Vikings Had Interest In Andre Holmes
While the Vikings made contact with free agent Andre Holmes before he signed with the Bills, Minnesota “never got serious” about inking the veteran pass-catcher, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. The Lions had also been mentioned as a potential suitor for Holmes (and even had him in for a visit), but Detroit likely bowed out because Anquan Boldin may re-sign for the 2017 campaign, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
More Details On Latavius Murray's Contract
- We learned earlier this week that Latavius Murray‘s new contract with the Vikings could be voided after one season, making the running back a free agent again in 2018. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes that the player essentially has another team option for the third season of the contract. Therefore, Murray’s spot on the Vikings roster will presumably be reevaluated every offseason.
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New Raider Jared Cook Turned Down Vikings' Richer Offer
- Tight end Jared Cook‘s decision to accept the Raiders’ two-year, $12.2MM offer (including $5MM guaranteed) Thursday came after he turned down a significantly higher amount of guarantees from the Vikings, per Caplan (Twitter link). This is speculation, but both the Raiders’ quarterback (Derek Carr) versus the Vikings’ (Sam Bradford) and the fact that Cook clearly wouldn’t have been the best tight end on Minnesota’s roster may have tipped the scales in Oakland’s favor. The Vikings have a star tight end, Kyle Rudolph, who caught 83 passes last year. At the same time, Raiders tight ends Clive Walford and Lee Smith combined for 44 receptions.
Vikings Notes: Newman, Robey-Coleman
- Terence Newman told reporters that his agent spoke with the Raiders on the same day he spoke to the Vikings, but Oakland did not make an offer (Twitter link via Mark Craig of the Star Tribune). Regardless, the Vikings were Newman’s top choice. This week, the cornerback agreed to return to Minnesota for his age-39 season.
- While the Vikings have shown interest in free agent cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, they aren’t among the teams that have booked visits with him, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
Contract Details: Lacy, Vikings, Titans, Bears
The latest contract details from around the NFL:
- ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link) offers further information on the weight-related incentives in Eddie Lacy‘s contract with the Seahawks: The running back can earn $55K in incentives for each month from May to December if he’s at or below the designated weight in his deal. Those weights are 255 pounds (May), 250 (June-August) and 245 (September-December). Lacy recently weighed in at 267 pounds during a free agent visit.
- Running back Latavius Murray‘s three-year accord with the Vikings comes with a chance to earn $2.3MM in incentives for rushing yards (it’s unclear how many), escalators in 2018 ($2MM) and 2019 ($4MM) based on rushing yards, and an annual Pro Bowl incentive, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
- Defensive end/outside linebacker Datone Jones‘ one-year deal with the Vikings features a $1.6MM signing bonus and per-game roster bonuses of $31,250 each (up to $500K), a $150K workout bonus and $1.25MM in incentives for sacks and playing time, reports ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
- Titans linebacker Daren Bates‘ three-year contract is worth $5.6MM and includes a $500K signing bonus, per ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky.
- Offensive tackle Tom Compton‘s agreement with the Bears is a one-year, $1.85MM deal with $850K in guarantees and $400K in incentives, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Cornerback Johnthan Banks‘ one-year pact is worth $855K and features $200K in guarantees and an $80K signing bonus.
Adrian Peterson Done In Minnesota
With the newly signed Latavius Murray set to occupy their backfield, the Vikings have closed the door on the possibility of re-signing Adrian Peterson, general manager Rick Spielman announced Thursday (Twitter link via the team).
The fact that the Vikings are moving on from Peterson comes as no surprise in the wake of the Murray acquisition. However, after the Vikings declined Peterson’s $18MM option in February, it seemed possible they’d bring him back at a far more reasonable figure. Instead, the club didn’t make the soon-to-be 32-year-old an offer.
Peterson will go down as one of the greatest Vikings ever, having earned seven Pro Bowls trips, five first-team All-Pro nods and an MVP (2013) since they selected him in the first round of the 2007 draft. He’ll depart Minnesota 16th on the all-time rushing list (11,747), 10th in rushing touchdowns (97) and third in yards-per-carry average (4.9), though he no longer possesses the sparkling reputation he had when he entered the league.
Peterson’s character took a hit in 2014, when he violated the league’s personal conduct policy in an incident of abusive discipline toward his then-4-year-old son. Peterson missed 15 of 16 games that season as a result, but he bounced back in 2015 to win the league’s rushing title. Unfortunately for Peterson, 2016 represented another step backward. Thanks to the meniscus tear he suffered last September, Peterson appeared in just three games and totaled a mere 37 carries in his final year as a Viking.
