The Vikings continued their trend of locking up pending free agents on Wednesday, signing right guard Anthony Herrera to a five-year contract extension that guarantees him $5 million and could keep him with the team through the 2012 season.
The deal has a total base value of $13.75 million and is worth a maximum value of $15 million with incentives. That will make Herrera the 26th-highest-paid guard in the NFL.
Not bad for a guy who is playing this season for the league's low tender for a restricted free agent ($850,000) and who appeared in two games on special teams last season in Brad Childress' first year as coach.
"He's come a long way in a short period of time and [we] appreciate his contribution," Childress said. "He's a good person and a good football player, and he adds something to the offensive line."
Herrera, 27, has added quite a bit to the line since replacing Artis Hicks as the Vikings' starting right guard in Week 6 against Chicago. In the six games Herrera has started, the Vikings have averaged 207.5 rushing yards. Before that, the Vikings were averaging 135 yards on the ground. Minnesota is ranked No. 1 in the NFL in rushing.
"This was one of my goals," Herrera said of his new contract. "I met one of my goals, now I have to keep working toward my other ones. ... I'm just happy that the organization had confidence in me and saw me as a guy they liked for the future."
Herrera, who would have been an unrestricted free agent this offseason, competed with Hicks in training camp for the starting job. Herrera played in the first four games this season before taking over the starting role. He was given the nod in part because the Vikings coaches felt he had learned to control his emotions on the field.
Herrera has been with the Vikings since signing as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2004. He played in 10 games, starting six at left guard, in Mike Tice's final season as coach in 2005.
Herrera becomes the third player the Vikings have signed this season, joining nose tackle Pat Williams (three-year extension worth $22 million) and punter Chris Kluwe (six-year extension worth $8.3 million).
Jet-setter
With players given Monday and Tuesday off, tight end Visanthe Shiancoe was able to attend a joint birthday party for Giants defensive ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora in New York City. Shiancoe, who played for the Giants from 2003-06, said: "I had to show my boys some love."
Sunday, Shiancoe will be among the Vikings players asked to slow down Strahan and Umenyiora, who have eight sacks apiece this season. The trio engaged in some good-natured trash talk about Sunday's game, Shiancoe said. "I still got love for them out there," he said. "But I don't know how much love there's going to be Sunday."
Etc.
•Vikings defensive end Kenechi Udeze plans to appeal the $7,500 fine he received from the NFL for a third-quarter hit on Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre in the Packers' 34-0 victory over the Vikings on Nov. 11. The fine was for a hit to the quarterback's head. ... Cornerback Antoine Winfield (hamstring) and fullback Tony Richardson (knee) did not participate in Wednesday's practice. For the Giants, running backs Brandon Jacobs (hamstring, did not practice) and Derrick Ward (ankle/groin, limited) could be out. Reuben Droughns will start if those two can't go.
Staff writer Jim Souhan contributed to this notebook.
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