Vikings To Bring Back George Edwards As DC
George Edwards will be back with the Vikings next season. Sporting News’ Alex Marvez reports that the team has renewed the defensive coordinator’s contract for 2018. Edwards’ previous deal expired at the end of the 2017 campaign.
The move isn’t overly surprising, as Edwards led the Vikings to the top defense in the NFL this past season. Minnesota ultimately finished the season having allowed 275.9 yards per game and 15.8 points per contest, both tops in the league. Edwards initially took the gig back in 2014, with the Vikings defense showing slight improvements during each of his seasons at the helm. He previously served as the Redskins and Bills defensive coordinator.
The Bears had previously interviewed Edwards for their head coaching vacancy. While some detractors criticized the coordinator’s lack of play-calling duties, head coach Mike Zimmer was more than supportive of Edwards’ bid for a head coaching gig.
“George does everything,” Zimmer said recently. “He helps with the game plan. He runs a lot of the meetings, the defensive meetings. Him and I really sit down and talk about all the different things that are going on. He studies the game just like he’s calling the game. So he’ll come in and talk to me about second down-and-whatever. ‘They’re doing this,’ or, ‘they’re doing that.’ Really, he does everything other than call the game on Sunday.”
We learned earlier today that the Vikings were planning on interviewing Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo for the offensive coordinator opening. Pat Shurmer, the team’s offensive coordinator in 2017, is now the head coach of the Giants.
Vikings Plan To Interview John DeFilippo
While nothing formal’s transpired yet on the John DeFilippo-to-Minnesota front, the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach looks like a candidate to become the next Vikings OC.
The Vikings plan to meet with DeFilippo, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports (on Twitter).
This subject has not produced much clarity. A report indicated the Vikings were hopeful about a DeFilippo summit emerged last week, but Goessling added shortly after that the two-year Eagles QBs coach was more likely to stay in Philadelphia for a third season.
Regardless, the Vikings want to have their OC spot filled by midweek. The team has already interviewed four candidates to fill the position Pat Shurmur vacated, and this position still being unfilled points to the franchise eyeing a member of one of the Super Bowl entrants’ staffs.
DeFilippo was a hot commodity on the coaching circuit after Carson Wentz‘s MVP-caliber showing pre-injury, and Nick Foles‘ virtuoso display in Super Bowl LII surely did nothing to diminish DeFilippo’s stock.
Updated 2018 NFL Draft Order
With the Super Bowl in the books, we now know the draft order for the entire first round of the 2018 draft. Here’s the rundown:
1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)
2. New York Giants (3-13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)
4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)
5. Denver Broncos (5-11)
6. New York Jets (5-11)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)
8. Chicago Bears (5-11)
T-9. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
T-9. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (Note: The Raiders and 49ers have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broken by a coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 9 and the other club receiving the No. 10 pick.)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
13. Washington Redskins (7-9)
14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)
15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)
17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
20. Detroit Lions (9-7)
21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)
22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)
23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)
25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)
31. New England Patriots (13-3)
32. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
Vikings Hope To Have OC By Midweek
- The Vikings want to have their next offensive coordinator by midweek, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. La Canfora posits it would be a surprise if the team doesn’t conduct an interview with Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. The second-year Philadelphia QBs coach is thought to be a sought-after candidate for this post but may not be ready to leave his current job just yet.
Case Keenum Discusses 2018 Status
- While Aaron Rodgers made it clear that he wants to play into his 40s, he also told the Associated Press that it may require him to play for another team. The Packers quarterback cited the departure of Brett Favre, who bounced between the Jets and Vikings after more than a decade in Green Bay. “I think you have to be humble enough to realize if it could happen to Brett, it can happen to you,” Rodgers said.
- The Vikings will have some tough choices to make at the quarterback position this offseason, but Case Keenum is hoping he’ll get another chance at the starting gig. The 29-year-old told 1500ESPN’s Mackey and Judd that he’d like to finish what he started in Minnesota.“We love Minnesota, we love it here, we love the season we had, we definitely feel like there’s some unfinished business with how things ended,” Keenum said (via Matthew Coller of 1500espn.com). “At the same time, we understand tough decisions have to be made and so we’ll see what happens.”
[SOURCE LINK]
Giants Waiting On Kevin Stefanski Before Hiring OC?
The Giants are thought to be waiting on the fate of Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski before deciding on an offensive coordinator, sources tell Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com.
[RELATED: 2018 NFL Coordinator Tracker]
Stefanski is in the running for OC jobs in both New York and Minnesota, but because he’d be allowed to call plays for the Vikings (something new head coach Pat Shurmur will do for the Giants), Stefanski would presumably prefer to remain in purple. However, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has other candidates in mind, including former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell, Texans quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan, and Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell, so Stefanski isn’t guaranteed the role. Minnesota is expected to announce its new play-caller following the Super Bowl.
The Giants have several reported candidates aside from Stefanski, as well, but the club hasn’t yet officially set up any interviews. Former Cardinals OC Harold Goodwin and Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley have both been mentioned as possibilites, but a Staley addition seems unlikely, per Raanan. Shurmur has indicated he prefers a veteran coach who is experienced with quarterbacks, and Staley has only led running backs during his six-year coaching career.
Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo could be throwing a wrench in both the Vikings and Giants searches, as he can’t be hired until the Super Bowl concludes on Sunday. DeFilippo has been mentioned as a candidate in Minnesota, and Ranaan mentions that DeFilippo could be in consideration for the G-Men, as well (although there’s been no official report to that effect).
