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Dan Wiederer began covering the Vikings in 2011, enthusiastically delivering insight on the team across the Star Tribune's print and digital products. Prior to joining the Access Vikings team, he spent seven seasons covering ACC basketball at The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer. He also covered the Chicago Bears in 2003 and 2004. Follow him on Twitter @StribDW.
Mark Craig has covered football and the NFL the past 20 years, including the Browns from 1991-95 and the Vikings and the NFL since 2003. Since 2008, Craig has served as one of the 44 Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors. He can be followed on Twitter at @markcraignfl.
Frazier prepares for different scenarios
Posted by: Chip Scoggins under Vikings, NFC, Leslie Frazier, Vikings off the field, Leslie Frazier, Ray Edwards, Sidney Rice Updated: June 6, 2011 - 8:17 AM
Leslie Frazier's first offseason as Vikings head coach has been anything but ordinary. The lockout has postponed free agency, wiped out OTAs and minicamps and cost his coaching staff valuable time in installing its new systems.
Frazier said his staff has spent the extra time getting more familiar with their NFC North opponents.
"We’re definitely taking a real hard look at our division, but also looking at some of our upcoming opponents," he said. "The good news is we have our 2011 schedule so we’ve been able to look at some of our opponents and work on some projects regarding them along with being able to look back at our season from a year ago and look at red-zone, third-down, offensive efficiency and so on."
Frazier said he's also spent a lot of time going over different free agency scenarios with vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman and director of player personnel George Paton. Nobody knows what the rules for free agency will be until the labor situation gets settled so teams must consider several contingency plans.
"Just sitting down with Rick and George Paton, they’ve taken me through a ton of different scenarios about if it’s going to be free agency under the old rules, the 2010 rules [or] if it’s going to be free agency under the 2009 rules," Frazier said. "Or if we come up with a new collective bargaining agreement, they say, these are the rules we're working under. We’ve gone through all those scenarios and we have a list and a way we’re going to attack things based on which scenario we’re working under."
It starts with their own free agents, including Sidney Rice and Ray Edwards. Rice's agent Drew Rosenhaus said Rice will test the market if he is unrestricted. Edwards has made it clear in a number of interviews recently that he's upset with his contract situation and doesn't want to play for the team even if he is restricted.
Frazier was asked Friday about Edwards' public comments.
"That’s something that once we find out what the rules are, we’ll discuss that with Ray and his agent," Frazier said. "But right now, nobody knows what’s what so there’s nothing we can say."
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