Vikings Sign Moritz Boehringer
The Vikings officially announced the signing of sixth-round pick Moritz Boehringer last night to a four-year pact worth about $2.49MM, including a $150K signing bonus. Boehringer, the NFL’s first player to ever be drafted directly from Europe, has become the first player from the 2016 class to sign.
The Vikings signed Boehringer quickly because he needs to apply for a P-1 visa — in order to be approved, an applicant must show proof that he is gainfully employed in the United States, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. After putting pen to paper, the German wide receiver now has himself a job in the U.S.
Vikings Agree To Terms With 10 UDFAs
The Vikings have formally agreed to terms with 10 rookie free agents who went undrafted over the weekend, the team announced in a press release.
Minnesota’s 10 undrafted free agent signees are split evenly between offense and defense, with a focus on skill-position players on the offensive side of the ball — there are no offensive linemen in this group. Here’s the full list:
- CB Keith Baxter (Marshall)
- TE Kyle Carter (Penn State)
- DE Theiren Cockran (Minnesota)
- LB Jake Ganus (Georgia)
- WR Marken Michel (UMass-Amherst)
- DE Denzell Perine (Florida International)
- RB Jhurell Pressley (New Mexico)
- CB Eric Rawls (Kentucky State)
- RB Brandon Ross (Maryland)
- QB Joel Stave (Wisconsin)
Vikings Pick Up Options On Xavier Rhodes, Sharrif Floyd
9:55am: The Vikings have informed Patterson that they won’t be picking up his option, a source tells Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
9:49am: The Vikings have option decisions on three players to announce today, and they’ve already made at least two of those decisions. According to agent Sunny Shah (via Twitter), Minnesota has picked up the fifth-year option on his client, cornerback Xavier Rhodes. The team has also exerci
sed its fifth-year option on defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
[RELATED: 2017 Fifth-Year Option Decision Tracker]
Both moves had been anticipated, since Rhodes and Floyd have been solid pieces of the Vikings’ defense since joining the team, and their projected 2017 salaries aren’t exorbitant. Floyd, the 23rd overall pick in 2013, will earn a $6.757MM salary on his 2017 option year, while Rhodes, the 25th overall pick, will be in line for an $8.026MM salary.
While Floyd, who has started 23 games for Minnesota over the last two seasons, figures to continue in a similar role going forward, Rhodes will have a little more competition at cornerback in 2016 and 2017 — the Vikings used their second-round pick on Friday to nab Clemson’s Mackensie Alexander, one of the top cornerbacks in this year’s draft, so he’ll join Rhodes, Terence Newman, Trae Waynes, and Captain Munnerlyn in Minneapolis.
The Vikings’ third option decision today is for wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who would be owed a $7.915MM salary in 2017 if the team picks up his fifth-year option. It does not appear likely to be exercised.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Rumors: Cards, Giants, Cravens, Lions, Vikings
A participant in the NFL draft since the inaugural selection gathering in 1936, the Giants did not take a lineman for the first time in team history this weekend. However, offensive line was a priority going into the draft, a source tells Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, and Jack Conklin was a top-two choice on the Giants’ board before he went No. 8 to the Titans.
“There were discussions here or there,” Giants VP of player evaluation Marc Ross told media, including Vacchiano. “But nobody at the time who was the highest-ranked player on our board, or close to that.”
After cutting Will Beatty and Geoff Schwartz prior to the start of free agency, the Giants spent wildly to upgrade their defense but have left their offensive front unchanged. Marshall Newhouse and John Jerry remain atop the depth chart at right tackle and right guard, respectively. Ben McAdoo told media after the draft the right side of the Giants’ line is far from settled.
Here’s the latest from the NFC coming out of draft weekend.
- A hybrid linebacker/safety at USC, Su’a Cravens will begin his career with Washington at safety, Stephen Czarda writes for the team’s website. The 20-year-old Cravens started his career as a true freshman in 2013 as a strong safety before moving to an outside linebacker/safety hybrid role in the ensuing two seasons in Los Angeles. He compiled 10.5 career sacks and nine interceptions in three seasons.
