HEADLINES

Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/2/19

January 2nd, 2019 at 9:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s reserve/futures contract moves:

Cleveland Browns

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Minnesota Vikings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

 

* = part of the NFL’s International Player Development Program

Buccaneers To Interview George Edwards

January 1st, 2019 at 9:54pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • The Buccaneers will have a chance to interview Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards. The parties will meet Thursday for a head coach meeting, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Thus far on the coaching carousel, Edwards — the Vikings’ DC for the past five seasons and formerly the Bills’ and Redskins’ DC — has only been connected to Tampa Bay’s vacancy.

Vikings, Rams Discussed TE Tyler Higbee

January 1st, 2019 at 8:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kyle Rudolph has been the Vikings’ top tight end for nearly the entire decade, but the team was eyeing a complementary weapon.

The Vikings discussed acquiring Rams tight end Tyler Higbee last year, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports (on Twitter). The teams did exchange offers, the Rams wanting a sixth-round pick but the Vikings offering a seventh, per Goessling, adding the talks broke off shortly after.

A three-year Rams supporting-cast cog, Higbee was a 2016 fourth-round pick. He and rookie second-rounder Gerald Everett comprise Los Angeles’ tight end corps, with Everett being used more as a receiver. Higbee finished this regular season with 24 receptions for 292 yards and two touchdowns.

Minnesota has Rudolph signed through the 2019 season, but no guaranteed money (and a $7.25MM base salary) remain on the 29-year-old pass-catcher’s contract. No Vikings backup tight end caught more than 11 passes this season.

Browns To Interview Kevin Stefanski

January 1st, 2019 at 12:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are going to interview Vikings interim offensive coordinator for their head coaching position Kevin Stefanski on Monday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Stefanski is also a candidate for the Vikes’ full-time OC job, but his contract is up so he is free to field outside offers. 

The Vikings have been largely happy with Stefanski and are expected to try and keep him as their offensive manager. However, early indications are that they’ll have a fight on their hands to keep him in the headset.

The Vikings were an early favorite for Super Bowl contention but they finished out with a disappointing 8-7-1 record and missed the playoffs. In December, Minnesota canned offensive coordinator John DeFilippo and found Stefanski to be more suited for the role.

Guided by GM John Dorsey, the Browns may be one of the most attractive landing spots for coaching candidates this offseason. The presence of Baker Mayfield should have offensively-minded coaching like Stefanski drooling, there are young pieces in place thanks to years of losing and future-minded moves, and turning the Browns around would be a legacy-maker.

Bucs Request Interview With George Edwards

January 1st, 2019 at 9:07am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have requested an interview with Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards for their head coaching job, sources tell Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Serving under Mike Zimmer, Edwards has had a significant role in game planning and has been in the mix for head coaching jobs in the past. 

[RELATED: Bucs Interested In Mike McCarthy?]

Last year, Edwards reportedly did well in his interview with the Bears, though that job ultimately went to offensive specialist Matt Nagy. Given his experience with six different NFL clubs since 1998, Edwards may be due for a step up the ladder. Before joining Zimmer and the Vikings, Zimmer held two DC jobs with the Redskins and Bills and was a linebackers coach for the Cowboys, Browns, and Dolphins.

The Bucs moved on from Dirk Koetter before the end of 2018, ending a run that started with lots of promise and ended with very little in the way of results. Koetter went 9-7 his first year but the Bucs finished 5-11 in each of the last two seasons.

The Buccaneers have also been connected to former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, though he figures to have multiple suitors this offseason.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 12/31/18

December 31st, 2018 at 9:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

New Year’s Eve marks the first day eliminated teams can sign players to reserve/futures contracts. Here is the first wave of those decisions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes Inactive For Today’s Game

December 30th, 2018 at 2:17pm CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings can secure a playoff birth with a win today, but they’ll have to play the game without one of their defensive leaders. The team announced that cornerback Xavier Rhodes is inactive for today’s game against the Bears.

Rhodes had been listed as questionable heading into the day with a groin injury, and there was some optimism that he’d be able to play. However, following a 20-minute pregame workout, the team decided to sit the two-time Pro Bowler. With Rhodes on the sideline, the team will now likely turn to rookie Holton Hill to play opposite Trae Waynes. The team could also look to give reps to Mackensie Alexander.

The 28-year-old Rhodes was having another productive season 2018, compiling 47 tackles, seven passes defended, and one interception. Pro Football Focus hasn’t been particularly fond of his performance, ranking him 105th among 117 eligible cornerbacks. While those metrics aren’t very favorable, there’s no denying that the Vikings would rather have Rhodes on the field for such an important game.

Minnesota automatically secures an NFC wild card spot if they win today’s game against Chicago. If the Vikings lose, they’ll need the Eagles to lose/tie with the Redskins.

