Vikings Tender Anthony Harris
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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
- 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
Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions:
ERFAs
Tendered:
RFAs
Tendered at original-round level:
- Steelers: TE Xavier Grimble (via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, on Twitter)
Non-tendered:
- Broncos: LS Casey Kreiter, TE Brian Parker (via 9News’ Mike Klis, on Twitter)
Trae Waynes Dangled In Trade Talks
- Also being dangled for a trade, per JLC: Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes. One of three first-round picks in Minnesota’s corner corps, Waynes has been a two-year starter. But he is going into his fifth-year option season, which will cost the Vikings just more than $9MM. With Kirk Cousins‘ fully guaranteed contract on their books, along with several recently extended homegrown talents, the Vikings are up against the cap, holding barely $7MM.
- One place the Vikings may need funding for is their offensive line. Guard starter Nick Easton missed all of last season, hurting an already embattled unit, and is slated for unrestricted free agency. Rick Spielman said (via the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Andrew Krammer) Easton should be medically cleared to resume his career soon. Easton underwent surgery to address a herniated disk in his neck. Easton also fractured his ankle in December 2017, so he may have to settle for a one-year deal somewhere.