- Thanks to former teammate Laremy Tunsil‘s unfortunate Thursday night, Robert Nkemdiche‘s name didn’t come up much during Round 1 until the Cardinals took the polarizing Ole Miss defensive lineman at No. 29. The Cardinals did their due diligence on the former No. 1 overall recruit, meeting with him on four occasions, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes.
- Drafting for need has become a somewhat of a frowned-upon phrase in modern drafting, but the Cardinals were pleased their picks filled some of their depth chart’s key voids, Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 reports (TwitLonger link). “This is not always the goal, because we said we were going to trust our board,” GM Steve Keim said, “but we filled needs with players we’re excited about. That’s not always the case when you walk away from the draft.” After Nkemdiche in the first and a second-round pick that went toward fortifying their pass rush in the Chandler Jones trade, Arizona selected two corners — Brandon Williams and Harlon Miller — and after losing Ted Larsen in the offseason selected a center in Evan Boehm.
- Under new GM Bob Quinn, the Lions are expected to give UDFAs base salary guarantees, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports (on Twitter). This is a tactic the Lions haven’t used in the recent past, although Quinn’s former organization, the Patriots, as Birkett writes, do so often. Although the Lions haven’t unveiled their UDFA contingent yet, offensive lineman Chase Farris is expected to be among them. Birkett reports (via Twitter) the Ohio State product will have $10K of his base salary guaranteed in addition to a $10K signing bonus.
- The Vikings are expected to place Mackensie Alexander behind Captain Munnerlyn at slot corner, Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Vensel offers that Alexander’s selection — the Vikings’ third cornerback taken in the top two rounds in the past four years, joining Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes — could bring about an end to Munnerlyn’s tenure in Minnesota after 2016. Munnerlyn was the Vikings’ top corner in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus. The 28-year-old corner is entering the final season of a three-year contract.
Mixed Opinion On Moritz Boehringer
- Another pick that has garnered mixed reviews is the Vikings‘ selection of German wide receiver Moritz Boehringer in the sixth round, according to Freeman, who writes that one scout described the German league as “not even Division-III football.” The Boehringer pick, per Freeman, is quite divisive, as it seems league personnel are either strongly in favor or strongly against.
[SOURCE LINK]
Draft Rumors: Glennon, Vikings, Colts, Giants
Jason Licht said the Buccaneers did not engage in any trade discussions involving quarterback Mike Glennon, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter), who added Licht and Dirk Koetter are “happy to have him.”
Jameis Winston‘s backup has not played since 2014 and was speculated as a trade target for quarterback-needy teams, joining Nick Foles, A.J. McCarron and the now-released Brian Hoyer in that regard. A 2013 third-round pick, Glennon is entering his contract year and as of now would net the Bucs a low-round compensatory selection if he departs in free agency.
The 26-year-old owns a 5-13 record during his starts as a rookie and then in 2014, completing 58.8% of his passes and throwing 29 touchdown passes compared to 15 interceptions before receding into a practice-only player once the Bucs drafted Winston.
Here’s the latest from Day 3 of the draft, beginning with a bit of history.
- German League standout Moritz Boehringer informed the Vikings he’d sign with the team as a free agent after the draft, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, but those assurances evidently weren’t enough for the Vikings, who took the wide receiver project in the sixth round. A Vikings fan since he saw some Adrian Peterson YouTube videos in 2011, the 6-foot-4, 229-pound Boehringer is responsible for a landmark draft moment: he’s the first foreign-born player selected who didn’t attend a North American college (Twitter links courtesy of Tommason).
- The Giants are going to add between 12 and 15 undrafted free agents, which is a slightly heightened figure from recent years, NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets.
- We heard earlier the Steelers were trying to move into the fifth round in order to select potentially a running back or quarterback, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets, but balked when the players they targeted were no longer on the board.
- The Colts had some issues on their offensive front last year but did not necessarily intend to devote half of their initial six picks during the draft to the line, Jim Irsay told media (including Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com). Ryan Kelly and Le’Raven Clark went to Indianapolis in the first and third rounds, respectively, with the team adding Carson Wentz‘s top blocker at North Dakota State in guard Joe Haeg in the fifth.
