If somebody speculates on a free agent or draft prospect the Vikings might be interested in, The Viking Age catches it for a segment we like to call “Speculation Round-Up.”
How about some speculation on a Viking free agent who may land elsewhere? This one is a bit of a surprise. Evan Silva of Rotoworld predicts Erin Henderson will leave the Vikes and land with the New York Jets on a 3-year/$10.5 million contract. Silva believes Henderson would make a quality replacement for outgoing linebacker Bart Scott. Mind you this is not Silva conveying some insider knowledge, it’s just him predicting. I have to believe the Vikings themselves are still the front-runners for Henderson but you never know. Maybe a market is growing for him. He is considered an up-and-comer. And he’s young and relatively cheap.
Staying with Silva’s column: The scribe runs down 11 “bargain bin” free agents and predicts where each will land. He has not a single one of them coming to the Vikings. Will the free agent season really be that uneventful for the purple?
Adam Schefter said on SportsCenter this morning that Marques Colston will likely be leaving the Saints. No potential landing spot is listed. If the Vikings can’t sign Vincent Jackson, Colston could be their #2 receiver target. Dwayne Bowe was franchise tagged so he’s no longer an option.
Dan Connor has been mentioned – by me among others – as a potential E.J. Henderson replacement. If the Vikings indeed want Connor they may have to outbid the Eagles.
The cornerback market got thinned some by franchise tagging but there are still some good ones out there. The two best are probably Brandon Carr and Cortland Finnegan. Adam Schefter reiterated today that Carr will be targeted by the Cowboys. And Finnegan? Gregg Rosenthal has the Vikings in the mix for him along with the Cowboys, Bears and Buccaneers.
Speaking of the Bears…it looks like they will go hard after Vincent Jackson. And so may the Bills (even though they just re-signed Steve Johnson). And possibly the Redskins. Needless to say, Vincent Jackson got very lucky hitting the market this offseason. Huge receiver demand plus a supply shrunk by franchise tagging will equal a titanic payday for V-Jax. I’m not very optimistic about the Vikings’ chances to outbid all those teams. I wouldn’t set my heart on V-Jax if I’m a Viking fan.
Pete Prisco this morning listed five free agents he thinks would be nice bargains. The whole list is defensive tackles and safeties. I’m intrigued by two: Jaguars safety Dwight Lowery and Bengals defensive tackle Pat Sims. Prisco also warns teams to stay away from Carlos Rogers.
Mayock Section
Mike Mayock says Stephen Hill’s college drops won’t hurt his draft stock. Hill is being compared to Calvin Johnson. He probably won’t be on the board when the Vikings pick in the second.
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