2013 Free Agent Tracker & Discussion

[dead_poet]

Charlie Johnson - G - Vikings

Vikings LG Charlie Johnson is a candidate for release.

Johnson has started all 32 games since joining the Vikings prior to the 2011 season, 16 at left tackle and 16 at left guard after the team drafted Matt Kalil. Johnson is due a $500,000 roster bonus on March 16, in addition to a $2.95 million salary. The Vikings could save $2.55M in cap space with his release.
Source: ESPN 1500 Twin Cities

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I'm fine with it but it begs the question...who would take his place? Perhaps this news would be welcome to Schwartz. As inconsistent as Charlie Johnson is, our options are very limited at this point. I mean, just look: http://www.nfl.com/teams/roster?team=MIN Our listed guards are: Tyler Holmes. And that's it. Maybe convert DeMarcus Love? I always thought he held himself well at LT when he wasn't injured. Berger? Troy Kropog? I didn't realize our depth here was quite that bad.

Andy Levitre, Louis Vasquez or Chance Warmack would look awfully good sandwiched between Kalil and Sullivan. Donald Thomas is an under-the-radar guy that started for the Pats last season thanks to injuries to Mankins and Connolly and quietly graded out as a top-20 guard (he's 27). Chad Rinehart seems like a poor man's Geoff Schwartz. He's coming off injury so Spielman might target him on the cheap. But my gut says Johnson sticks with a guard scooped up in the later rounds. I just don't see how we can afford to lose both Schwartz and Johnson. And I don't see a lot of cash being spent on a guard in free agency (sorry Levitre).

[Eli]

You're right, the Vikings have very little behind their starters on the offensive line. Look at that crew again and tell me how screwed they'll be if they don't re-sign Phil Loadholt.

One problem with Schwartz is that he's always played on the right side (both guard and tackle) and many linemen can't make the switch easily. And he'll probably already be signed by the time the Vikings figure out what they're doing. I have a feeling the Vikings will end up having to swallow hard and pay $3.45M for a less than average guard in Charlie Johnson.

[dead_poet]

Weird...

Keep hearing #Vikings' meetings with agents at the combine were awkward. Asked where agents stood, were vague at best on their own position.

Tom Pelissero on Twitter

[Eli]

Meetings with agents for their own free agent players, correct? I've got an odd feeling that Spielman's charmed freshman year at GM is about to end with a severe reality check.

[dead_poet]

Meetings with agents for their own free agent players, correct? I've got an odd feeling that Spielman's charmed freshman year at GM is about to end with a severe reality check.

Not sure what you mean or why you feel that way. Seems like the agents are the ones being difficult?

[dead_poet]

Rick Spielman has a rep for being overly secretive at times. But the timeline is a factor here. Free agency launches 2 weeks from today.

Tom Pelissero on Twitter

[Eli]

Seems like the agents are the ones being difficult?

That may well be the case, which will would make Spielman's life a misery. It certainly would be odd if they're all being difficult. I wonder if he's pitching one-year contracts again and being told to go pound sand.

[mansquatch]

Keep in mind that in general Spielman's interests and the Agent's are essentially oppossed. I wouldn't fret about it until FA starts.

[Mothman]

From a chat Pelissero held today:

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Chat ... sday022513

Comment From Zack
Saw your tweet about meetings with agents and the Vikings being "awkward"...can you talk more about what that means?

Tom Pelissero: From what I've heard, they basically just kept asking for the agents' positions and presented nothing of their own. Kind of hard to really accomplish much when the team isn't even willing to suggest a starting point for negotiations. Keeping everything pretty vague with two weeks still to free agency.

[Demi]

Not sure what you mean or why you feel that way. Seems like the agents are the ones being difficult?

Guess not.

[Mothman]

If Pelissero's getting an accurate picture of what's going on, it sounds like Spielman might be willing to let the market set the price for some of these free agents.

