Vikings Extend John Sullivan Through 2017
The Vikings have tacked on another year to the contract of center John Sullivan, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team extended Sullivan’s deal through the 2017 season. Per Yates, Sullivan’s new base salaries for the next three years are $7MM (2015), $5.5MM (2016), and $5.5MM (2017).
Sullivan, who will turn 30 in August, has been Minnesota’s full-time starting center since the 2009 season, missing only three games during that six-year stretch. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as one of the league’s better centers in 2014, with a +7.5 run-blocking grade buoying him to a 12th-place finish among 41 qualified players at the position.
Based on the figures reported by Yates, Sullivan appears to have received a pay raise for the next two seasons in addition to earning an extra year on his contract. His deal previously called for base salaries of $4.65MM in each of the next two seasons.
Latest On Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson‘s dream scenario would be a trade to the Cowboys, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Sources close to the running back believe that he is going to be reinstated after April 15th, the date on which he could be considered for return.
In addition to the Cowboys, the Colts and Cardinals are viewed as the likely teams to be heavily interested in Peterson. Even though Peterson is confident that he’ll be reinstated in a matter of days, Cole adds that the NFL could throw a wrench in the works by delaying his process. However, if the league office stalls, things could get litigious between the two sides and the NFL would have to justify dragging things along.
Peterson is set to visit with commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday, but it remains unlikely that he will be given the greenlight before April 15th, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter links). When the league does meet with Peterson tomorrow, there will probably be NFL behavioral experts involved in the discussion. The league wants to see Peterson receive treatment and counseling if he is to return to football.
Adrian Peterson To Meet With NFL This Week
11:54am: The meeting will take place on Tuesday, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets.
8:58am: Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will meet with the NFL this week to discuss his possible reinstatement, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Peterson is eligible to be considered for reinstatement on April 15th.
The Vikings tailback is currently on the commissioner’s exempt list and whether he seeks a return to Minnesota or elsewhere, he’ll first need the greenlight from the league office. Peterson has made his dissatisfaction with the Vikings very well known and agent Ben Dogra is going “full throttle” in his efforts to get the running back somewhere else. Of course, at this stage of the offseason, most running back situations throughout the league have been addressed, so the market might not be as robust as it would have been just a month ago. It’s also entirely possible that Peterson’s camp is looking to leverage the Vikings into a new deal that would give him more guaranteed money.
The Vikings have made it clear that they have no intentions of trading or releasing No. 28, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation. Recently, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com listed seven teams that could be players for AD, including clubs like the Falcons and Chargers joining oft-mentioned suitors such as the Cowboys and Cardinals. The Cowboys’ have been linked to the Texas native for a very long time, but adding him would have some serious salary cap ramifications.
NFC Mailbags: Saints, Lions, Bears, Vikings
We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus to the NFC…
- Mike Triplett believes the only way the Saints move on from Drew Brees is if they are confident in their backup plan. While the quarterback’s production has dropped, Triplett is still confident Brees will be one of the best at his position in 2015.
- While the Lions could fill the majority of their roster holes via the draft, Michael Rothstein focuses on a couple of positions that could be fixed in free agency. The writer points to left guard, suggesting free agents Justin Blalock or Rob Sims.
- 2015 will be a big season for Bears defensive end Cornelius Washington, writes Michael C. Wright. The player still has two years left on his contract, but he hasn’t shown much during his brief time in the NFL. With all the veteran defenders on the roster, there’s a chance that Washington could be on the outside looking in.
- Ben Goessling points to safety Harrison Smith as being the Vikings player most likely to receive an extension prior to the season. The writer suggests the organization also explore an extension for kicker Blair Walsh.
- Rob Demovsky says the Packers should now focus their attention on locking up defensive tackle Mike Daniels and cornerback Casey Hayward. However, considering the money thrown around this offseason, Demovsky says it may be in the players’ best interests to explore free agency.
Draft Notes: Crowder, Gurley, Thompson
A look at the latest draft news..
- Duke wide receiver Jamison Crowder worked out for the Texans today, a source told Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- A number of teams think former University of Georgia running back Todd Gurley will be selected before Melvin Gordon if his knee checks out, Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports tweets. While some teams believe Gordon is likely to have a more significant immediate impact, they believe Gurley may be better in the long-term (link).
