Zimmer: No Plans To Trade Adrian Peterson
The Vikings recently came out and said that they have no intentions of releasing Adrian Peterson, and it appears that same stance applies to a possible trade of a running back. As Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press details, head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters today that the team has “no plans to trade Adrian.” According to the Vikes coach, there haven’t even been any discussions with other teams about a deal (Twitter link via Ed Werder of ESPN.com).
Although Zimmer doesn’t want the star running back to be unhappy, he notes that Peterson is under contract for three more years with the team, and told reporters – including Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com (Twitter link) – that he never once said he would “accommodate” the 30-year-old if that means assenting to a trade request.
Asked about a potential next step for Peterson, Zimmer acknowledged that the back will have to officially come off the exempt list following his suspension. “[Besides that], I don’t know that there is a next step,” Zimmer said, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). “We’re good to go.”
Zimmer’s comments may be a bargaining tool, intended to either encourage Peterson to keep an open mind about a return to Minnesota, or to help improve the club’s position if trade talks do occur. Still, the Vikings’ stance shows that the team has most of the leverage over Peterson at this point — after paying him for not playing last year, the Vikes are willing to pay him again this year at a rate that’s very fair, if not generous, for a 30-year-old running back ($12.75MM base salary for 2015).
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), Peterson’s current unease is about money as much as it’s about a lack of trust with the Vikings. Cole indicates that, whether or not Peterson changes teams, the former MVP wants either a raise or a portion of his salary guaranteed for additional security. Presumably, as he enters his 30s, Peterson recognizes that this could be his last chance at a significant payday. But I’d be surprised if there are other teams willing to guarantee him significantly more money than the $12.75MM Minnesota is prepared to pay him for the 2015 season.
The Cowboys, Cardinals, and Colts are among the most frequently cited potential trade partners for the Vikings, in the event that Minnesota does eventually put Peterson on the block.
North Notes: Steelers, Cutler, Patterson
The NFL has informed the Steelers that the seventh-round compensatory pick the team received will actually be a sixth-rounder (Twitter link). The league initially miscommunicated the pick, which will now be the 212nd selection rather than the 252nd (Twitter link). Conversely, the Broncos‘ sixth-round compensatory pick (No. 208) will be bumped down to a seventh-rounder (No. 250), according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter). We’ll update our list of draft picks by round and by team this afternoon to reflect the change.
Let’s check in on a few more items from around the NFL’s two North divisions….
- According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (all Twitter links), Bears decision-makers, including new head coach John Fox and GM Ryan Pace, discussed Jay Cutler‘s contract as the guarantee date for more of the QB’s salary neared earlier this offseason. After meeting with Cutler, the Bears’ brass left convinced that he’s their guy going forward.
- If there was any doubt about the Vikings‘ commitment to wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, head coach Mike Zimmer cleared things up on Tuesday, as Chris Wesseling of NFL.com details. According to Zimmer, there’s “no chance whatsoever” that the team will trade Patterson this year.
- Florida State cornerback P.J. Williams will visit the Ravens prior to next month’s draft, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Lions aren’t pursuing tampering charges against the Dolphins in regard to Miami’s pursuit of Ndamukong Suh prior to the start of this month’s free agent period, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Of course, just because Detroit isn’t pushing for it, that doesn’t mean the league isn’t looking into a potential violation by the Dolphins and other teams who reportedly reached agreements with free agents prior to March 10.
Extra Points: Carr, Cowboys, Green, Spikes
Let’s round up some assorted items from around the NFL…
- Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said the club isn’t certain it will ask cornerback Brandon Carr to take a pay cut, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star Telegram (Twitter link). Jones adds that Dallas has accounted for Carr’s salary in its books, and discussions are still ongoing. For his part, Carr has indicated that he is not amenable to a pay reduction.
- Florida offensive lineman Chaz Green will have a full schedule, as he has visits set up with the Buccaneers, Panthers, Falcons, Texans, Cowboys, Bills, Saints, and Chargers, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
- The Vikings’ signing of Casey Matthews probably signals the end of their interest in Brandon Spikes, says Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link). Minnesota was only “lukewarm” on Spikes as it was, and Wolfson hears that Spikes is asking for to much money.
- Western Oregon receiver Tyrell Williams already had a workout with the Patriots, and he also has a private workout with the Lions lined up, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- In his review of free agency, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap analyzes the 10 worst contracts handed out during the offseason, listing Ndamukong Suh and Byron Maxwell‘s deals Nos. one and two, respectively.
- Also at Over the Cap, Bryce Johnston uses his expected contract value metric to determine which contracts are the most likely to be “one-and-done,” with Tramon Williams (Browns) and Andre Johnson (Colts) topping the list.
North Notes: Greenway, Browns, Bears, Rice
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that the club is trying to work through a contract restructure with linebacker Chad Greenway, adding that the team wants him to retire as a Viking. As a declining player set to count more than $7MM against the cap, Greenway will probably have to accept a straight pay cut to remain on the roster.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions…
- Rob Brzezinski, the Vikings’ vice president of football operations, met with agent Ben Dogra last night, but Dogra’s client Adrian Peterson didn’t come up in conversation, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). Dogra also represents free agent corner Terence Newman, whom the Vikes are rumored to be interested in, leading Wolfson to speculate that he was the topic of the meeting.
