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Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors

Zimmer Hopes Cousins Is His Last QB1

August 5th, 2018 at 6:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to Teddy Bridgewater‘s career-defining injury at Vikings practice two Augusts ago, Mike Zimmer assumed the 2014 first-round pick would be his quarterback for the remainder of his head-coaching tenure. But the gruesome leg injuries Bridgewater suffered eventually led him out of the Twin Cities and to the Big Apple. Now, the 62-year-old head coach envisions Kirk Cousins, attached to a three-year contract, as the quarterback for the rest of his run as Vikings HC.

Zimmer expanded a bit on what drew him to Cousins, though Minnesota certainly wasn’t alone in the rare pursuit of a franchise-level quarterback on the market. But the Vikings weren’t viewed as the obvious choice from the outset, given Case Keenum‘s success in 2017.

Here’s the latest from a Vikings rival and the AFC North.

Stefon Diggs Deal Has Rolling Guarantees

August 4th, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

If Diggs is on the Vikings’ roster by the third day of the 2019 league year, all of his $8.9MM 2019 base becomes guaranteed. The same structure exists for the 2020 and ’21 league years, with Goessling reporting Diggs’ 2020 base of $10.9MM becomes fully guaranteed on Day 3 of that league year and $3.3MM of his $10.9MM 2021 salary will be guaranteed if he’s with the Vikes on Day 3 of that league year.

The Vikings now have three of their four major offseason extension candidates signed long-term, with Anthony Barr being the only member of the contract-year quartet (Barr/Stefon Diggs/Eric Kendricks/Danielle Hunter) still attached to a rookie contract. Diggs was the latest to sign, and some details of that five-year, $72MM extension have emerged. Of the $40MM in guarantees, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports (on Twitter) that only Diggs’ $15MM signing bonus and $1.9MM 2018 base salary are fully guaranteed at signing. The remainder of the wide receiver’s guaranteed money will depend on his roster status.

If Diggs is on the Vikings’ roster by the third day of the 2019 league year, all of his $8.9MM 2019 base becomes guaranteed. The same structure exists for the 2020 and ’21 league years, with Goessling reporting Diggs’ 2020 base of $10.9MM becomes fully guaranteed on Day 3 of that league year and $3.3MM of his $10.9MM 2021 salary will be guaranteed if he’s with the Vikes on Day 3 of that league year.

Vikings Won’t Trade Anthony Barr

August 3rd, 2018 at 12:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Apparently, there were rumors of the Vikings shopping linebacker Anthony Barr. It’s not a rumor that I’ve heard, but it did make its way back to Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. On Friday morning, Zimmer shot down such speculation, saying that Barr is “unequivocally not being traded,” (Twitter link via Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune). 

It’s possible that speculation was fueled by Barr’s absence from practice earlier this week. Zimmer explained that Barr was sidelined because of a “tweak” and added that he should be out on the field on Friday.

Through some savvy cap maneuvering, the Vikings have locked up the overwhelming majority of their core players. After inking wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a monster extension this week, Barr stands as the last key player to go.

In theory, the Vikings could retain Barr for 2019 by using the franchise tag, but on- and off-ball ‘backers are classified together, so a Barr tag would cost the Vikings more than $16MM. That’s an exorbitant amount of money to pay for an LB who had just one sack last year, so the Vikings will either have to work out a new contract with him or allow him to leave via free agency.

“We’re trying to get him signed. Hopefully, we can. But that’s between upstairs and his people,” Zimmer said (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press). “So we’d love to have him here. … I want him to get the best deal he can possibly get but in a selfish way I want him to be here too.’’

Despite all of their spending, the Vikings believe they have enough left in the coffers to lock up Barr. And, as a result, they will not trade him.

Vikings Notes: Diggs, Thielen, Remmers

July 31st, 2018 at 12:21pm CST by Zachary Links

On Tuesday morning, Stefon Diggs became the latest wide receiver to cash in. Despite never having a 1,000 yard or 100 catch season, the Vikings gave him a five-year extension worth $72MM.

Adam Thielen, who had 1,276 receiving yards last season, agreed to a team-friendly deal two years ago that will pay him a fraction of Diggs’ deal for the next three seasons. The Vikings will have to pay in order to keep Thielen beyond 2020, but Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com (on Twitter) wonders whether the Diggs deal is an indication that he’ll take less to stay in Minnesota. For now, Thielen is set to carry cap numbers of $6.1MM, $5MM, and $6.5MM in each of the next three seasons.

Here’s more from Minnesota:

  • It sounds like the Vikings will be using offensive lineman Mike Remmers exclusively on the interior. The veteran has been playing exclusively at right guard through the team’s first five practices, Cronin tweets. Remmers worked as the Panthers’ starting right tackle from 2014-16, but he played at right guard towards the end of last season for the Vikings. The 29-year-old is entering the second year of a five-year, $30MM deal he signed with the club in March of 2017.
  • Improvement in Anthony Barr‘s pass-rushing production could help him become the next Vikings player to get paid, Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune writes. Barr had four sacks as a rookie, but his numbers have dropped each season as the Vikings have sent him after the quarterback less often and offenses have used linemen to block him more often instead of running backs. Last year, Barr rushed the QB on a career low 16.7% of his snaps, resulting in just one sack on the year.

