Opinion: Vikings Better In 2016 Than 2015?
- After spending the offseason putting better pieces around Teddy Bridgewater, the Vikings should be even better than they were in 2015 when they captured the NFC North crown, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. This spring, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman signed established veterans Alex Boone and Andre Smith to start on the offensive line while also bolstering the secondary.
Vikings Waive Travis Lewis, Bruce Gaston
The Vikings waived linebacker Travis Lewis and defensive tackle Bruce Gaston, the club announced. Lewis was with Detroit from 2012 through 2015 before signing with Minnesota this offseason. He actually started four games last season, but for the most part he’s been a backup, appearing in 42 contests during his four-year career. Lewis was a key member of Detroit’s special teams unit, playing on more than 70% of Detroit’s ST snaps, and that’s the role he was expected to play in Minnesota. Instead, the Vikings will carry $50K in dead money on their 2016 salary cap as a result of having given Lewis a signing bonus.
NFC Notes: Panthers, Vikings, Saints, Falcons
Panthers coach Ron Rivera admits that Fletcher Cox‘s massive new deal with the Eagles doesn’t help the Panthers’ cause in trying to lock up Kawann Short, Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review writes.
“This is the hard part right now is what’s going on in the league,” Rivera said. “I think some of these contracts are unbelievable as far as what I’m seeing and hearing.”
Word is that the Panthers may not be willing to go above $15MM/year for their standout defensive tackle. Cox, meanwhile, will average nearly $17.2MM per season on his new deal with a great deal in the way of guarantees early on in the pact.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The Vikings can’t seem to find the right counterpart for Harrison Smith at safety, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, who lists Michael Griffin, Andrew Sendejo, Anthony Harris, Antone Exum, and Jayron Kearse as contenders for the job. Right now, there’s no word as to whether the Vikings could look out-of-house to help bolster the group. Griffin, 31, is the most experienced of the bunch by far, and given that he excels in coverage, he might be the favorite to line up opposite Smith. “One thing I try not to do, especially in OTAs where we’re not in pads, is try to jump to some kind of conclusion of who should be the starter,” said head coach Mike Zimmer of the competition. “I’ll kind of let that play out in camp.”
- Veteran defensive end Darryl Tapp tried out for the Saints on Tuesday, as Evan Woodbery of The Times Picayune tweets.
- The Falcons are trying out wide receiver Donatella Luckett, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- UDFA tight end Ben Braunecker has a real good shot to make the Bears‘ roster, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Braunecker was seen working with Chicago’s second-team offense during OTAs.
- The Bears are trying out tight end Ryan Taylor and defensive lineman Marquise Jackson, according to Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
Lamur Could Replace Chad Greenway
- This season will almost certainly be Chad Greenway‘s farewell tour with the Vikings and with that in mind, one reader asked Ben Goessling of ESPN.com about the team’s plan to replace him at weakside linebacker. Emmanuel Lamur would seem to be the in-house solution and Goessling says he might not have to wait until 2017 to get that chance. Lamur joined Minnesota on a two-year, $5.5MM deal this spring. The former Cincinnati outside linebacker is a favorite of coach Mike Zimmer. Of course, if the team feels the need to use Lamur elsewhere or things don’t work out, they could be in the market for a different WLB solution next year.
Opinion: Comparing Smith's Deal To Earl Thomas'
- The Vikings and Harrison Smith likely followed the model of the Earl Thomas contract as they negotiated his $50MM+ extension, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. While the overall numbers are impressive, Fitzgerald notes that both players received new full guarantees that were essentially nothing more than the signing bonus and their current year salaries which were either already guaranteed or virtually guaranteed to be earned. Fitzgerald also wonders if Smith’s team should have waited to see if the Chiefs and Eric Berry inked a lucrative new deal between now and the July deadline. At that point, Smith could have used that as a data point in a new negotiation since Berry seems likely to get $10MM+/year on his next deal.
Charles Johnson Fighting For Roster Spot
- Charles Johnson has to fight for his spot on the Vikings‘ roster, but he is not to be counted out yet, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune writes. While there’s something of a logjam at wide receiver, Johnson did show a lot when he became Teddy Bridgewater’s go-to guy late in 2014. Many have noted that the pressure is being turned up on Cordarrelle Patterson after the team selected Laquon Treadwell and Moritz Boehringer in the draft, but Patterson is unlikely to go thanks to his return ability. If Johnson can shine in the coming weeks, Vensel believes that the Vikes will find room for him behind Stefon Diggs, Jarius Wright, Patterson, and the team’s rookies.
Vikings Sign Harrison Smith To Extension
WEDNESDAY, 5:04pm: Smith’s deal actually appears to be worth more than initially reported, with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle noting (on Twitter) the fifth-year safety’s pact totals $56.53MM. The deal contains $28.58MM in guarantees, per Wilson. The contract is slated to slot Harrison on the Vikings’ next five salary caps at $7.28MM in 2017, $7.5MM in ’18, $10MM in ’19, $10.75MM in ’20 and $10.25MM in ’21, Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports (on Twitter). Only $500K is fully guaranteed to the now-27-year-old Smith on the third day of the 2019 league year, Vensel tweets.
MONDAY, 8:00am: The Vikings have signed safety Harrison Smith to a long-term extension, the club announced today. It’s a five-year deal worth $51.25MM, according to Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link), and the pact includes includes a $10MM signing bonus and $15.27MM fully guaranteed, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). With five years added to his present deal, Smith is now under contract for another six years on a deal that should keep him in Minnesota through the 2021 season.
Smith, who earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2015, will earn a base salary of $5.278MM in 2016 before his significant pay raise kicks in. With an average annual value above $10MM, the Vikings are paying Smith more than any other safety, putting him ahead of names like Jairus Byrd, Devin McCourty, and Earl Thomas.