- As was widely rumored, it was the Browns that offered a first-round pick to the Rams in exchange for Sam Bradford, St. Louis GM Les Snead confirmed to Sal Palantonio of ESPN (Twitter link via John Middlekauf of 95.7 The Game).
- Bears chairman George McCaskey initially told GM Ryan Pace that he could not sign embattled defensive end Ray McDonald, noting that the “pattern” and “frequency” of McDonald’s off-the-field trouble worried him, per Adam Jahns of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links).
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com wonders why former Raven Ray Rice is still a “pariah” in the eyes of the NFL, especially given that players with similar incidents (such as Greg Hardy) have been signed by other clubs.
- Texas A&M-Commerce receiver Ricky Collins has a visit lined up with the Browns, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
NFC North Notes: Peterson, Williams, Guion
As if Adrian Peterson‘s agent stating that it’s not in the running back’s best interests to play for the Vikings doesn’t paint a clear enough picture, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) reports that Peterson definitely wants out Minnesota, preferring to move on and play for a different organization. Per Cole, the three most likely destinations for Peterson are the Cardinals, Colts, and Cowboys — however, the Vikings know of Peterson’s desire to land in Dallas, and have no intention of helping him attain that goal. Vikings GM Rick Spielman has already stated that the club will not release Peterson, so a trade seems to be his only way out of Minnesota.
Here’s more from the NFC North…
- Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams has a meeting lined up with his hometown NFL club, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets that Williams will visit with the Vikings. Williams is expected to be the first tight end selected in next month’s draft.
- Free agent defensive tackle Letroy Guion won’t face any charges resulting from his February arrest, and his case is now considered closed, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. However, the 27-year-old could still face discipline from the league, as Demovsky adds in a second piece. The Packers have expressed interest in re-signing Guion, who started all 16 games for them last season.
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press explains how the Lions acquired Haloti Ngata from the Ravens earlier this month, noting that Detroit’s personnel department began looking at game film of Ngata immediately after Ndamukong Suh signed with the Dolphins.
- The Lions are working on setting up a visit with Arkansas guard Cameron Jefferson, per Birkett (Twitter link).
Vikings Sign Taylor Mays
5:40pm: The Vikings have officially announced the signing via Twitter.
4:18pm: The Vikings have agreed to a one-year deal with free agent safety Taylor Mays, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Mays, who played for coach Mike Zimmer in Cincinnati, paid a visit to Minnesota last week.
In five NFL seasons with the 49ers and Bengals, Mays has made 84 tackles, recorded one sack, and recovered a pair of fumbles. While his numbers aren’t exceptional, Mays is a solid contributor on special teams, and drew interest from multiple teams when he hit the market this month. Washington had been eyeing Mays, and the Bengals also had interest in re-signing him.
In Minnesota, Mays will join a secondary that also features safeties Harrison Smith and Robert Blanton. Smith is a lock to start in 2015, but Mays could challenge Blanton for playing time. Even if he doesn’t land a starting job, Mays should still see occasional snaps on defense for the Vikes, in addition to playing special teams.
Vikings Sign Casey Matthews
The Vikings have agreed to terms with linebacker Casey Matthews, the club announced on Twitter. Matthews visited the club earlier today, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported (via Twitter), and it looks like a deal was struck during that time. Minnesota’s PR staff also confirmed the signing of safety Taylor Mays, which was reported earlier.
The 26-year-old Matthews, who had spent the entirety of his four-year career with the Eagles, will be moving from Philadelphia’s 3-4 defense to Minnesota’s 4-3 scheme. He’s played both inside and outside ‘backer, so he could conceivably compete with Audie Cole to be the Vikings’ middle linebacker — Minnesota’s 2014 MLB starter, Jasper Brinkley, signed with the Cowboys last week. Alternatively, he could act as depth at OLB, and could play a larger role there if the Vikes decide to part with ways with veteran LB Chad Greenway.
Despite starting only five games combined during his first three years in the league, Matthews started 11 contests last season, primarily due to injuries to Eagles starter DeMeco Ryans. Still, Matthews wasn’t on the field all that much, as he saw action on just 37.5% of the club’s defensive snaps. All told, Matthews racked up 31 tackles and 1.5 sacks, while forcing a fumble and recovering another.
The Vikings have been relatively active this offseason, as in addition to signing Matthews and Mays, they’ve also brought in backup QB Shaun Hill, and traded for receiver Mike Wallace.
Extra Points: Peterson, Rivers, Murray, Hardy
Some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Monday evening…
- Adrian Peterson‘s agent, Ben Dogra, reiterated that his client shouldn’t be playing for the Vikings in 2015. “I don’t think it’s in the best interests of [Adrian Peterson] to play for the Minnesota Vikings,” Dogra said (via Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole on Twitter).
