MANKATO -- Matt Kalil, the fourth player taken in the NFL draft, was signed by the Vikings this morning.
Frazier, Ponder smiling as Kalil signs with Vikings
The team's first-round pick agreed to a four-year contract and is ready for camp in Mankato.
July 26, 2012 at 8:37PM
The offensive tackle from USC is the final player to agree to terms as the players report today in Mankato.
Kalil's contract is for four years, and there is no "offset" language that would protect the Vikings in case he turns out to be a failure.
The contract is worth nearly $20 million and will be guaranteed. Kalil's signing bonus is almost $13 million, profootballtalk.com reported.
Coach Leslie Frazier obviously was happy about having his franchise left tackle in place a day before camp practices open.
"He's a key part of what we want to do in 2012," Frazier said earlier today when addressing reporters. "I don't know who's happier, he or [quarterback] Christian Ponder."
Frazier said Ponder was the first person to congratulate Kalil after he signed. Frazier said the QB and the LT rode down to Mankato together.
Here is the Vikings' release:
Tackle Matt Kalil becomes the final member of a 10-member 2012 draft class to sign with the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings selected Kalil with the 4th choice in the 1st round after making a trade with the Cleveland Browns. The Southern California product was the highest offensive line-man selected in the 2012 Draft and became the 2nd-highest drafted offensive lineman in Vikings history behind Hall of Famer and fellow USC Trojan OT Ron Yary, who went No. 1 overall in 1968.
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
