Vikings Notes: Peterson, H. Smith, Barr
- The Vikings will have to make some tough choices in 2017, as Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune writes. After this season, 17 Vikings players will become unrestricted free agents. That includes Adrian Peterson, who is being paid $12MM this year on a reworked contract. He is due $18MM in ’17 and that sum becomes fully guaranteed in March. As good as AD is, that’s a sum that the Vikings might not be able to justify given their numbers crunch. The Vikings will also have to address safety Harrison Smith, who is one of the best at his position and is earning just $5.3MM in 2016.
- The Vikings‘ crowded linebacker group should create interesting competition, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune writes. Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks are virtual locks to start while Chad Greenway will probably start on the weakside, though newcomer Emmanuel Lamur could push him. Beyond that, free agent pickup Travis Lewis and Audie Cole will be duking it out with rookies Brandon Watts, Edmond Robinson, and Kentrell Brothers for a place on the roster. Rookie free agent Jake Ganus is also being given an opportunity to show what he can do.
Vikings Sign Laquon Treadwell
SATURDAY, 8:50am: The deal is official, according to the Vikings’ PR department.
THURSDAY, 2:35pm: The Vikings have signed first-round wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, according to a tweet from his agents at ISM. Treadwell was selected with the No. 23 overall pick. 
Treadwell, was widely projected as a top-15 pick before a slow 40-yard dash time and other concerns about his game hurt his draft stock. That disappointing performance didn’t deter the Vikings, however, who see Treadwell as a potential star receiver to pair with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The Vikings are hoping to have a potent aerial attack starring Stefon Diggs, Charles Johnson, and their newest first-round choice. Of course, if they can get production out of the once-promising Cordarrelle Patterson, things will be looking even better for Minnesota’s offense.
The Chiefs reportedly tried to trade up to get Treadwell. After the Ole Miss product went to the Vikings at No. 23, the Chiefs traded out of the first round, converting that selection into a second-round pick (No. 37), a fourth-round pick (No. 105), a sixth-round pick (No. 178), and a seventh-round pick (No. 249) from the 49ers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bucs Claim Johnny Lowdermilk From Vikings
- The Buccaneers have claimed safety Johnny Lowdermilk off waivers from the Vikings, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The team also waived rookie safety Traveon Henry and rookie wide receiver Dez Stewart (injured).
Vikings Waive S Johnny Lowdermilk
- The Vikings announced that they have waived safety Johnny Lowdermilk. The arrival of Lowdermilk will make room for the addition of running back C.J. Ham, whose signing was reported on Monday. Ham, a Duluth native, rushed for 1,097 yards and 16 touchdowns in his final season at Augustana University.
Vikins Sign Roberson, Stoudermire, Ham
- The Vikings (Twitter link) announced the signing of cornerback Tre Roberson and wide receiver Troy Stoudermire. Kentucky State cornerback Eric Rawls, announced as a UDFA signee last week, did not end up inking his deal, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). The team’s roster is now at 90.
- The Vikings signed running back C.J. Ham out of Augustana University, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. The deal should become finalized on Tuesday.
Vikings Expected To Sign Punter To Battle Locke
A fifth-round pick in 2013, Jeff Locke looks to be set to face some competition to finish out his contract with the Vikings. Minnesota is expected to add rookie punter Taylor Symmank on Monday, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
The Vikings brought in Symmank and Nick O’Toole to compete at their rookie minicamp this weekend, but O’Toole left the Twin Cities on Sunday, while Symmank looks to be staying. Symmank averaged 46 yards per punt last season at Texas Tech. After Locke’s per-punt figure hovered at 44.2 yards in each of his first two seasons, it slunk to an NFL-worst 41.6 in 2015.
Symmank told Tomasson he’s been asked to take a physical with the Vikings, who currently have 89 players on their roster. Locke has a nonguaranteed $721K due this season.
