Vikings’ second attempt at landing QB seems to take

 The Vikings appear to be on the verge of addressing one of their biggest offseason needs by looking in a familiar direction. A year after failing to obtain Sage Rosenfels from Houston, the Vikings are close to adding the veteran quarterback in a trade that would send a draft pick to the Texans.

The Houston Chronicle first reported the deal on its website Monday, and an NFL source confirmed the trade was all but done later in the day.

Rosenfels has a year remaining on his contract, but the Vikings have offered him a $9 million, three-year extension, according to SportsRadio 610 in Houston. Vikings and Texans officials were at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis on Monday, and spokesmen for both teams said neither franchise would comment. A trade cannot be finalized until 11 p.m. Thursday.

Rosenfels, who will turn 31 on March 6, would vie for the starting job with Tarvaris Jackson. Vikings coach Brad Childress said Friday that he wanted Jackson to have competition and indicated that veteran Gus Frerotte could return and attempt to win the job.

However, a trade for Rosenfels likely would leave Frerotte as the odd man out.

Frerotte went 8-3 after Jackson was benched last season, but he lost his job after suffering a back injury. Frerotte, due a $250,000 roster bonus in March, expressed frustration following the season over how the situation played out and said he wasn't sure whether he would be back.

Coincidentally, Rosenfels served as Frerotte's backup with Miami in 2005. Vikings Vice President of Player Personnel Rick Spielman was a Dolphins executive when they acquired Rosenfels from Washington for a seventh-rounder in 2002.

The Vikings offered Houston a third-round pick for Rosenfels last February, but the Texans asked for a second-rounder. The Chronicle speculated Monday the Texans might receive a fourth-round choice in this April's draft for Rosenfels.

Vikings executives appeared to have spent extensive time attempting to address their quarterback situation at the combine, which ends today. According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the team met with David Dunn, the agent for New England's Matt Cassel. The Vikings have interest in Cassel, but he has received the Patriots' franchise tag (guaranteeing him $14.65 million) and New England is believed to be asking for a significant return in a trade.

Rosenfels is from Maquoketa, Iowa, and played at Iowa State. He has made 12 starts and appeared in 32 games since being a fourth-round choice by the Redskins in 2001, with 30 touchdown passes, 29 interceptions and an 81.2 passer rating.

He spent the past three seasons with Houston and went 2-3 in five starts in an up-and-down 2008. He finished with 1,431 yards passing (116-for-174, 66.7 percent) with six TDs, 10 interceptions and a 79.5 rating in six games, with five of those games coming after Houston starter Matt Schaub injured his knee against the Vikings on Nov. 2. Coming in against the Vikings after halftime, Rosenfels completed 21 of 29 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in a 28-21 loss.

"I'd like to play better," Rosenfels said after the season. "I felt like 95 percent of the time, I played really good football, and then 5 percent of the time, I played poor football. So it's a learning experience for me. I've been playing a lot the last couple of years, and that's been a lot of fun. It's been exciting."

Rosenfels, who went 4-1 as a starter in 2007, would have one advantage coming to the Vikings. The Texans, like the Vikings, run a version of the West Coast offense.

ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck, a former NFL quarterback, said he believes Rosenfels would be an upgrade on Jackson. Hasselbeck said he doesn't think Jackson "is a top-32 quarterback in the NFL," adding, "I'm not so sure he's a top-42 quarterback in the NFL."

Asked about Rosenfels, Hasselbeck said: "I think they are a much better football team with a quarterback that allows Brad Childress and [offensive coordinator] Darrell Bevell to run that offense the way it should be run instead of having so much come off of the run game. Whether that be bootlegs or a type of play action or different types of quick [passes]. They can be willing to take a chance with the way they call a play and trust the quarterback enough that if they call a bad play he is not going to make you look bad by making a foolish decision."

Judd Zulgad • jzulgad@startribune.com Chip Scoggins • ascoggins@startribune.com