Prosecutors Want Jail Time For Michael Floyd
Michael Floyd says that kombucha tea is to blame for his positive alcohol tests during house arrest, but that excuse doesn’t fly with Arizona prosecutors. In Scottsdale, prosecutors say they will ask a judge to hit the Vikings wide receiver with jail time for violating the terms of his probation. 
[RELATED: Vikings Support Michael Floyd’s Claim]
“It appears he’s in violation and he should be ordered to serve the rest of his jail time,” city prosecutor Caron Close told Brian Murphy of the Pioneer Press on Monday. “The deal he made really gave him special considerations by letting him transfer out of state to continue his career.”
Floyd served 24 days of a 120-day jail sentence after his February conviction for a DUI. He was allowed to serve out the remainder of the sentence from home, but prosecutors say they are miffed after Floyd violated the terms of his arrangement. The Vikings are supporting Floyd and backing up the fermented tea story, but it remains to be seen whether CEO Kevin Warren‘s letter to the judge will help Floyd’s case.
Floyd‘s one-year deal with the Vikings doesn’t contain any guaranteed money, so the Vikings won’t be on the hook for any portion of the deal if they want to bail. So far, however, they’re standing beside him.
Vikings’ George Paton Turns Down Chiefs
The Chiefs’ GM search is underway and the team was hoping to pencil in Vikings assistant GM George Paton for an interview. However, “for a variety of reasons,” he has declined the opportunity, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Paton was a GM candidate for the Colts and 49ers openings before those jobs went to Chris Ballard and John Lynch, respectively. He has long been viewed as a rising front office name, so he likely feels that he can be selective about GM offers. One has to wonder if Paton has turned down the Chiefs because of the dysfunction going on in Kansas City. The Chiefs made the unusual decision of firing John Dorsey in June, long after the conclusion of the draft and the most important stages of free agency. Dorsey’s dismissal likely came after some in-fighting and poor communication and that’s not particularly appealing for a young front office man like Paton.
Paton completed his tenth season with the Vikings in 2016. Prior to that, he had experience elsewhere in the NFL including stops with the Bears and Dolphins.
Vikings Support Michael Floyd’s Claim
Michael Floyd is blaming his positive alcohol tests on kombucha tea and, somewhat surprisingly, the Vikings seem to be backing up his story. Vikings CEO Kevin Warren has passed along a letter to be used in Floyd’s upcoming court appearance which may help to explain Floyd’s situation. 
“I am writing to request Mr. Floyd not have his court mandated requirements negatively impacted since he did not know the kombucha he ingested contained alcohol,” Warren wrote in the letter.
Floyd says that he unknowingly ingested alcohol when he was drinking the tea with teammate Kyle Rudolph. The Vikings are helping to back up Floyd’s claim in part because they recommend their players drink it as part of a health regimen. The Vikings even have the drink on tap at their practice facility in Winter Park.
There has been speculation that the Vikings could cut ties with Floyd because of his non-guaranteed contract, but all in all it sounds like the Vikings want to stay in business with the talented wide receiver.
“In closing, since Michael has joined our team, he has displayed a strong work ethic, a compliant attitude and professionalism,” Warren wrote.
Sam Bradford To Cash In?
Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford is one year away from free agency and he could be poised to cash in all over again, ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling writes. Bradford’s agent Tom Condon will likely seek a deal with an average annual value of $20MM or more with at least $40-$50MM in guaranteed money. That may sound like a high price tag for Bradford, but it’s not that outlandish when looking at other quarterback contracts. After Derek Carr‘s extension with the Raiders, 13 quarterbacks in the league now make an average of $20MM or more. The question is – will the Vikings be the team to give Bradford that kind of deal? In theory, Minnesota could have Teddy Bridgewater ready to go for 2018, but they can’t bank on that, so they’ll likely explore a Bradford extension.
- Kyle Rudolph, David Morgan, and Bucky Hodges project to be the Vikings‘ three tight ends on the 53-man roster, but Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune could see the team adding a veteran instead of keeping Hodges. Hodges, a Virginia Tech product, was taken in the sixth round of this year’s draft.
Danielle Hunter Gains Muscle, Seeking Starting Gig
- Vikings 2015 third-round pick Danielle Hunter is focused on earning a starting spot in 2016, and his apparent offseason body transformation has some of his teammates supporting that sentiment.“I feel like a few more pounds can be good,’’ Hunter, who gained five pounds of muscle, told Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com. “My goal was to just gain weight (during the offseason). I thought I was a little bit too light last year.’’ Hunter will presumably be competing with veteran Brian Robison for a starting gig.
