vikings/nfl
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.
Posts about Phil Loadholt
The Antoine Winfield exit: How and why it all went down
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: March 13, 2013 - 11:08 AM
It’s a cold-hearted business sometimes, this NFL.
And if we all didn’t have a true understanding of that concept already, Tuesday provided another eye-opening example.
Cornerback Antoine Winfield had gone to the Vikings’ facility, per his usual routine, to work out. He had no way of knowing that would be his last trip into the building. About an hour before free agency opened, as the Vikings sorted through some complex financial discussions, Winfield became just a number.
Two numbers really.
- $7.25 million – what he was set to earn in 2013, a figure that could be cleared from under the Vikings’ salary cap if Winfield was released before the new league year opened at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
- 1977 – Winfield’s birth year, which will make him 36 years old when next season begins.
In decisive form, General Manager Rick Spielman made a business move, void of emotion. He summoned Winfield upstairs and told him he was cut. The awkwardness of that move and the confusion it created for one of the most beloved players in franchise history is detailed in our story from last night. We suggest you give that a read and soak it in.
But to understand the maneuver from a business standpoint, it must be noted that Spielman and the front office were active Tuesday in re-signing several of their own players. A half-dozen of them in all. Most notably: right tackle Phil Loadholt and fullback Jerome Felton. Loadholt reportedly inked a deal worth $25 million over four years. Felton was given a $7.5 million contract over three years.
The Vikings also rewarded linebacker Erin Henderson, safety Jamarca Sanford, receiver Jerome Simpson and offensive lineman Joe Berger by keeping them around.
Spielman’s vision for the future forces him to make such tough decisions. As this week goes on, and really as the Vikings’ plow ahead from now through the end of the draft in April, they will do so with a plan. And then a Plan B. And Plans C, D, E and F.
“This is a very fluid business,” Spielman noted Tuesday.
And so even the GM acknowledged the conflicting emotions of such a busy day.
“When you have to make tough business decisions, it makes it extremely hard. One minute you’re elated because you got Phil Loadholt done and the next minute you don’t feel as good because you had to do something with Winfield, which makes this job extremely, extremely difficult.”
What made Winfield’s release all the more confusing for the cornerback and his agent is the lack of discussions that preceded it. At no point, during the league’s 87-hour negotiating window from Saturday through Tuesday where teams and agents could be in contact, was there any hint that Winfield could soon be on the street. No one from the Vikings front office even proposed a pay cut or contract restructuring.
Winfield and his agent knew, in this league, that’s always a possibility. But they didn’t expect, after nine seasons of service, that in the snap of two fingers, a loyal locker room leader would have a trap door opened beneath him.
Sure, the Vikings had talked with Winfield’s agent, Ashanti Webb, at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis three weeks earlier. And yes, in passing, the Vikings had mentioned just generally that Winfield’s $7.25 million salary could catch their eye as free agency nears. But, according to Webb, the conversations in Indy were casual, informal. No specific proposals were drawn up. And none were offered Tuesday when Winfield was released.
Spielman was asked if he had offered Winfield a chance to stick around at a lower cost.
“I don’t want to get into the details of it,” he said. “It was just a very, extremely hard decision to make but hopefully we’ll be able to keep the door open for him.”
Four days before free agency began, I had approached an NFL source to ask whether the Vikings had been in contact about a contract restructuring. They hadn’t, the source told me. And even if they did, it wasn’t something Winfield was going to consider.
Said the source: “The way he played last year? Please. You need to look at the game film and not the birth certificate. The only way Antoine is taking a pay cut next season is if the NFL decides to suddenly up its AARP taxes.”
So who knows what would have happened had restructuring discussions come up between Spielman and Webb? The fact is, for three weeks leading up to free agency, that possibility was never brought up. It led to a very unceremonious end of a terrific Vikings career.
By late Tuesday afternoon, as you might imagine, calls inquiring about Winfield’s availability were pouring in. The message was made clear. Even if Winfield’s days as a Vikings were over, his career is not. He fully intends to play next season. And, if 2012 is any indication, he can still play at a high level.
Spielman repeatedly noted Tuesday that he would leave the door open for a possible reunion with Winfield in the weeks or months ahead. What would that take?
“We’ll just have to see,” Spielman said.
He shall see just how much other teams value Winfield’s service. He shall see if the manner in which Tuesday’s transaction went down will leave Winfield itching for a new home. By all accounts, amid the awkwardness and confusion, Winfield handled Tuesday’s business with his characteristic professionalism and positive energy. On the way out the door, the Vikings encouraged Winfield to keep in contact and to report back to them with any numbers that might be out there for him in free agency.
It now becomes one of the more interesting subplots around the NFL.
Fullback Jerome Felton will be back with Vikings on a three-year deal
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: March 12, 2013 - 5:59 PMJerome Felton will remain a Vikings. He never wanted to go anywhere else.