The deal’s full guarantee of $15MM+ puts him in the middle of that pack for safeties, beating out Thomas’ $14.225MM true guarantee but falling short of McCourty’s $22MM and Byrd’s $18.3MM. In terms of total value and AAV, however, we have ourselves a new highest-paid safety in the NFL.
Referring to Smith as one of the “better safeties” in the NFL earlier this year, Vikings GM Rick Spielman acknowledged with a chuckle that calling him one of the “best” might increase his price. Pro Football Focus, at least, viewed the 27-year-old as the league’s best safety in 2015, ranking him atop the site’s list of 88 qualified players at the position, despite the fact that he only played 13 games. Among safeties, Smith ranked in PFF’s top 10 in terms of pass coverage, run defense, and pass rush grades. NFL executive Randall Liu (on Twitter) notes that Smith is only NFL player since 2012 with 300+ tackles (311), 5+ sacks (5.5), 10+ interceptions (12), and a 4+ interception/touchdown ratio.
It will be interesting to see how Smith’s new contract impacts contract talks in Miami between the Dolphins and safety Reshad Jones. Jones is reportedly mulling a season-long holdout if he does not get a new deal that puts him in the same class as Smith and the rest of the ~$10MM club. Jones had a career-year in 2015, compiling career-highs in tackles (135), passes defended (10), and interceptions (five). At the same time, strong safeties generally don’t get paid the way that free safeties do. Tyrann Mathieu and Eric Berry also surely took notice of Smith’s new deal this morning. New deals for either one of those players could strip the “highest-paid safety” mantle away from the Vikings star.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Harrison Smith's Agent On Extension
Harrison Smith got a big deal with the Vikings on Monday in part due to his agent’s familiarity with the Minnesota brass, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. The agent likened his relationship with the Vikings to the give-and-take of marriage.
“When you first do a negotiation with a new person, you’re very careful in everything you say. You don’t give up an inch until you know you can get an inch back. It’d be like in marriage, you don’t say you’re going to take out the trash on Thursdays unless you know they’ll load the dishwasher on Fridays,” Brian Murphy said. “As you negotiate more and more deals, my whole philosophy is, there’s no room for bluffing. There’s certainly no room for lying. … I think that (Vikings VP of football operations) Rob [Brzezinski] is very, very good in that, in terms of saying what he means. And we say what we mean. But it takes a couple negotiations to realize, ‘Hey, when he said this, he really does mean this.'”
Right now, it seems to be a happy marriage between the safety and the Vikings. Smith will earn more per year than any other safety in the NFL while the Vikings have the star locked down for years to come.
NFC North Notes: Vikings, Lions, Tulloch, Cook
The Vikings‘ draft strategy means that there will be more big contracts following Harrison Smith‘s payday, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. Between now and March 2017, the Vikings will have to determine whether they want to stay in business with left tackle Matt Kalil. Beyond him, cornerback Xavier Rhodes and defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd will play out their fifth-year options in 2017. In 2018, the Vikings will have to make decisions on quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and linebacker Anthony Barr. This could make for some tough calls but, then again, it’s a good problem to have when your draft picks work out well.
Here’s more from the NFC North:
- On Monday, Lions GM Bob Quinn declined to provide reporters with an update on Stephen Tulloch‘s status with the team (link via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein). The veteran was told in February he wouldn’t be part of the team, but as of this writing he is still on the roster.
- Packers coach Mike McCarthy says he has “no long-term concern” with Jared Cook‘s situation, Michael Cohen of the Journal Sentinel writes. Cook had foot surgery earlier this week and will be sidelined at least until training camp, but it sounds like he’ll be back on the field before long.
- After using first-round picks on offensive linemen Taylor Decker and Laken Tomlinson, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com is optimistic about the Lions‘ run game in 2016. The Lions also added Stevan Ridley in free agent to help round out the running game. Of course, a lot will hinge on second-year player Ameer Abdullah returning healthy.
- The Lions seemingly drafted long snapper Don Muhlbach‘s replacement this year, but he’s not going to cede his job without a fight, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. “I’m like, ‘I didn’t get fired,’” Muhlbach said when asked about sixth-round pick Jimmy Landes. “I’m still there. I’m not going to leave just now….I still think I’m OK. I want to play some more. My body feels fine, so I’d like to keep going.”
- The Bears inked third-round defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard earlier today, meaning that every player in their 2016 class is now under contract.
Opinion: Vikings Did Well In Free Agency
- The Vikings are proving adept at choosing free agents, Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune writes. For example, Minnesota added former Bengal Andre Smith in the spring and although he is not guaranteed a starting gig, he could prove to be a free agent steal. For his part, Smith says that he wouldn’t have come to Minnesota unless he felt like he could win with the Vikings. “I’ve made a lot of money in my career,” said Smith, who inked a one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Vikes in March. “If I’m going to go somewhere, I want to go somewhere I can win. This was the best place for me.” The Vikings also shored up the left guard spot by adding Alex Boone, who figures to be among the team’s more vocal vets.
- The Vikings are proving adept at choosing free agents, Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune writes. For example, Minnesota added former Bengal Andre Smith in the spring and although he is not guaranteed a starting gig, he could prove to be a free agent steal. For his part, Smith says that he wouldn’t have come to Minnesota unless he felt like he could win with the Vikings. “I’ve made a lot of money in my career,” said Smith, who inked a one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Vikes in March. “If I’m going to go somewhere, I want to go somewhere I can win. This was the best place for me.” The Vikings also shored up the left guard spot by adding Alex Boone, who figures to be among the team’s more vocal vets.
- On Monday morning, the Vikings made Harrison Smith the NFL’s highest-paid safety.