earned Pro Bowl nods in 2012 and 2017, and he has been a solid contributor and redzone threat throughout his career, but his raw statistics have never been particularly eye-popping (though he did have 840 receiving yards in 2016, from 132 targets). Nonetheless, his overall body of work and his recent run of durability suggest he could at least match his 2019 pay if he were to hit the open market — especially since blocking tight end Nick Boyle just earned a three-year pact paying him $6MM per year from the Ravens — so he may choose to refuse a pay cut. Either way, the Vikings will be in the market for a pass-catching tight end, either in free agency or the draft.

Goessling’s entire piece is worth a read, as it includes his thoughts on the Minnesota futures of other notables like Everson Griffen, Mike Remmers, and Laquon Treadwell.

Vikings, Adam Thielen Discussing Extension

March 8th, 2019 at 3:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Attempting to correct an imbalance that has developed over the past two years, the Vikings and wide receiver Adam Thielen are discussing a possible extension, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter).

At this juncture, however, sources tell Tomasson that it’s impossible to say whether something will be ironed out soon. Thielen is criminally underpaid, but extensions tend to be tricky when players have two years left on their deal.

In 2017, Thielen signed what turned out to be an incredibly team-friendly deal to stay in Minnesota. That contract pays him less than $5MM on average, though the Pro Bowl wideout will earn just more than $5MM in base salaries the next two seasons. However, Minnesota then rewarded No. 2 receiver Stefon Diggs a five-year, $72MM extension with $40MM guaranteed, creating a strange situation among their wideout group.

An undrafted Division II product, Thielen has put together back-to-back 1,200-plus-yard seasons, going for 1,373 and a career-high nine touchdown receptions in 2018. Minnesota has inked plenty of homegrown veterans to extensions in recent years and has just $5MM in cap space left. So while the Vikings might not be too active in free agency, it appears they are trying to do right by their 28-year-old pass-catcher success story.

Although Thielen has expressed a desire for a new deal, he is not believed to be a threat to hold out. So perhaps the parties can work together this offseason to correct this imbalance.

Vikings Want To Re-Sign Tom Johnson

March 7th, 2019 at 1:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Tom Johnson is set to hit the open market next Thursday, but the Vikings would like to keep him in the fold. The defensive tackle says the Vikings have “interest” in re-signing him, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). 

Johnson, for his part, would “definitely like to return,” but cautions, “you just never know how free agency is going to unfold.” The 34-year-old (35 in August) adds that he not looking for a multi-year deal, which should help his cause with the Vikings or any other interested club.

Last year, Johnson left the Vikings to sign a one-year deal with the Seahawks. In need of a roster spot before a September showdown with the Bears, the Seahawks cut him with the hope that they could quickly re-sign him to the roster. The Vikings swooped in and spoiled Seattle’s plans, signing Johnson to a fresh one-year deal.

In 14 games (13 for the Vikings, one with the Seahawks), Johnson tallied 4.5 sacks and 24 total tackles. Johnson ultimately graded out as just the No. 94 ranked interior defender in the NFL out of 112 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus, but the advanced metrics have never been high on the veteran.

Roc Thomas Arrested

March 7th, 2019 at 11:51am CST by Andrew Ortenberg
  • Vikings running back Roc Thomas was arrested and charged with felony drug possession, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Thomas was arrested in January after “police found 143.28 grams of marijuana” in his apartment. Thomas is due back in court on March 18th. Thomas was a rookie undrafted free agent last year, and made Minnesota’s initial 53-man roster after an impressive preseason. He was cut midway through the season and re-signed to the practice squad, and signed a reserve/futures contract at the end of the year. He’s likely to face discipline from the league when this all gets sorted out.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/5/19

March 5th, 2019 at 8:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions:

ERFAs

Tendered:

RFAs

Tendered at original-round level:

Non-tendered:

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