If anyone understands the value of a true fit, it's the 26-year-old fullback who spent his first four seasons bouncing around the NFL. From Detroit to Carolina to Indianapolis. For four seasons, Felton couldn't find a heightened role.
Then, in the spring of 2012, the Vikings dipped into free agency and offered Felton a one-year opportunity to showcase his strengths. They told him they needed a bruising fullback to maximize the production of running back Adrian Peterson. The coaching staff and front office believed Peterson would be at his best with a lead blocker. And they believed Felton had the unselfishness, toughness and vision to be that guy. Then, over 16 games, Felton played a significant role in aiding Peterson to his best season yet, a 2,097-yard rushing campaign that few saw coming.
Peterson won the MVP award. Felton earned a trip to the Pro Bowl.
When the season ended, Felton told the Vikings and General Manager Rick Spielman that he wanted to be back. The Vikings promised to make it happen. And on Tuesday afternoon, the two sides finally hammered out the business end of the reunion with Felton agreeing to a three-year deal and re-signing with the organization. Felton's deal coudl be worth up to $7.5 million in total. And his return to Minnesota should not be taken for granted. His efforts in 2012 were a big deal. And his understanding that opportunities like the one here, in a run-first offense and the league MVP stealing the show, just don't come around often.
News of Felton's deal gave the Vikings five players that they re-signed Tuesday. The others: right tackle Phil Loadholt, receiver Jerome Simpson, safety Jamarca Sanford and offensive lineman Joe Berger.
Spielman 'leaves door open' to Winfield returning
Posted by: Mark Craig Updated: March 12, 2013 - 5:54 PMLoadholt signs multi-year deal to avoid free agency
Posted by: Mark Craig Updated: March 12, 2013 - 3:15 PMNot so fast, Chicago.
The Vikings have signed right tackle Phil Loadholt to a multi-year contract extension, keeping the Bears from getting their offensive line-starved mitts on the big fella and maintaining valuable cohesion for a Vikings offensive line that started the same five players in the same five spots for all 17 games a year ago.
Loadholt, a second-round pick in 2009, has been durable and decent throughout his four seasons with the Vikings. Inconsistency, not effort by any stretch, has been his biggest issue. But at 27, he's still on the upswing, still developing and should get better and more consistent the longer he works with the same unit up front. And the signing also keeps a division rival from inflicting major damage at a starting position.
Had the Vikings lost Loadholt, they might have been forced to use one of their two first-round picks on an offensive tackle. Now, they can focus on receiver and possibly linebacker.
Terms of Loadholt's deal are not yet available.
Vikings free agency tracker: What's happened, what's left to do, what it all means
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: March 15, 2013 - 10:13 PMIn what is a very busy and fluid week in the NFL business world, we’ll do our best to not only keep you up to speed with all the latest Vikings transactions but to provide a summary of what it all means. Be sure to check back with this post regularly for updates.
VIKINGS’ 2013 FREE AGENCY CHECKLIST
What has happened so far …
THE LATEST MOVE: (Friday night) The Vikings have signed receiver Greg Jennings, a 29-year-old veteran who had tormented them for the previous seven seasons with the Packers. Jennings was given a five-year deal, which reportedly could be worth up to $47.5 million with $18 million guaranteed. What it means: For starters, it means quarterback Christian Ponder gets a proven receiver to be his top target, a big move for the franchise after it traded away Percy Harvin on Monday. Jennings' versatility should be a plus. He can serve as a legitimate outside threat and is also potent out of the slot. On top of that, the Vikings are already raving about the positive energy and professionalism they expect him to lend to what figures to otherwise be a very, very young receiving unit. With Jennings signed as the top gun and a very deep pool of talent awaiting at receiver in this year's draft, the Vikings may no longer need to pull the trigger on a pass catcher in the first round -- even with picks Nos. 23 and 25. Logic says a standout talent should still be available in Round 2 and perhaps the Vikings use those two first-round picks to find help at middle linebacker and cornerback. Jennings' signing and the cash it took to complete means the team's significant offseason spending is done. Any free agent additions from here on out are likely to be minimal.
OFFENSE
- (Friday afternoon) Former Vikings backup offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz has signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. What it means: Not much to the Vikings. They had no interest in re-signing Schwartz, who wanted a chance to start. Joe Berger was re-signed to be the veteran interior backup. He can play all three inside spots. Plus, unlike last year, the Vikings are now committed to Brandon Fusco as their starting right guard. Fusco had his ups and downs during the 2012 season, but re-established a firm grip on the starting job late in the year. Schwartz's sports hernia in training camp kept him from having a chance to unseat Fusco.