Mike Zimmer Candidate For Bengals' HC Job? Vikings May Have To Fight To Retain Stefanski

December 30th, 2018 at 11:44am CST by Rory Parks
  • No one is sure what will happen with Marvin Lewis and the Bengals, and his assistant coaches are actively trying to find out, per Florio. Some believe Lewis will retire from coaching and begin a broadcasting career, while others believe he could become a candidate for the Cardinals‘ head coaching job. If Lewis moves on, Florio writes — as has been reported numerous times — that Hue Jackson would be a candidate to replace him, as would current Vikings head coach (and former Cincinnati DC) Mike Zimmer. Zimmer would perhaps be interested in the Bengals’ gig, per Florio, but much would depend on whether Minnesota would let him leave and if the Vikings would demand significant compensation in exchange.
  • The Vikings will likely attempt to promote interim OC Kevin Stefanski to the full-time job in 2019, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The problem is that Stefanski is only under contract through 2018, so Minnesota may have to fight to retain him.

Notable 2019 Pro Bowl Incentives/Escalators

December 19th, 2018 at 8:42pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL announced the 2018 Pro Bowl rosters earlier on Wednesday, and aside from determining which players will spend a week in Orlando early next year, the rosters also dictate several important bonuses and/or contract escalators for individual players. Former NFL agent and current CBSSports.com contributor Joel Corry has rounded up the notable incentives earned, and we’ll pass those along below. As Corry notes (Twitter link), only first ballot Pro Bowlers who actually participate in the game (unless injured or playing in the Super Bowl) are in bonuses, which are typically paid out by the end of March.

Here are the notable Pro Bowl bonuses and escalators that were netted last evening (all links to Corry’s Twitter):

Bonuses

  • Ravens S Eric Weddle, $1MM; requires Baltimore in playoffs (link): For the second consecutive season, Weddle’s bonus will ride on the ability of the Ravens to earn a postseason berth. Baltimore is one of several teams in the mix for the AFC’s No. 6 seed, but FiveThirtyEight gives the club only a 41% chance of actually making the playoffs. Weddle, who will be entering his age-34 campaign in 2019, could potentially retire or be released before next season starts.
  • Chargers C Mike Pouncey, $500K (link): Pouncey somewhat surprisingly earned a Pro Bowl nod alongside his brother, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey. Mike Pouncey hasn’t been a terrible player by any means, but Raiders center Rodney Hudson has undoubtedly been better. Signed to a two-year contract this offeason, Pouncey is due a $6MM base salary and a $1.5MM roster bonus in 2019.
  • Vikings WR Adam Thielen, $500K (link): Thielen, notably, signed arguably the most team-friendly contract in the NFL in March 2017, a three-year deal that’s worth less than $20MM. By picking up a half-million dollar Pro Bowl bonus, Thielen will collect a bit more cash, but he’s still vastly underpaid. Second in the league in receptions, Thielen will count just $11.5MM total on the Vikings’ salary cap over the next two years.
  • Eagles TE Zach Ertz, $100K (link): Ertz will also see his base salaries increase by $250K in each of the 2019, 2020, and 2021 campaigns. He’s already surpassed career-highs in both receptions and yardage, and could top his career-high of eight touchdowns with a strong showing down the stretch.

Escalators

  • Chiefs T Eric Fisher, $500K base salary increase in 2019 (link): While Fisher hasn’t necessarily lived up to his status as a former No. 1 overall pick, he has played nearly every offensive snap for the Chiefs over the past six years while offering respectable play. He’s signed through 2021 as part of a four-year, $48MM extension he inked in 2016. Kansas City’s best tackle — Mitchell Schwartz, who mans the right side — has somehow been named second-team All-Pro for three consecutive years without ever being given a Pro Bowl nod.
  • Lions CB Darius Slay, $550K base salary increase in 2019 (link): Slay needed to reach two of three thresholds in order to earn his escalator. While he hasn’t yet met a five interception requirement, he was named to the Pro Bowl and has played on at least 80% of the Lions’ defensive snaps.
  • Packers WR Davante Adams, $250K base salary increase in 2019 (link): While he’s not quite at Thielen-level in terms of selling himself short, Adams arguably signed his extension with the Packers well before he needed to. Adams took a four-year, $58MM deal in December 2017, just months before he was scheduled to hit the open market. He’s vaunted to true No. 1 wideout status this year, but he’s just the NFL’s ninth-highest-paid wideout in terms of annual average.
  • Eagles G Brandon Brooks, $250K base salary increase in 2019-2020 (link): Brooks, 29, is quietly one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL, and Pro Football Focus currently grades him as the No. 5 guard in the league. He’s signed through the 2020 season, although his contract does contain two void years in 2021-22 that are in place only for salary cap purposes.

NFL Workout Updates: 12/17/18

December 17th, 2018 at 8:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is the latest from the workout circuit, all links going to NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account (unless otherwise noted)

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

  • K Ty Long (CFL tryout), LB Alex Singleton (CFL tryout) (link)

New York Jets

  • LB Jameer Thurman (CFL tryout), LB James Vaughters (CFL tryout) (link)

Philadelphia Eagles

Load More Posts