- However, Vikings owner Mark Wilf whistled a different tune to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero. “He’s an important part of the Minnesota Vikings and we look forward to him being part of our team in 2015,” the owner said (Twitter link).
- Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said the the team isn’t considering trading quarterback Philip Rivers, according to ESPN.com’s Eric Williams (on Twitter).
- ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson says (via Twitter) the Raiders are not currently pursuing Eagles offensive guard Evan Mathis.
- Jaguars general manager David Caldwell said the Eagles offer to DeMarco Murray exceeded his team’s offer by a “large amount,” tweets Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com.
- Cowboys coach Jason Garrett touched on his team’s addition of defensive end Greg Hardy (via David Moore of SportsDayDFW.com on Twitter): “If we didn’t believe that Greg Hardy could become the right kind of guy we would not have signed him.”
- Moore also tweets that the Cowboys have interest in bringing back linebacker Rolando McClain, but Garrett said the sides haven’t made any recent progress on a contract.
Vikings Acquire Mike Wallace
MARCH 24: The fifth-rounder headed to Miami will be pick No. 149, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Vikings will keep the 137th pick, acquired from Tampa Bay via Buffalo.
MARCH 13: The Dolphins have traded wide receiver Mike Wallace and a seventh-round pick to the Vikings for a fifth-rounder, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Both picks are in the 2015 draft, the Dolphins tweeted. 
In dealing Wallace, the Dolphins free up $2.5MM of cap space in 2015, $9.3MM in 2016 and $11.5MM in 2017, though they’ll be stuck with over $16MM of dead money during that time span. Most of that dead money ($9.6MM, to be exact) will be on Miami’s books this year. However, the $2.5MM the Dolphins save for next season will help in their efforts to keep tight end Charles Clay, a transitional free agent whom the AFC East rival Bills are pursuing. Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets that Miami has “more than enough” cap for Clay. That news comes in the wake of both the Wallace trade and the deal the Dolphins made earlier Friday to send expensive linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and a third-round pick to the Saints for wideout Kenny Stills.
As for Wallace, the trade should come as no surprise to the 28-year-old, who Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reported was on the phone with Vikings staff members throughout the afternoon on Friday. Wallace, who spent the first four years of his career in Pittsburgh, signed a five-year, $60MM contract with the Dolphins prior to the 2013 season. He subsequently caught 140 passes for nearly 1,800 yards and 15 touchdowns during his two years in Miami. The Dolphins will replace him with Stills, who hauled in 63 passes for over 900 yards as a second-year man in 2014.
In Minnesota, Wallace will give young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater a durable, productive target. The six-year veteran has missed just one game in his career and has five consecutive seasons of at least 60 catches. Wallace is coming off a campaign that saw him tie a personal best with 10 TDs, giving him 47 for his career.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
La Canfora’s Latest: Wilson, Peterson, Titans
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has been busy today at the NFL’s March meetings in Arizona, publishing three pieces — one on Russell Wilson‘s contract, one on the Titans‘ ownership situation, and one that addresses a few other items of note from around the league. Here are a few highlights from all three of La Canfora’s Monday articles:
- La Canfora continues to hear that no new deal is imminent for Wilson and the Seahawks, and while both sides would like to get something done, there’s no sense that real progress has been made. The two sides figure to keep negotiating throughout the spring and the summer, but Wilson is prepared to play the 2015 season without an extension in place if need be, knowing that even without a new contract, he’d likely be in line for $20MM+ if Seattle franchises him next winter.
- Adrian Peterson doesn’t want to play for the Vikings, but there may not be much trade interest in him at his current salary, and Minnesota doesn’t appear willing to cut him either. That may end up essentially creating a game of chicken between the star running back and the team — the Vikes could probably find a trade partner if Peterson were open to significantly reworking his deal, but it’s not clear how much he’d be willing to sacrifice to get out of Minnesota. La Canfora believes the Cowboys, Cardinals, and Washington would have interest at the right price, but that price likely isn’t $45MM over three years.
- Some team executives around the NFL are growing frustrated with the league for dragging out investigations into the Patriots (Deflategate), Browns (Textgate), and Falcons (Noisegate), questioning why there’s still no resolution on any of those issues.
- “Lot of people like [Marcus] Mariota a lot more than what you are seeing in the media,” said a high-ranking official for one NFL team. La Canfora believes Mariota will be the second overall pick, or at least a top-five selection.
- Currently, veteran free agents signed after June 1 don’t factor into the following year’s compensatory picks. According to La Canfora, the league may change that date to May 1 to help benefit players (who could find a home a few weeks earlier) and teams (who could get those players to their facilities sooner).
- Rumblings about a potential Titans sale have only increased since Tommy Smith left the franchise. La Canfora writes that billionaire Dave Tepper, who currently owns 5% of the Steelers, is considered by some league insiders as the favorite to land the Titans. However, the CBSSports.com scribe warns not to count out current Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who is a Tennessee native and would love to own the Titans. While a “swap” of franchises between owners is unlikely, it’s worth keeping an eye on Haslam just in case, says La Canfora.