- A respected evaluator told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) that he sees Gurley as the best tailback in the draft since Adrian Peterson.
- Nine clubs have scheduled workouts or visits with University of Washington outside linebacker/safety Shaq Thompson, Rob Rang of CBSSports.com tweets. The Chargers, Falcons, Browns, Cowboys, Texans, Colts, Vikings, Eagles, and Panthers will all meet with the UW standout.
- Possible first-round pick P.J. Williams is set up for a pre-draft visit with the Ravens despite recent legal troubles, write Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The Florida State cornerback was arrested early this morning for driving under the influence.
Minor Moves: Friday
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here..
- The Buccaneers announced (on Twitter) that they have re-signed fullback Jorvorskie Lane. Lane had a tough year in 2014. He was hit with a two-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances in October and his season ended in November after he underwent surgery on his injured right leg. The Bucs did not tender an offer to Lane earlier this year but they have brought him back, presumably at a lower salary.
- The Vikings are signing long snapper Kevin McDermott, a source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The deal reunites him with his college punter, Jeff Locke. McDermott’s deal is a two-year, minimum salary pact, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter), who adds that he’ll have every opportunity to push Cullen Loeffler aside. McDermott’s deal has no guaranteed money while Loeffler’s has $300K guaranteed (link).
North Notes: Lions, Ravens, Packers, Petty
After owner Steve Bisciotti said yesterday that he’d like to see longtime Raven Haloti Ngata return to Baltimore at some point, our Zach Links noted that Bisciotti’s comments could result in tampering accusations. However, it doesn’t appear the Lions are interested in filing a tampering change against the Ravens.
“The Ravens have reached out to us concerning the comments made yesterday by Steve Bisciotti regarding Haloti Ngata,” the Lions said today in a statement (all Twitter links). “We appreciate both the Ravens’ professionalism and the context in which Mr. Bisciotti’s statements were made. We consider the matter to be a non-issue.”
Here’s more from around the league’s two North divisions:
- The Packers are bringing in Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty for a pre-draft visit, writes Bill Huber of Packer Report. As Huber notes, it’s an interesting piece of news, since Petty projects as a second-day pick and a top-five QB in this draft class.
- While B.J. Raji‘s one-year deal with the Packers could be worth as much as $3.5MM with bonuses and incentives, it only counts against the team’s cap for $1.75MM for now, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Raji also received $500K guaranteed in the form of a signing bonus, whereas fellow defensive tackle Letroy Guion didn’t get any guaranteed money in his new one-year contract with the Packers.
- According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Matt Schaub‘s one-year, $2MM deal with the Ravens is fully guaranteed, not including the extra $1MM available in incentives. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun confirms as much, tweeting that the veteran quarterback got a $1MM signing bonus and a guaranteed $1MM base salary.
- Emmanuel Ogbuehi, who reportedly agreed to terms with the Buccaneers, didn’t get a contract offer from the Vikings when he visited Minnesota, which made his decision easy, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
Minor Moves: Thursday
We’ll round up today’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with any additional moves listed at the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening:
- Raiders defensive back Neiko Thorpe has signed his exclusive right free agent tender, placing him back under contract, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Earlier updates:
- The Bengals have brought back former backup signal-caller Josh Johnson, signing him to a new contract today, according to the team (Twitter link). Johnson, who visited Cincinnati today, spent time with the 49ers in 2014 after serving as Andy Dalton‘s backup for the Bengals in 2013.
- Zeke Motta, a 2013 seventh-rounder who played sparingly for the Falcons in his rookie year, was cut by Atlanta today, according to a team release. Matta missed the entire 2014 campaign due to a neck injury, and will have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent.
- Safety Anthony Walters, who played in 37 regular season contests during four seasons with the Bears, has been cut, the team announced today (via Twitter). Walters had primarily contributed on special teams for Chicago. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) wonders if Walters’ release opens up the door for the team to re-sign Danny McCray, which had been previously considered.
- After adding Mike Kafka to their roster, the Vikings have parted ways with another quarterback, formally announcing that they’ve waived Pat Devlin. The ex-Dolphin had signed a futures contract with Minnesota after spending some time on the team’s practice squad in 2014.
- Having visited Minnesota and Tampa Bay this week, tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi will be signing with the Buccaneers, reports Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (via Twitter). Ogbuehi, who spent time on the practice squads for the Ravens and Browns during the 2014 season, is getting a two-year deal, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Former Miami Hurricanes linebacker Shayon Green has signed with the Steelers, according to PR rep Burt Lauten (via Twitter).
