Allen departs, but for how long?

Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen returned home to the West Coast on Sunday, but the Vikings remained cautiously optimistic he will be wearing purple before next weekend's NFL draft.

Allen completed his two-day visit with the Vikings on Saturday -- NFL rules allow the team to have him in town for only 48 hours -- and clearly things went well. "I can't really go into anything now outside of how impressed [Jared] has been with the organization here," Allen's agent, Ken Harris, wrote in an e-mail. "Myself, too."

While Harris would not comment, it's believed the Vikings and Allen are close to a multiyear contract agreement that would make him one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL. The issue is what the Vikings would send to the Kansas City Chiefs in order to acquire Allen's rights.

Allen, 26, who led the NFL with 15.5 sacks last season despite missing two games, remains property of the Chiefs after having the franchise tag placed on him by that organization. The Vikings appear willing to trade the 17th overall pick in the first round, as well as the first of their two third-round selections (No. 73) to Kansas City in order to get one of the league's premier pass-rushing ends.

But Chiefs President Carl Peterson is thought to be asking for more. In the meantime, Allen is tentatively scheduled to meet with the Buccaneers in the early to middle part of the week in Tampa, Fla.

That trip won't happen if the Vikings are able to complete a deal with Allen and the Chiefs, but it's likely Kansas City is going to try to play the Vikings against the Buccaneers in trade talks.

The Bucs, however, are not positioned as well as the Vikings to give up 2008 picks to a Chiefs team that is rebuilding after a 4-12 finish last season and is attempting to stockpile selections. Kansas City has 10 picks in the upcoming draft.

While the Vikings have nine selections, the Buccaneers have only five. Tampa Bay's first-round pick, which certainly would have to go to Kansas City in any deal for Allen, falls three selections after the Vikings'.