Vikings can't get Andre Smith to sign after visit

The Vikings wined and dined free-agent offensive tackle Andre Smith on Sunday night, taking him to their usual spot, Manny's Steakhouse downtown. And on Monday, they gave him a tour of Winter Park and showed him how U.S. Bank Stadium is shaping up.

But they couldn't convince Smith to sign a contract before he left Minnesota.

Smith could still end up agreeing to join the Vikings. But he plans to visit Arizona first. Tampa Bay is reportedly interested in him, too.

Even after landing free-agent guard Alex Boone last week, re-signing guard Mike Harris and keeping tackles Matt Kalil and Phil Loadholt around, the Vikings still are looking to improve the talent level and foster fiercer competition on the offensive line.

They have turned their focus to Smith, the sixth overall pick in the 2009 draft.

Smith had spent his entire career with the Bengals, who employed Vikings coach Mike Zimmer as their defensive coordinator for Smith's first five seasons. The 6-4, 335-pound right tackle has made 73 starts in seven seasons.

It is, of course, not preferable to let a free agent leave the building without a contract, but that does not mean Smith won't join the Vikings eventually. Last spring, cornerback Terence Newman signed with the Vikings a week after he visited Winter Park.

Cornerback Josh Robinson, who started 21 games in his four years with the Vikings, signed a one-year deal with the Buccaneers.

After signing his contract, Robinson took to Twitter to express gratitude to the Vikings, writing "Thankful for 4 awesome years in MN where I was able to live out a dream!"

The 25-year-old was a third-round draft pick in 2012. He started six games as a rookie and 10 more in 2013. But at just 5-10, Robinson did not fit the prototype of what Zimmer was looking for in an outside cover man. He started five games as the third cornerback in 2014 and was the No. 5 corner last season.

The Vikings signed veteran safety Michael Griffin to a one-year, $2.5 million contract, presumably so he can be a short-term solution next to Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith. But Griffin said he has been given no guarantees that he will start.

"The way I look at it, I'm a team player and I'm a humble guy. You got to compete," he said on a Monday conference call. "There is nothing in this league that is given to you."

"It was a blessing to be there nine years. There's no hard feelings," Griffin said. "But that's behind me. It's set in stone, written in stone. Right now, I'm a Minnesota Viking."

Offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings as a rookie led the Vikings in performance-based pay for the 2015 season. He was awarded $359,396, according to a league source. That was the second-highest total in the league, trailing only Broncos center Matt Paradis.