Moritz Böhringer Should At Least Remain In Vikings Organization
- Vikings sixth-round pick Moritz Böhringer has gotten plenty of hype considering his draft position. However, the wideout was expected to go undrafted, and there’s no guarantee that he’ll make the final roster. If the former German Football League standout ends up getting cut, ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling believes there’s a good chance he’ll land on the Vikings practice squad.
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Vikings Bring In Two Rookie Punters To Compete With Locke
- Vikings punter Jeff Locke isn’t guaranteed to make the squad, as the organization brought in a pair of rookie punters to compete for the job. As Mark Craig of the Star Tribune writes, Texas Tech’s Taylor Symmank and West Virginia’s Nick O’Toole will first have to compete with each other. “Talking with [coach Mike Zimmer], he said Jeff has one more year on his contract and we’ll see what happens,” O’Toole said. “He said for me and Taylor to come in and compete and whoever is the better punter this weekend will be signed and that guy is going to compete with Jeff. And that guy could win the job or he could just have his name out there for other teams to see.”
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Draft Pick Signings: Eagles, Packers, Bears, Colts
Checking in on the latest rookie signings from around the NFL…
- Two offensive linemen – third-rounder Isaac Seumalo and fifth-rounder Halapoulivaati Vaitai – have agreed to deals with the Eagles, the team tweeted. Seumalo went 79th in the draft after playing various positions, mostly center, along Oregon State’s O-line. Vaitai, the 164th pick, made 30 starts at tackle (primarily on the right side) during his TCU tenure.
- The Colts have signed fourth-round linebacker Antonio Morrison, the 125th overall choice, according to a team press release. Morrison was a four-year starter at Florida.
- Packers general manager Ted Thompson announced the signings of four draftees — fourth-rounders Blake Martinez (linebacker, Stanford) and Dean Lowry (defensive end, Northwestern), fifth-rounder Trevor Davis (receiver, California) and sixth-rounder Kyle Murphy (offensive tackle, Stanford). Those four were Green Bay’s final picks of this year’s draft. The team still has to lock up its top three selections, including first-round defensive lineman Kenny Clark.
- The Bears inked fourth-round defensive back Deiondre’ Hall to a four-year deal worth $2.85MM, including a $510,982 signing bonus, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Hall, the 127th pick, piled up 13 interceptions during his four years at Northern Iowa.
- The Vikings have signed fourth-round offensive lineman Willie Beavers and fifth-round linebacker Kentrell Brothers, per a team press release. Beavers was a stalwart at left tackle for Western Michigan before the Vikings grabbed him with the 121st choice, while Brothers – the 160th selection – was a prolific defensive playmaker at Missouri.
- The Steelers announced the signing of sixth-round linebacker Travis Feeney, a former University of Washington standout and the 220th overall pick.
Vikings Reach Deals With Four Draft Picks
The Vikings have been the most active team so far when it comes to locking up their draft picks. After officially announcing the signing of German wideout Moritz Boehringer earlier this week, the team has now reached agreements with four other draftees, including second-round cornerback Mackensie Alexander, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
In addition to Alexander, the Vikings have agreed to terms with sixth-round tight end David Morgan, seventh-round linebacker Stephen Weatherly, and seventh-round safety Jayron Kearse. All four players are expected to formally sign their rookie contracts on Thursday. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News first reported word of Morgan’s agreement (via Twitter), while Tomasson had the rest.
Contract negotiations with rookie draftees are easy than they used to be, since the total value of a rookie contract, along with the signing bonus, is essentially predetermined by where a player is drafted. For the Vikings, Alexander will get a signing bonus worth about $1.4MM on his four-year contract. Morgan, Weatherly, and Kearse are in line for bonuses of about $135K, $81K, and $64K, respectively, per Over the Cap.
With five members of their eight-man draft class having agreed to terms, the Vikes will just have to get first-round wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, fourth-round offensive lineman Willie Beavers, and fifth-round linebacker Kentrell Brothers under contract. That’s expected to happen very soon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.