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Latest On Michael Floyd
We learned yesterday that embattled Vikings wideout Michael Floyd tested positive for alcohol during his house arrest, which could lead to jail time. Later, the player’s agent released a statement defending his client (via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter on Facebook):
“Michael Floyd started his 96-day home monitoring on March 13, 2017. During this time period, Michael was tested a minimum of six times per day. For the first 90 days, Michael’s blood alcohol content was 0.0 for all of his 500 plus tests.
On June 10, 2017, Michael watched movies at his place of residence until 3:00 a.m. During that time, he drank several bottles of kombucha tea drinks, unaware that the drinks contain alcohol.
On June 11, 2017 at 5:30 a.m., Michael was tested and his blood alcohol content was .055. Michael was tested again at 5:54 a.m. and his blood alcohol content was down to .045. Michael was tested again at 6:23 a.m. and his blood alcohol content was .044. He then went back to sleep and missed a test at 6:33 a.m.
Michael was five days away from the end of his home monitoring. Prior to and after this incident, Michael has not had any alcohol whatsoever since the start of his home monitoring. Unfortunately, the kombucha teas that Michael did drink resulted in a positive blood alcohol content reading. As a result, the Court wishes to hear from Michael on June 26. At that time, Michael will have an opportunity to explain how this unfortunate test result happened.”
Floyd was originally supposed to have an alcohol-detecting ankle bracelet, but he agreed to random breathe tests in order to have the device removed. Between the 11th and 12th of June, these tests came up positive for alcohol five separate times, with three of those occasions being categorized as “high alcohol tests.” Of course, this stems from Floyd’s arrest last year for a “super extreme DUI” in Arizona.
After having compiled at least 800 receiving yards over the previous three seasons, Floyd took a noticeable step back in 2016. The wideout hauled in 37 receptions for 488 yards and five touchdowns. His one-year deal with Minnesota doesn’t contain any guaranteed money, so the organization can easily cut bait with Floyd if he receives further punishment.
Vikings Waive Tommy Armstrong
- The Vikings have waived undrafted rookie Tommy Armstrong, whom they signed just over two weeks ago. The former Nebraska quarterback auditioned at running back with the Vikings before moving to safety, but Armstrong didn’t do enough in his 13 practices as a defender to keep his roster spot. Armstrong was an effective dual-threat QB during his four college seasons, totaling 90 touchdowns (67 passing, 23 rushing).
Michael Floyd's Agent Issues Statement
Vikings wide receiver Michael Floyd is fighting back against a report that he violated his house arrest rules by testing positive for alcohol, telling Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: “Totally false. The whole thing is false. You can’t believe everything TMZ says.” Floyd, who had completed 91 days of his 96-day house arrest sentence as of Monday, is due in court June 26.
Vikings’ Michael Floyd Fails Alcohol Test
This could spell trouble for Michael Floyd. The Vikings wide receiver tested positive for alcohol during his house arrest this week, according to TMZ Sports. The violation of house arrest rules could result in jail time. 
Floyd’s alcohol monitoring system flagged five events during June 11th and 12th. At least three of those events were characterized by a rep for the Scottsdale City Court as “high alcohol tests.” Per the terms of his deal, Floyd was forbidden from drinking any alcohol while confined to his home. Meanwhile, the wide receiver claims that the positive tests were caused by drinking Kombucha, a fermented tea with a very low percentage of alcohol.
Floyd petitioned the court to remove his alcohol-testing ankle bracelet because he said it would hinder him while training. The court obliged, but required that Floyd instead undergo random breath tests. Those breath tests unearthed his alleged alcohol consumption and, on top of that, Floyd apparently skipped one of the scheduled tests.
In 2016, Floyd was cuffed in Arizona for a “super extreme DUI,” leading to his release from the Cardinals. The receiver was quickly claimed by the Patriots, but New England made little effort to retain him. Despite all the baggage surrounding him, the Vikings signed him in May.
Floyd‘s one-year deal with the Vikings doesn’t contain any guaranteed money, meaning that Minnesota can part ways with the troubled receiver without any financial penalty.
Mike Zimmer Ready To Move On From Eye Problems
- Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is finally poised to put his nagging right eye issues behind him. “We’re just about out of the woods,” said Zimmer, who has undergone eight separate surgeries over the past year to repair a detached retina. A checkup on Wednesday revealed that “the retina is perfect, the pressure [in my eye] is great,” Zimmer informed reporters, including Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. The 61-year-old’s doctor told him he’d be “absolutely shocked if anything else happened in this eye.” Zimmer’s eye problems led to his absence from the Vikings’ Week 13 loss to Dallas last season and forced him to miss the first two weeks of organized team activities this spring.