NFC Notes: Eagles, Peterson, Willis, Draft
Wide receiver figures to be a primary area of focus for the Eagles in the draft, and according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, UCF’s Breshad Perriman is paying a visit to the team today. It’s one of 18 pre-draft visits or private workouts Perriman has on his schedule in advance of the draft — the young wideout has had private workouts for the Giants and Texans, and recently visited the Ravens.
In addition to bringing in Perriman, the Eagles are also taking a look at USC’s Nelson Agholor, with Chip Kelly in Tampa today to work out a player he recruited back in his Oregon days (Twitter link via Kevin O’Donnell of WTVT Fox13).. Philadelphia has previously been linked to Agholor, so it looks like that interest is very genuine.
Here’s more out of the NFC:
- Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an extended, in-depth look at Adrian Peterson‘s situation in Minnesota, suggesting that if the Vikings were to trade the veteran running back, they probably shouldn’t expect more than a second-round pick in return. Corry also identifies seven potential trade partners for the Vikes, with clubs like the Falcons and Chargers joining oft-mentioned suitors such as the Cowboys and Cardinals.
- Speaking to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Corry says he’d be surprised if the 49ers don’t attempt to recoup a portion of Patrick Willis‘ signing bonus, following the linebacker’s retirement. In Corry’s view, the team could probably recover a minimum of $3.54MM from Willis. Chris Borland, who also retired this offseason, previously indicated he’d be returning three-quarters of his signing bonus to the Niners.
- Linebacker Darin Drakeford, who participated in last month’s veterans combine, is working out today for the Buccaneers, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- The Lions continue to examine speedy receiving prospects, bringing in UAB’s J.J. Nelson today for a pre-draft visit, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
Draft Notes: Raiders, Williams, Winston
Peter King of The MMQB doesn’t believe in mock drafts, but today he gave us his “best guess” draft. Going by “the look in coach Ken Whisenhunt’s eyes when he talked about the pick last week at the league meetings,” King projects that the Titans will take Marcus Mariota at No. 2 after Jameis Winston is taken with the top pick. After that, he rounds out the top five with the Jaguars taking Florida outside linebacker Dante Fowler at No. 3, the Raiders selecting USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams at No. 4, and Washington taking West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White at No. 5, before trading him to the Rams for the No. 10 and 72 picks. Here’s a look at today’s draft news..
- The Raiders are high on Williams and could trade up to land him, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Oakland is in the pivot spot at No. 4 and although people have pegged them to land a wide receiver, they want the USC superstar and fear that he’ll be gone by No. 3. If they can’t get up land him, Cole says that they could move back to still take White or Amari Cooper while adding another asset.
- The NFL is still concerned about Winston’s maturity, according to Cole (video link). King (on Twitter) adds that the Bucs have done major homework on the FSU star. Their private eyes have interviewed more than 75 people in Winston’s past.
- Winston isn’t the only FSU product tied to the Buccaneers. Guard Josue Matias said he is scheduled to visit the Bucs next week as well, as Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com writes. Matias is viewed by draft experts as a second- or third-round pick. The Bucs, meanwhile, have a glaring need at right guard and their offensive line was one of the worst in the NFL in 2014.
- Former South Carolina guard A.J. Cann is drawing a ton of pre-draft interest, Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports tweets. Right now, Cann has visits and/or workouts scheduled with 14 different teams. Getlin adds that the Ravens, Saints, Vikings, and Buccaneers are among the teams the young lineman will meet with (link).
- South Carolina running back Mike Davis would be a great fit for the Patriots and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears that he indeed has a visit lined up with them.
- Albany tight end Brian Parker will work out for the Eagles and visit the Bengals, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Parker has also drawn interest from the Vikings, Bills, and Seahawks. The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder caught 39 passes for 500 yards and five touchdowns last season.
- The Buccaneers worked out Idaho defensive lineman Quayshawne Buckley on Wednesday, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter). Pauline describes him as a sleeper and a strong fit for Tampa Bay’s system.
- University of Miami tight end Clive Walford has visits or workouts lined up with the Saints, Falcons, Dolphins, 49ers, Ravens, Chiefs, and Buccaneers, according to Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).