Teddy Bridgewater’s UFA Status Uncertain
The subject of Teddy Bridgewater‘s contract has emerged again, despite said contract having supposedly expired.
Bridgewater, Case Keenum and Sam Bradford would all be set to be unrestricted free agents, but in Bridgewater’s case, it’s still uncertain if he will hit the market. Bridgewater’s rookie deal could still toll because of the passer’s stay on the PUP list this season, in which case he would return to the Vikings on his 2017 salary of $1.354MM.
Article 20, Section 2 of the CBA indicates a player’s contract would toll if he’s on the PUP list as of the sixth regular-season game. With Bridgewater not coming off the PUP list until after the Vikings’ sixth game — since players placed on the PUP list must spend six weeks there — he would be trapped in that circumstance, if this is how this situation will be interpreted.
And the matters of who will determine this, and when a resolution will come, remain uncertain. Rick Spielman said (via Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com) the NFL will make that decision, while NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said he wasn’t sure if the league or the Vikings would end up doing so.
“If it goes into that area, it’s not a Minnesota Viking (decision), that’s an NFL and player union that will have to decide that area,” Spielman said, via Cronin, adding he wasn’t sure if the Vikings would have to contact the NFL on this matter.
Word out of Minnesota during the 2017 offseason indicated Bridgewater’s camp and the NFLPA intended to fight that distinction if it was determined his contract would toll. Past cases of this have gone in favor of the player, with the NFL Management Council interpreting the CBA language as a player needing to miss his whole contract-year season for the deal to toll. Bridgewater returned to practice after the six-week PUP stay and was activated in November.
Smith said (via Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, on Twitter) the matter could come down to whether Bridgewater was medically cleared to return before Week 6. Bridgewater contended at the time he could have practiced before he was allowed to do so, specifying he could have done so “a couple weeks” (Twitter links via Goessling) before returning to the field.
Smith said the NFLPA will have access to the quarterback’s medical records, if this matter will come to that, and remain in touch with Bridgewater’s agent.
Despite having played in just one game since his gruesome injuries in August 2016, Bridgewater is one of several former starters expected to be available as UFAs in a complex quarterback market. Although it’s not known when his status will be determined, it will almost certainly come before the legal tampering period begins March 12. And the 25-year-old passer would stand to command a higher salary than what would come his way if this contract were to toll.
New Vikings OC Will Help Choose QB
- The Vikings have yet to make a decision about Pat Shurmur‘s replacement, but they’ve interviewed four OC candidates and are possibly waiting to talk to Eagles QBs coach John DeFilippo. Whomever the team chooses, that coach will play a key role in determining who will be Minnesota’s quarterback in 2018. “He’ll have a major part of the decision-making process. He’ll be heavily involved in that,” Rick Spielman said. “The way that we structure everything is that everybody has a part in that process … myself, Coach (Mike) Zimmer, our scouting department and all of our coaches.” With Zimmer being a defensive-minded leader, it could naturally be assumed the new OC will be the top offensive voice on the team and place him in position to help make a difficult call for a franchise with three UFA quarterbacks.
Terence Newman Plans To Play Next Year
Terence Newman will turn 40 in September, but he’s not thinking about retirement. Fueled by a desire to get the mountaintop, Newman says he plans to play in 2018. 
“I want to play [next season], because we made it to an NFC Championship. We fell short. We fell way short … I want to be able to have an opportunity to win a ring. It’s that simple,” Newman said (via KFAN 100.3 on Twitter).
Bound for free agency, it’s not a guarantee that Newman will return to the Vikings next season. It seems like that Minnesota will have interest in retaining him, however, for his valuable veteran leadership and on-field production. In 2017, Newman graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 66 ranked cornerback, which puts him on the fringe of starter quality.
The Vikings are slated to start Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes at cornerback, but Newman could once again serve as support for that duo, along with Mackensie Alexander. If not, he’ll be exploring opportunities with other contending clubs.
2018 Proven Performance Escalators
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.
If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure should be around $1.908MM in 2018. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2018 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:
49ers: Trent Brown, T; Eli Harold, LB
Bears: Adrian Amos, S
Bengals: Tyler Kroft, TE; Josh Shaw, DB
Bills: John Miller, G
Broncos: Max Garcia, G; Trevor Siemian, QB
Browns: Duke Johnson, RB
Buccaneers: Kwon Alexander, LB
Cardinals: David Johnson, RB; J.J. Nelson, WR
Chargers: Kyle Emanuel, LB
Chiefs: Chris Conley, WR; Steven Nelson, CB
Colts: Henry Anderson, DE; Mark Glowinski, G; Denzelle Good, OL
Dolphins: Bobby McCain, CB
Eagles: Jay Ajayi, RB; Jordan Hicks, LB
Falcons: Grady Jarrett, DT
Jaguars: A.J. Cann, OL
Lions: Quandre Diggs, CB
Packers: Jake Ryan, LB
Panthers: Daryl Williams, T
Patriots: Trey Flowers, DE; Shaq Mason, G
Raiders: Clive Walford, TE
Rams: Jamon Brown, G
Ravens: Za’Darius Smith, LB
Redskins: T.J. Clemmings, OL; Jamison Crowder, WR
Saints: Tyeler Davison, DT
Seahawks: Tyler Lockett, WR
Steelers: Jesse James, TE
Vikings: Stefon Diggs, WR; Danielle Hunter, DE
OverTheCap.com was essential in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.