- (Thursday afternoon) The Vikings have put the finishing touches on a deal to bring free agent quarterback Matt Cassel to town. Cassel was released by the Kansas City Chiefs earlier in the day in a move that had been a foregone conclusion for some time. The Chiefs had completed a trade for Alex Smith weeks ago and then signed free agent Chase Daniel as a back-up. What it means: To be clear, to fans hoping Cassel could win the Vikings' starting job heading into 2013, that's not in the plans. At least as they're stated anyway. Both General Manager Rick Spielman and coach Leslie Frazier have clearly stated the team's plan for Christian Ponder to be the unchallenged starter next season. Ponder will hold that job through the offseason and training camp with the organization expecting him to take a big leap forward in his third year as a starter. But if Ponder proves inept or is injured, the team wanted to have a safer back-up plan in play and some competition in place. Joe Webb was the team's No. 2 quarterback throughout 2012. And after not attempting a pass in the regular season, he was thrust into a playoff start in Green Bay after a badly bruised triceps injury sidelined Ponder. Webb's performance in that season-ending loss was woeful and left the Vikings in a hunt for a solution. Cassel will come in as an experienced veteran. He's entering his ninth year in the league and has started 62 games over the past five seasons.
- (Tuesday evening) Fullback Jerome Felton, as expected, has re-signed rather than test a market that wasn't very kind to him during the first four years of his career. After bouncing around Detroit, Carolina and Indianapolis with little success, Felton fell into a great situation as Adrian Peterson's lead blocker in 2012. The one-year tryout has now turned into a three-year, $7.5 million deal for the 26-year-old fullback. What it means: It means the lead blocker from Peterson's 2,097-yard season will be out front again this season. Felton made his first Pro Bowl while helping knock people aside (did someone say James Laurinaitis?) so that Peterson could run very long distances for touchdowns and the league's MVP trophy.
- (Tuesday afternoon) The Vikings have agreed to a multi-year contract extension with right tackle Phil Loadholt, reportedly a four-year $25 million extension. But by finding a way to secure Loadholt, the Vikings bring back a player who has been a mauler in the running game and continues to improve. What it means: All five starters from last season's offensive line are back. Continuity and stability should follow. General Manager Rick Spielman feels very strongly about Loadholt's worth to the running attack and you can bet Adrian Peterson will see the benefits. Early reports Tuesday in Chicago had the Bears making a heavy push to sign Loadholt. But the Vikings were determined not to let him get away with Spielman calling his re-signing "the top priority" in what promises to be a busy offseason.
- (Tuesday afternoon) The Vikings have re-signed offensive lineman Joe Berger to a one-year deal. What it means: Berger provides depth on the o-line. He's intelligent. He's been around for seven NFL seasons. He has the versatility to play center and both guard positions. In fact, when called upon in 2011, he started as an injury fill-in at all three positions.
- (Tuesday morning) According to an NFL source, the Vikings have re-signed wide receiver Jerome Simpson to a one-year deal. Terms of the contract are not yet know. What it means: Even after a highly disappointing 2012 in which he totaled only 26 catches for 274 yards without a score, Simpson is the Vikings' leading returning receiver. Yep, that's just how depleted that unit is. Still, Simpson won't have to learn Bill Musgrave's offensive system from scratch, has built-in rapport already with quarterback Christian Ponder and returns on a low-risk deal with incentive to prove that last season's flop was an unfortunate byproduct of a strange back injury that limited him for a 10-week stretch in midseason. That's what the Vikings are betting on anyway in a risk-reward scenario that makes perfect sense for both sides.
- (Tuesday morning) A league source has confirmed that tight end John Carlson has done some minor restructuring to his contract, taking a cut in his 2013 base salary, which had been scheduled to be $2.9 million. Carlson was the Vikings' biggest free agent signee in 2012. And he was an even bigger bust than Simpson, catching only eight passes for 43 yards after securing a five-year contract worth $25 million. Like with Simpson, the Vikings weren't ready yet to cut their losses with Carlson by releasing him. So they've tweaked his contract slightly. What it means: The exact details of Carlson's restructuring have not been made available. But one source said it won't change much for the tight end in 2013, where he is still guaranteed more $1.2 million of his base salary and could still make up to $3 million when all is said and done with base salary, workout bonus and incentives. Big picture, this is not a major financial transaction whatsoever, just a reduction in the 2013 base salary that should give the Vikings just a little more salary cap wiggle room.
- (Monday afternoon) The Vikings have traded standout receiver Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for three draft picks: the No. 25 overall pick and also a seventh-rounder this year plus a third-round selection in 2014. What it means: The Vikings have lost their biggest playmaker from a passing attack that already ranked in the bottom two of the league in production in 2012. The needs at receiver are greater than they’ve ever been. Still, the team received a healthy amount of compensation from Seattle, making it easier to part with a mercurial playmaker whose unhappiness had created a tense and strained relationship.
