Thread: Vikings Free Agents In 2011

Chad is by far the one i would break the bank to keep, he is consistently playing at a high level and a valuable member of this side.

Originally Posted by "gamecocksbaseball31" #1086509

Originally Posted by "HEY" #1086399

One consensus around here is that the Minnesota Vikings will be facing a major rebuilding in 2011. Not only the fans, but also the Vikings players seem convinced that the Vikings will be facing a turbulent year...

Vikings' Pat Williams: 'They're going to be rebuilding around here'

The Vikings are coming of one of the worst seasons in many years, they will need to sign some new coaches (or at least promote a couple) and probably need to replace some aging veterans. But the biggest problem this off-season is all the players with expired contracts. Of course, this might not be a problem at all. All the players COULD sign a 5 year deal at a reasonable price... but deep inside we all know that's not gonna happen.

List of Vikings players with expiring contracts in 2010
(not including practice squad players)

In order of most valuable:

Linebacker ---------- Chad Greenway 1
Wide Receiver ----- Sidney Rice 2
Defensive End ----- Ray Edwards
Defensive End ----- Brian Robison 3
Quarterback -------- Tarvaris Jackson
Safety ---------------- Husain Abdullah 7
Linebacker --------- Ben Leber 5
Place Kicker ------- Ryan Longwell 4
Offensive Line ----- Ryan Cook
Defensive Tackle - Fred Evans 8
Linebacker --------- Erin Henderson (only restricted free agent) 9
Defensive Tackle - Pat Williams 6
Quarterback -------- Brett Favre
Fullback ------------- Naufahu Tahi
Cornerback -------- Frank Walker
Cornerback -------- Lito Shepperd
Safety ---------------- Eric Frampton
Wide Receiver ---- Greg Lewis

Source: There are many different sources, but I found WalterFootball the most reliable.

I highlighted the guys in blue that should be kept and the number explains the order in which we need to keep them.

Pat Williams will be back if he's not retiring. He won't play anywhere else besides Minnesota.

We MUST MUST MUST keep Chad Greenway around. Give him big money. He can't get away.

If Sidney can stay healthy, he's a vital part of this offense. He's a big play WR who will be a star for us.

Robison is better than Edwards, and Ray wants big money. Let him walk and sign BR to a 3-4 year deal.

Longwell is terrible on kickoffs. Terrible. But his FG percentage and reliability cannot be denied. Keep Longwell and find a kickoff specialist who can get the ball in the endzone.

Abdullah is young and has upside to be a good safety.

Fred Evans, Letroy Guion, and Jimmy Kennedy have played behind two of the top DT's in the game. They've learned a lot and have a ton of talent. I don't think we can let him go.

I agree with signing (1) Greenway & (2) Rice. But Rice is a poorman's Vincent Jackson. Our staff really missed an opportunity to get Jackson. The Chargers wanted a third next year thrown in, what idiots. Like that third we would be able to draft a WR like Jackson. So we now have to sign Rice.

Edwards is better than Robison in IMO but there isn't MUCH difference and the amount of money Edwards wants means we need to sign (3) Robison.

I am a huge Nebraska fan and we need to draft Alex Henery. This kid can kick 60 yard field goals. He can also kickoff into the endzone and he is money in bigtime situations!! So we can let (4) Shortwell go.

I like (5) Ben Leber Ithink he is solid so unless some stud SAM falls to us in the draft we should resign him.

I agree that (6) Phat Pat is a must. We do not have anyone behind him who is a true 0 technique. While ha has lost a step he is still in the top ten top fifteen in the league.

While I don't like any of our safeties he has been the least sucky so I guess we should resign (7)abdullah. I would explore the FA market though. There ahs to be someone better than what we have.

(8)Fred Evans is OK and I guess we need him but isn't Kennedy a FA also. And Guion i scoming on and could be a good one so meh on this signing.

Overall good post but I think we can let some of these guys go. Especially Shortwell.

I think it worthwhile to take a moment to read the article I am linking.

Florio can, (incredibly to many, lol) sum things up pretty well when he opts to put his lawyer hat on. This might be his best contribution in a year.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/01/12/ten-things-to-know-about-the-labor-situation/

I direct your attention to the speculation in paragraph 4:

4. In a lockout, free agency would be tabled.

Sunday’s news that Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha will become an unrestricted free agent in 2011 sparked considerable Twitter activity from fans who’d like to see their favorite teams pursue Asomugha. The widespread “let’s go get him” chatter suggested a fundamental misunderstanding regarding free agency in the event of a lockout.

If there’s a lockout, free agency won’t begin until a new agreement is reached between the league and the union.

In fact, there’s a chance that 2011 will include no free agency at all.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated explained in his most recent MMQB that it’s possible a lockout lingering into the late preseason or what would otherwise be the regular season will result in a decision to freeze all potential free agents in place for one more season with their current teams, with 2011 base salaries based on their 2010 pay plus a premium. Such an approach could be necessitated by the chaos that would erupt if, for example, the players cry uncle after losing two weeks of pay and the league slapping together plans for a regular season on the fly. Opening the free-agency flood gates at that point would create chaos as 32 franchises attempt to get ready to play a real game within a week or two after a new labor deal finally is struck.