If I'm not mistaken, there's a new rule in place this year that allows teams to negotiate with agents of players who will be UFAs during a 3 day period before free agency officially begins on Mar. 12th. If that's the case, it changes the negotiating landscape because a "market price" for a player can conceivably be established (and then matched or exceeded by a team trying to keep him) before the player can actually be signed.

[mansquatch]

If Pelissero's getting an accurate picture of what's going on, it sounds like Spielman might be willing to let the market set the price for some of these free agents.

If I'm not mistaken, there's a new rule in place this year that allows teams to negotiate with agents of players who will be UFAs during a 3 day period before free agency officially begins on Mar. 12th. If that's the case, it changes the negotiating landscape because a "market price" for a player can conceivably be established (and then matched or exceeded by a team trying to keep him) before the player can actually be signed.

Moth I agree with this take. I think we as fans have to be careful in assuming that we know what the "rules" are or applying what we think is common sense to the situation. The dynamics of the NFL FA market are very different than say Ipads. There are only 32 buyers, not 500 million. There are agents trying to bid up the market and teams trying to bid it down. There is the salary cap. There is also player eval. The point is we are trying to predict a poker game where we do not even have a firm understanding of the cards in the deck.

[Demi]

Why would you want a Gm that just bends over and takes it from the players?

Making any sort of offer to get an idea where they're at is "taking it" from the player?

yeah, let them explore the market. That's worked out so well in the past.

[dead_poet]

It might be wise for Spielman to wrangle Loadholt before Smith finds a suitor.

Andre Smith - T - Bengals

The Cincinnati Enquirer considers it "more likely" that the Bengals let the open market establish free agent RT Andre Smith's price than apply the franchise tag.

The Bengals have two readymade franchise-tag candidates in Smith and RE Michael Johnson, but Johnson is considered a more likely recipient of the tag. The Bengals are among the league leaders in cap space, but all bets will be off if Smith reaches the open market coming off a breakout campaign.
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer

[dead_poet]

Vikings: WR in free agency and draft?

This ESPN Insider piece on the Minnesota Vikings' offseason crystallized a plan we've discussed in abstract terms. Former NFL scout Gary Horton figures the Vikings like only two of their returning receivers, and because Percy Harvin and Jarius Wright are both best-suited to play the slot position, there is probably an offseason need for "two quality edge receivers with some speed," Horton writes.

In that scenario, the Vikings could seek one of those receivers in free agency and another in the draft. To that end, Insider reporter Field Yates recommends pending free agent Mike Wallace, and not Greg Jennings, as the free agent the Vikings should target.

Yates: "Wallace possesses rare speed, and though his production tapered off in 2012 compared to his previous two seasons, he remains one of the most dangerous downfield threats in the league. For an offense that is centered around pounding the football with [Adrian] Peterson, adding an explosive edge receiver in Wallace would effectively take the top off of defenses and create further lanes for Peterson to run."

Wallace ran a 4.33 in the 40 during his combine test in 2009 and would be an obvious downfield upgrade over Michael Jenkins, who could be released, and Jerome Simpson, a pending free agent. The question is whether the Vikings will want to get involved in negotiations that probably will use as a benchmark the five-year, $55 million contract that Vincent Jackson received last spring from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As for the draft, let me pass along Mel Kiper's top five receivers , a list he updated after last week's combine:
West Virginia's Tavon Austin
Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson
Cal's Keenan Allen
Tennessee's Justin Hunter
Louisiana Tech's Quinton Patton.

Austin has elite speed and playmaking ability, but at 5-foot-9 and 174 pounds, he projects at the same position as Harvin and Wright. Patterson (6-foot-3), Allen (6-3), Hunter (6-4) and Patton (6-2) are built more like edge receivers.

Patterson ran a 4.42 in the 40 at the combine, Hunter a 4.44 and Patton a 4.53. Allen did not run.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_ ... -and-draft