DEFENSE
- (Late Thursday) Middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley, a starter last season, moved on, as expected, signing with the Arizona Cardinals. He had visited the Giants a day earlier. What it means: The Vikings weren't going to keep both Erin Henderson, their starting weak-side linebacker, and Brinkley. Once the team re-signed Henderson to a two-year, $4 million deal on Tuesday, that was it for Brinkley. The Vikings are looking for a three-down playmaker to put in the middle of their defense. Whether that's a young star in the draft (Manti Te'o?) or an aging stopgap star (Brian Urlacher?) remains to be seen. Brinkley was an OK starter, but the Vikings can do better. Brinkley was miscast as the deep middle read defender in the Tampa 2 nickel when Henderson went down with a concussion early in the season. Henderson eventually reclaimed that important role in the nickel, but he's not the best fit there either. Henderson has more upside as a two-down backer on the weak side. Now, it's just a matter of finding that playmaker to plop in the middle.
- (Tuesday night) Linebacker Erin Henderson will return to the Vikings, re-signed to a two-year deal. Henderson was the sixth player the Vikings re-signed on a busy Tuesday. The organization has yet to sign any outside free agents. What it means: Henderson was one of three Vikings linebackers who hit free agency along with Jasper Brinkley and Marvin Mitchell. Originally acquired as an undrafted free agent in 2009, Henderson has made steady growth during his time in Minnesota. Last season was certainly his best. As the starting weakside linebacker, he tallied 112 tackles according to team stats, plus 10 tackles for loss and three sacks. Henderson finished the season playing as the team's middle linebacker in nickel packages, a role Brinkley had taken over early in the season after Henderson missed two games with a concussion. Whether Henderson can flourish in that role going forward remains to be seen. The Vikings still may target a three-down middle linebacker in the draft. But the Vikings do feel very good about Henderson's potential going forward.
- (Tuesday afternoon) In a surprise move, the Vikings have released veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield, a three-time Pro Bowler and the veteran leader of the Vikings' green secondary. Winfield was due to make $7.25 million in 2013, the final year of his contract, and had expressed interest in playing out his career and finishing his 15th season before hanging it up. What it means: This seems to be a salary dump move more than anything else. The loss of Winfield's presence and knowledge will be immediately obvious on game day's and also, amongst teammates in the locker room and classroom. Winfield's brilliant resurgence in 2012 was a big part of the Vikings' run back to relevance. He contributed 110 tackles, 11 for loss, three interceptions, a fumble recovery and 13 pass deflections. Winfield suffered a hand injury in Week 16 that limited him in the final two games and the playoff loss at Green Bay. But all indications were that he would be back around in 2013 with coach Leslie Frazier making a point at season's end to deliver his endorsement of a Winfield return for a 10th season in Minnesota. "The intangibles," Frazier said, "is a big deal when you're trying to get the locker room the way you want it." Now? At present, the Vikings' cornerback depth is thin with Chris Cook, A.J. Jefferson, Josh Robinson, Marcus Sherels and Brandon Burton in the fold.
- (Tuesday evening) Jamarca Sanford -- the ultimate NFL overachiever, special teams standout, capable starter, non-pouty backup if need be and team leader -- tweeted that he has re-signed with the Vikings. What it means: This was expected because, well, Sanford is the poster child for all of the intangibles that GM Rick Spielman looks for in an NFL player. Sanford can start and do well at strong safety or accept a backup role with class if asked to do that. He's one of the league's best special teams players. This is a boost for special teams, secondary depth and the morale boost that Sanford's loud, chatterbox of a mouth provides on all those long, hot days in Mankato.
- (Monday night) Have placed the low tender on cornerback A.J. Jefferson, the team's only restricted free agent. Also issued a tender to exclusive rights free agent Marcus Sherels, a back-up cornerback and return specialisty. What it means: The Vikings will play Jefferson $1.323 million for 2013 and have the option to match any offer that another team gives him. If the Vikings choose not to match an offer from another team, they will not receive draft compensation for losing Jefferson. Sherels, meanwhile, will be in line to make $550,000 next season and could again carve out a niche as a reliable return guy. The loss of Harvin has heightened the Vikings' needs in the kick return game.
****
What’s left to do
OFFENSE
- Determine the future of receiver Devin Aromashodu --> Aromashodu's likely to be on the free agent market for quite some time. Perhaps, when all is said and done, the Vikings opt to bring him back at a deep discount. But Aromashodu's meager two-season totals: 37 catches, 650 yards, one score would seem to indicate the Vikings should move on.
DEFENSE
- Determine the future of linebacker Marvin Mitchell --> Mitchell is one of those lower-tier free agents who won't get a sniff until much later in the free agency. The Vikings may opt ultimately to bring him back. But the market will have to play itself out and settle.
- Continue to pursue free agent options to fortify the secondary.
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