Vikings, Stefon Diggs Agree To Extension

July 31st, 2018 at 8:37am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings and wide receiver Stefon Diggs have reached agreement on a hefty new deal, according to Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune. The five-year extension is worth $72MM, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal includes $40MM in guarantees and can be worth up to $81M in total with incentives.

Diggs made his case for a new deal in 2017 as he caught eight touchdown passes, tying him for the team lead with tight end Kyle Rudolph. Meanwhile, his 64 catches and 849 receiving yards were good for second on the team, despite missing two regular season contests. Diggs, for his part, has been vocal about his desire to stay with the Vikings.

“I want to be here. I love being here,” Diggs said. “I love being a part of the organization. They took a chance on me early on so I love it here as far as where we’re at. … Hopefully, we can get some things done and we’ll see how it goes.”

The $14MM/year deal may sound exorbitant for a player who has yet to top 1,000 yards, but the wide receiver market has exploded and this is in line with Diggs’ expected haul in free agency. There’s certainly some risk on the team’s part as he has been hampered by injuries throughout his career. Diggs has not missed significant time as a pro, but he has dealt with groin issues in each of the last two seasons. He also said he was “never the same” after suffering a groin injury in Week 4 and his knee and hip have also given him problems.

The Vikings have worked hard in recent months to keep their young core together. Since last July, Minnesota has locked up Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, Xavier Rhodes, Eric Kendricks, Danielle Hunter, and now Diggs. Last, but not least, is linebacker Anthony Barr, and it might not be long before they sign him to a fresh contract.

Vikings' K Battle To Last Into Preseason

July 30th, 2018 at 7:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

“As far as setting a trend or breaking down things, it’s great for the game and its players, for sure, when Kirk (Cousins) does a deal like he did,” Rodgers said of Cousins’ fully guaranteed Vikings deal. “The reality is, there’s not many teams that would do that, first of all. And there aren’t many teams that would do it for more than three years. So at some point, there are going to be contracts that will continue to extend that, and there’s been guys who’ve done it over the years, who’ve done monumental things, whether it’s Reggie White in free agency, that make a difference for the next generation. That’s something you can have as part of your legacy.”

  • Don’t expect the Vikings‘ kicker battle to end early. Minnesota will put incumbent Kai Forbath and fifth-round rookie Daniel Carlson in pressure situations during camp and will assess their standing during the early portion of preseason play, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter), before considering jettisoning one of them.

Stefon Diggs Wants To Stay With Vikings

July 29th, 2018 at 7:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the final pieces to the Vikings‘ extensive extension puzzle, Stefon Diggs does not want to leave the Twin Cities anytime soon. Although the emerging wide receiver could be in line for WR1 money on the open market next year, Diggs would prefer his second contract come from the Vikings — as so many of his peers’ have in recent years.

The Vikings have discussed an extension with Diggs’ camp, but nothing appears to be imminent, per Tomasson. Diggs and Anthony Barr represent the final two steps in Minnesota’s years-long effort to fortify a core, one that stands to be in its primes throughout Kirk Cousins‘ contract. If Diggs were to hit free agency, though, he would almost certainly be a coveted commodity. While Odell Beckham Jr. could theoretically be a 2019 free agent, that seems unlikely. Diggs could be the top wideout on a market that as of now would include Devin Funchess, Randall Cobb and Kelvin Benjamin.

  • First-round pick Mike Hughes will work as the Vikings‘ kick returner, while veteran Marcus Sherels will start off as the punt returner, Tomasson tweets. Though there will be competition, this would be the team’s preferred arrangement. Re-signed this offseason, Sherels has been Minnesota’s punt-return man for seven years. Hughes only worked as a return man in one season, last year at Central Florida, but he totaled three return touchdowns in that time.

Vikings Making Adjustments To Coaching Staff

July 28th, 2018 at 12:57pm CST by Ben Levine

Following the tragic and unexpected death of offensive line coach Tony Sparano this week, the Vikings have made some adjustments to their coaching staff. Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune reports (via Twitter) that the team will names Clancy Barone and Andrew Janocko co-coaches for the offensive line.

Barone, who’s been working in the NFL since 2004, was the Vikings tight ends coach last season. With the reorganization of the coaching staff, senior offensive assistant (and former Raiders offensive coordinator) Todd Downing will take on the tight ends gig. Meanwhile, Janocko had previously served as the team’s assistant offensive line coach.

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes (via Twitter) that the team had also pursued former Vikings head coach Mike Tice for the offensive line job. We heard back in February that the 59-year-old was eyeing retirement.

[SOURCE LINK]

Pat Elflein Underwent Two Offseason Surgeries

July 26th, 2018 at 9:28pm CST by Ben Levine
  • Vikings center Pat Elflein was placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list yesterday, and Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune says that was due to a pair of offseason shoulders. It was previously announced that the 24-year-old would undergo surgery to repair his fractured left ankle, but the Elflein also underwent a procedure to fix a lingering shoulder injury. Goessling tweets that while the offensive lineman wouldn’t commit to a return date, his health isn’t expected to be a major concern. ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin adds (via Twitter) that former third-rounder is simply “waiting for medical clearance” before he returns to the field.

    [SOURCE LINK]
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