There was the $74 million contract, of course. The chance for a fresh start in a new community, to be sure. And then there was the little matter of his potential new teammates.

As he was contemplating a contract offer from the Vikings, defensive end Jared Allen kept wondering what it would be like to play next to Pro Bowl defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams.

"For me selfishly," Allen said, "I think the biggest problem we're going to have is who is going to hit the quarterback first."

On his first day with the Vikings, Allen joked that he will have to worry about Kevin Williams stealing some of his sacks. He also said Pat Williams issued him a friendly warning. "According to Pat," Allen said, "I've just got to leave the running back alone."

The addition of Allen, who led the NFL with 15.5 sacks last season, gives the Vikings arguably the best defensive line in football. Kevin Williams is a two-time All-Pro, and Pat Williams emerged from years of obscurity to make the Pro Bowl in each of the past two seasons.

"It puts us up there," Kevin Williams said by phone Wednesday. "With him coming in, it's going to be great. It's a challenge we're up for, just proving that what we've worked for all along -- to be one of the best defensive fronts in the league.

"We're going to be able to get pressure on the quarterback without blitzing," Williams added.

Williams also suggested that Allen's presence will reduce double-teams against him and Pat Williams in the run.

"Teams have doubled us against the run," Williams said, "but now you just can't double-team us and disregard him. They're not going to forget about me, but now we'll have a third guy that's proven, done well in the league and needs to have attention paid to him also."

Allen's six-year, $74 million deal dwarfs the extensions both Williamses have signed during the past two years, but Kevin Williams said: "That's his business as far as I look at it."

Williams added: "Evidently he has what it takes to reach that status and it paid off for him. The rest is about winning football games. It's not about who has the bigger checks. It's trying to win it all. That's the common goal."

Staff Writer Judd Zulgad contributed to this report.