I would submit that there is a strong possibility that no one goes anywhere in free agency this year. Also, if you read paragraph 5, there would be no UDFA signings immediately subsequent to the draft.

So, theoretically, everyone would dance with their existing roster, their players on IR and the practice squad, and their draft picks, with no player for pick trades either.

Originally Posted by "tarkenton10" #1087464

Originally Posted by "gamecocksbaseball31" #1086509

Originally Posted by "HEY" #1086399

One consensus around here is that the Minnesota Vikings will be facing a major rebuilding in 2011. Not only the fans, but also the Vikings players seem convinced that the Vikings will be facing a turbulent year...

Vikings' Pat Williams: 'They're going to be rebuilding around here'

The Vikings are coming of one of the worst seasons in many years, they will need to sign some new coaches (or at least promote a couple) and probably need to replace some aging veterans. But the biggest problem this off-season is all the players with expired contracts. Of course, this might not be a problem at all. All the players COULD sign a 5 year deal at a reasonable price... but deep inside we all know that's not gonna happen.

List of Vikings players with expiring contracts in 2010
(not including practice squad players)

In order of most valuable:

Linebacker ---------- Chad Greenway 1
Wide Receiver ----- Sidney Rice 2
Defensive End ----- Ray Edwards
Defensive End ----- Brian Robison 3
Quarterback -------- Tarvaris Jackson
Safety ---------------- Husain Abdullah 7
Linebacker --------- Ben Leber 5
Place Kicker ------- Ryan Longwell 4
Offensive Line ----- Ryan Cook
Defensive Tackle - Fred Evans 8
Linebacker --------- Erin Henderson (only restricted free agent) 9
Defensive Tackle - Pat Williams 6
Quarterback -------- Brett Favre
Fullback ------------- Naufahu Tahi
Cornerback -------- Frank Walker
Cornerback -------- Lito Shepperd
Safety ---------------- Eric Frampton
Wide Receiver ---- Greg Lewis

Source: There are many different sources, but I found WalterFootball the most reliable.

I highlighted the guys in blue that should be kept and the number explains the order in which we need to keep them.

Pat Williams will be back if he's not retiring. He won't play anywhere else besides Minnesota.

We MUST MUST MUST keep Chad Greenway around. Give him big money. He can't get away.

If Sidney can stay healthy, he's a vital part of this offense. He's a big play WR who will be a star for us.

Robison is better than Edwards, and Ray wants big money. Let him walk and sign BR to a 3-4 year deal.

Longwell is terrible on kickoffs. Terrible. But his FG percentage and reliability cannot be denied. Keep Longwell and find a kickoff specialist who can get the ball in the endzone.

Abdullah is young and has upside to be a good safety.

Fred Evans, Letroy Guion, and Jimmy Kennedy have played behind two of the top DT's in the game. They've learned a lot and have a ton of talent. I don't think we can let him go.

I agree with signing (1) Greenway & (2) Rice. But Rice is a poorman's Vincent Jackson. Our staff really missed an opportunity to get Jackson. The Chargers wanted a third next year thrown in, what idiots. Like that third we would be able to draft a WR like Jackson. So we now have to sign Rice.

Edwards is better than Robison in IMO but there isn't MUCH difference and the amount of money Edwards wants means we need to sign (3) Robison.

I am a huge Nebraska fan and we need to draft Alex Henery. This kid can kick 60 yard field goals. He can also kickoff into the endzone and he is money in bigtime situations!! So we can let (4) Shortwell go.

I like (5) Ben Leber Ithink he is solid so unless some stud SAM falls to us in the draft we should resign him.

I agree that (6) Phat Pat is a must. We do not have anyone behind him who is a true 0 technique. While ha has lost a step he is still in the top ten top fifteen in the league.

While I don't like any of our safeties he has been the least sucky so I guess we should resign (7)abdullah. I would explore the FA market though. There ahs to be someone better than what we have.

(8)Fred Evans is OK and I guess we need him but isn't Kennedy a FA also. And Guion i scoming on and could be a good one so meh on this signing.

Overall good post but I think we can let some of these guys go. Especially Shortwell.

Rice may be a poor man's Vincent Jackson or may be better, I guess we don't really know. What I do know is that Rice should a) be cheaper than Jackson and b) is THREE years younger than Jackson.

I agree that it is likely that Pat Williams comes back if he indeed does not retire. I do not see him wanting to go somewhere else, and he still provides depth and production at the position.

It is obvious that we need to keep Robison, and I am guessing we are comfortable with Griffen as he seemed to see the field more and more at the end of the year. That leads me to think that we will let Edwards seek his payday elsewhere.

All the talk about letting Leber go I think is way off. I do not think there is any way that we let Leber walk and take our chances filling the spot. He will not be demanding that much money on the open market and we will be able to bring him back with Favre's contract off the books and with Edwards walking.

As for Greenway ... I don't even think I need to say it. He is a MUST keep and I imagine that all in the Vikings administration feel the same way.

We should give Chad Greenway away to the Green Bay Packers just because he has the word "green" in his name. :silly: