# Vikings Free Agent Moves



## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

Don't know about the rest of you, but I'm loving the free agent signings the Vikings made over we weekend. If they land Hutchinson (and there's no reason to believe the Seahawks will outbid them), anything else is gravy....


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Childress adds three more to mix

The Vikings continued to be busy in free agency as they signed three more players, including a safety and backup quarterback.

Judd Zulgad, Star Tribune
Last update: March 24, 2006 - 12:10 AM

And now the Vikings plan to take a breath.
Or at least that's what coach Brad Childress indicated Thursday after the team signed three free agents in a single day for the second time since the market opened on March 11. Joining the six newcomers already added to the roster, are strong safety Clevan (Tank) Williams, quarterback Mike McMahon and defensive end DeQuincy Scott.

"We're kind of drawing to the close of our free-agent action here," Childress said during a news conference held in the Vikings' indoor practice facility at Winter Park.

The Vikings are high on Scott's potential as a situational pass rusher.

It was the signings of Williams and McMahon, however, that drew the most attention. Williams, 25, likely will enter training camp as the starting strong safety, replacing Corey Chavous. Chavous has signed with St. Louis. McMahon, 27, was signed to serve as Brad Johnson's backup.

Williams was a second-round pick by the Titans out of Stanford in 2002 and started all 16 games in three of his four years with the team. His 2004 season was cut short after nine starts when he suffered an ACL tear in his left knee against Chicago.

Known for his hard hitting, the 6-3, 223-pound Williams finished third on the Titans with 83 tackles in 2005. It took him some time to return to form, and Tennessee did not make much of an attempt to retain him, instead signing safety Chris Hope away from Pittsburgh.

"I'm definitely 100 percent [now] and my focus is just to work hard and build upon the rehab and playing time I had last year," said Williams, who has five career interceptions in 57 games.

Also courted by Miami and Seattle, Williams liked the idea of playing for new Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin. He heard positive reviews of the former Tampa Bay defensive backs coach from Buccaneers linebacker Ryan Nece.

"He had nothing but great things to say about Coach Tomlin," said Williams, whose contract terms were not revealed. "He told me, 'If you get a chance to go to Minnesota, that would be a great place for you to flourish. It really fits your style.' "

Childress expects Williams to be a good fit in the Vikings' cover-2 scheme, although the defense often calls for the safeties to play deep and Williams is most effective as a run stopper.

"We talk about the Tampa 2 [defense]," Childress said. "However, those safeties spend a great deal of time playing down by the line of scrimmage, particularly if you find people that are trying to run the football on you."

McMahon had been scheduled to head to Denver on Thursday morning to visit the Broncos, but the Vikings convinced him not to leave town.

Childress was McMahon's offensive coordinator last season in Philadelphia and the Vikings moved quickly to sign him after the quarterback was released this week by the Eagles. The Vikings had to make a move because, with Daunte Culpepper traded to Miami, their only other quarterback was the inexperienced J.T. O'Sullivan.

"Mike has played in this system," said Childress, who called McMahon extremely athletic. "There won't be a lot of thinking involved with him."

McMahon, who received a two-year, $2 million deal, played his first four seasons in Detroit before spending 2005 in Philadelphia. He started a career-high seven games last season after Donovan McNabb suffered a sports hernia and went 2-5. McMahon completed only 45.4 percent of his passes; he threw five touchdowns and eight interceptions.

"I think I have plenty of room to improve," said McMahon, who reiterated his comments from a day before about wanting to learn from Johnson. "Being 27 years old, just turning 27 [on Feb. 8], is relatively young for a quarterback. A lot of guys really don't show their skills until they hit their late 20s, early 30s."

Scott, who turned 28 earlier this month, signed a one-year contract that is believed to be for around the league minimum of $545,000. Vikings vice president of player personnel Fran Foley, an executive with San Diego the past three seasons, was very familiar with Scott.

The 6-1, 260-pound Scott had spent the past four seasons with the Chargers, recording a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2003 and adding 4.5 in 2005. Foley said Scott can play all along the line but added he will be used at right end by the Vikings. Scott, who visited Kansas City and talked to Denver, also will be expected to contribute on special teams.

Etc.

•Guard Steve Hutchinson's precedent-setting contract includes a full no-trade clause and a 2006 salary cap number of $13.335 million, according to the Tacoma News Tribune. That cap number includes $4.75 million of "likely-to-be-earned incentives" that will be credited to the Vikings' 2007 cap total if he does not earn that bonus. After 2006, Hutchinson's annual cap numbers will fall between $6.5 million and $8.6 million.

•Vikings free-agent linebacker Raonall Smith visited with the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

•Foley said with the owners meetings starting Sunday in Orlando, Fla., the Vikings don't have more free-agent visits scheduled.

Staff Writer Kevin Seifert contributed to this story.

Seattle signs Nate Burleson to $49 million offer
Judd Zulgad, Star Tribune

Seattle signed restricted free agent Nate Burleson to an offer sheet on Friday afternoon, giving the Vikings seven days to either match the offer or lose him and receive the Seahawks' third-round pick in next month's draft. The Seahawks' offer is for seven-years and $49 million and includes $5.25 million guaranteed, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
Burleson, 24, is from Seattle and was a multi-sport star at O'Dea High School. The brother of former Gophers basketball player Kevin Burleson, Nate was named the Seattle Athlete of the year as a senior in high school in 1999.

The Vikings surprised some March 2 by extending the lowest possible qualifying offer to Burleson. The tender was worth $712,000 and would result in the team getting a draft pick equal to the round in which Burleson was selected. Shortly after that happened Burleson changed agents and hired Ken Sarnoff. Burleson visited the Seahawks last week; a trip to Houston never materialized.

The Vikings' third-round pick in 2003, Burleson appeared to come into his own in 2004. He led Vikings wide receivers with 68 catches for 1,006 yards with nine touchdowns. Expected to become the team's No. 1 receiver last season, Burleson struggled with injuries and finished with 30 catches for 328 yards and a touchdown in 12 games. His season-high of six catches came in the regular-season finale against Chicago.

If Burleson departs, the Vikings depth chart at receiver would include Travis Taylor, Marcus Robinson and Koren Robinson. Koren Robinson played for the Seahawks before joining the Vikings last September.

The Vikings acquired another Seahawk this week when guard Steve Hutchinson officially joined the team after signing a seven-year, $49 million contract that included $16 million in guarantees. Hutchinson had been designated as Seattle's transition player.

Cowart moving on

Veteran Sam Cowart, who led the Vikings with 104 tackles last season and provided much-needed stability at middle linebacker, agreed to a contract with the Houston Texans on Friday.

"After looking at all the teams that showed interest this came down to the best choice at this time," Cowart's agent, Paul Healy, said in an e-mail.

Cowart, 31, acquired last offseason from the New York Jets for a seventh-round pick, started 14 of the 15 games in which he played, missing the Week 2 loss to Cincinnati because of injury. Houston will be his fourth team, following stops in Buffalo (four seasons) and with the New York Jets (three).


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