Now, on account of his age, the injury and his paltry 1.9 YPC last season, Peterson is having difficulty finding work in free agency. Several rumored suitors – the Texans, Patriots, Raiders, Giants – have shown little to no interest in Peterson, while the Seahawks visited with him but then opted to sign Eddie Lacy instead. Peterson will undoubtedly land somewhere in the coming months, but it’s obvious things haven’t broken his way since the Vikings declined his option.
Raiders To Sign Jared Cook
The best tight end remaining in free agency is coming off the board. The Raiders are signing Jared Cook to a two-year contract worth up to $12.2MM, including a fully guaranteed first year, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Cook will earn $5MM in 2017, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
Oakland was among several teams that targeted Cook, who nearly re-signed with the Packers and also drew interest from the Bills, Seahawks, Lions and Vikings. Minnesota made a strong effort to sign Cook, relays Caplan (on Twitter), but his meeting with the Raiders on Thursday went well enough for a deal to come together with Oakland. Star quarterback Derek Carr helped convince the 29-year-old pass catcher to sign, per Caplan, who tweets that the two “spent a lot of time” with each other – including watching tape – and “bonded.”
Before Carr recruited Cook to the Raiders, he helped lure in receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. Those two will provide further weaponry in a high-octane passing attack whose best options are wideouts Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Cook will move atop the Raiders’ tight end depth chart and slot in ahead of Clive Walford and Lee Smith, giving the team an impressive trio at the position.
The Raiders will be the fourth team for Cook, a 2009 third-round pick who has combined for 303 receptions and 17 touchdowns in stints with the Titans, Rams and Packers. In his lone season in Green Bay, Cook appeared in 10 games and caught 30 of 51 targets for 377 yards and a TD. He was far more impressive in the Packers’ two-game playoff run, in which he combined for 13 receptions on 23 targets, 181 yards and two scores.
Thanks to Cook’s agreement, PFR’s top-ranked unsigned tight end is now Luke Willson.
Contract Details: Hoyer, Newman, Dansby
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts:
- Karlos Dansby, LB (Cardinals): One year, $2MM. $700K guaranteed. $250K available via incentives (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
- Vlad Ducasse, OL (Bills): Three years, $3.5MM. $250K guaranteed. $250K signing bonus. Playing time incentives available (link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- Brian Hoyer, QB (49ers): Two years, $12MM. $9.85MM guaranteed. $4MM signing bonus. $1.5MM available via incentives (20 touchdowns, 2,500 passing yards, Pro Bowl) in 2017. $5MM available via incentives (same thresholds) in 2018 (links via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com).
- Bennie Logan, DT (Chiefs): One year, $8MM. $7.68MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star).
- Alex Okafor, LB/DE (Saints): One year, $2MM. $1MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus. $1MM available in sack and playtime incentives (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of the Advocate).
- Terence Newman, CB (Vikings): One year, $3.25MM. $1.5MM guaranteed. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link via Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune).
Vikings Re-Sign WR Adam Thielen
The Vikings have re-signed restricted free agent Adam Thielen. The wide receiver gets a three-year deal from Minnesota, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Thielen can make up to $27MM over those three years, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal carries a base value of $17MM and includes $11MM guaranteed. 
Initially, the Vikings placed a second-round tender on Thielen, which was probably about right for a player at his level. The receiver racked up 967 receiving yards last year after totaling 281 in his previous two NFL campaigns. The second-round tender would have paid him $2.81MM and, of course, forced another team to cough up a second-round choice if successful in signing Thielen away. We did not hear word of any team considering an offer sheet, however.
Theilen now returns to the Vikings one day after Cordarrelle Patterson was lured away in free agency. Stefon Diggs, Jairus Wright, Laquon Treadwell, and Isaac Fruechte remain with the team. Even without Patterson, the Vikings have one of the league’s most fearsome groups of wide receivers on paper.
In other Vikings news, the team re-signed cornerback Terence Newman on Wednesday morning.
Jets Hosting FB Zach Line On Visit
The Jets are hosting fullback Zach Line on a visit, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). Now that Kyle Juszczyk, Patrick DiMarco, and James Develin are off the board, we have Line as the second-ranked free agent fullback left in free agency. 
Line has appeared in all but one of the Vikings’ regular season games in the last two years and has spent the last four seasons with Minnesota. The 6’1″, 230 pounder has a grand total of 13 carries and seven receptions over the course of his career, but can be a difference-maker when it comes to blocking.
Line graded out as the league’s 12th best fullback last year, according to Pro Football Focus, though only 17 fullbacks played enough to qualify for their rankings. Line had roughly even grades for run blocking and pass blocking in his 211 snaps.
The Jets, in theory, could make two additions in the backfield today if they sign Line and Travaris Cadet. Cadet is currently deciding between Gang Green and the Saints.