JOTTINGS
• The Vikings schedule features seven games with teams that reached the 2018 playoffs, and five of those are away from home. Besides facing the Bears twice as usual, the Vikings have a home game against the Eagles and road games against the Chargers, Cowboys, Chiefs and Seahawks.
• It's hard to believe that the Saints signed four former Vikings this offseason in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, offensive lineman Nick Easton, running back Latavius Murray and punt returner Marcus Sherels. It was reported that the Vikings didn't offer Sherels a contract. Also on the Saints roster is former Gophers tight end Nate Wozniak.
• The Vikings have $5.1 million in salary cap space, which accounts for the $6.9 million they would pay their draft picks. Fortunately they were able to sign safety Anthony Harris, who had a great year in 2018, to a deal.
• Tre Williams of Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, the lone Gophers men's basketball commitment for this fall, recently was moved up to a four-star recruit by 247Sports. Williams, whose mother, Kelly, played basketball at St. Paul Harding, is now considered the No. 18 shooting guard in the nation.
• The Gophers have three scholarships available for next season, if Amir Coffey doesn't turn pro. While John Marshall star Matthew Hurt still has them on his list of teams, other players they could get are small forward Myron Gardner of Detroit and power forward Isaiah Ihnen of Germany. Ihnen reportedly will visit the Gophers, TCU and Tennessee in April.
• As for Hurt, he said at the McDonald's All-American Game last week in Atlanta that he will announce his college decision on April 19. While Kansas and Duke are the favorites, he was asked by 247Sports on Monday about any other schools with a chance and replied, "I would say Minnesota and Memphis are the two and I wouldn't count them out."