Vikings Swap Picks With Eagles, Move To 188
Minutes after trading an original Dolphins pick back to the Dolphins, the Vikings used the selection they just received — No. 196 — to move up to No. 188 courtesy of the Eagles.
Minnesota, which held the No. 186 pick before trading it to Miami, drafted tight end David Morgan from Texas-San Antonio with the choice two spots later. Philadelphia received No. 240 in exchange for allowing the Vikings to move back into the 180s.
After the whirlwind of transactions, the Vikings add a tight end to a depth chart that could use another prospect, particularly now that the offense features a careful quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater that’s leaned on tight ends early in his career.
Starter Kyle Rudolph has been a decent option for the Vikings after signing a five-year, $36.5MM extension in 2014, but he’s not a dynamic receiver with which that price correlates. The former Notre Dame standout managed to stay healthy last season and established a new career high with 495 air yards. Behind Rudolph, the Vikings’ second-round pick in 2011, Minnesota houses Rhett Ellison and MyCole Pruitt. Ellison’s contract expires after 2016.
Dolphins Reacquire No. 186 Pick From Vikings
The Dolphins’ infatuations with multiple receivers caused the No. 186 pick to be exchanged twice in two days.
Miami reacquired the sixth-round selection from Minnesota in order to take elusive Texas Tech slot receiver Jakeem Grant, doing so a day after sending it to the Vikings on Friday night in trading up to take Rutgers target Leonte Carroo at No. 86.
The Dolphins sent a seventh-round pick — No. 227 — to the Vikings in order to move up again to take a wideout, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The Vikings then re-traded the Dolphins’ No. 196 choice with the Eagles to No. 188.
A 5-foot-7 target who led Division I-FBS in yards after catch in 2015, Grant broke out for a 1,268-yard, 10-touchdown season for the spread-reliant Red Raiders as a senior. At 168 pounds, Grant profiles as a player who can help the Dolphins out as a return man as well. He and Carroo add to a receiving corps that lost Rishard Matthews and, to a lesser extent, Greg Jennings, in the offseason but returns Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills.
Draft Updates: Cowboys, Tunsil, Pats, Jets, Saints
The Cowboys’ later-round selections have featured some interesting near-misses. Dallas has been linked to multiple players it did not end up selecting, including new Browns edge-rusher Emmanuel Ogbah, whom Cleveland chose in Round 2. The team also eyed Clemson defensive end Kevin Dodd, Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com reports.
Even its own pick brought uncertainty after a report surfaced Friday that the team nearly unloaded its second-round pick to the Bears before taking Notre Dame injured star Jaylon Smith. Perhaps these pass-rushers going off the board contributed to the urge to wanting to trade down.
We heard Friday night the Cowboys are not going to re-sign Greg Hardy. This, coupled with the looming suspensions of Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory have left the team thin at defensive end despite signing former Eagles edge presence Cedric Thornton in free agency. It took Dallas until the fourth round to address this spot, when it took Charles Tapper from Oklahoma.
Here’s the latest from the draft.
- The Saints traded up for the 120th pick, but according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), they didn’t get their selection in on time. This allowed the Vikings to jump the Saints, with Minnesota selecting offensive lineman Willie Beavers. New Orleans presumably still got their target in defensive tackle David Onyemata.
- The Dolphins believe it was the former financial advisor of rookie Laremy Tunsil who released the incriminating gas mask video, tweets Andrew Abrasion of The Palm Beach Post. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the video caused Tunsil to drop from the sixth overall pick to No. 13.
- Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan told Dom Cosentino of NJ.com that the team isn’t working to acquire another quarterback, including Nick Foles (Twitter link).
- Pauline also notes the Patriots‘ collection of second- or third-round quarterback choices in the Tom Brady era could have included Wisconsin passer Joel Stave instead of the player they actually selected, Jacoby Brissett, in the third round. While neither was considered a top prospect, Brissett was mentioned as a mid- or late-round pick before the lesser-regarded Stave — a 6-foot-5 former Badger, who remains on the board. Stave threw for just 11 TDs last season for the run-oriented Badgers.
- The Steelers are considering a trade to get into the fifth round, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets.
Ben Levine contributed to this report
Spielman Explains Friday's Trade
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman traded out of the third-round last night, and the executive explained his logic to Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.