Andrew Sendejo not making starter money (Report)

Andrew Sendejo was given a new contract reported to be worth $16 million over four years, but the breakdown suggests he has little chance of seeing all the money.

What is the real value of the contract safety Andrew Sendejo reportedly is signing with the Minnesota Vikings?

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported the contract was worth $16 million over four years. Those numbers seemed to suggest that Sendejo was being signed for starter money and the Vikings would therefore not pursue a top free agent safety this year.

However, further revelations about the true value of the contract suggest that Sendejo is not making starter money and the Vikings could still go after a free agent safety.

According to Paul Allen of KFAN, Sendejo’s deal is very team-friendly and the real value of it is something in the neighborhood of $4-$6 million over two years. KSTP’s Darren Wolfson indicated something similar over the weekend.

In other words, Sendejo’s deal is in line with what you would expect a backup/key special teams player to receive.

So what have we learned this morning? We’ve learned that Sendejo’s deal should not necessarily be taken as an indicator of the Vikings’ free agent plans at safety.

It looks as though the Vikings may still be in the market for a safety when free agency opens on Wednesday. The top prize in the minds of Viking fans (and most others) is Bengals free agent George Iloka.

Recently, Iloka said in an interview that he would “love” to be reunited with his former coach Mike Zimmer.

If Iloka isn’t the target, the Vikings could go after another Bengals safety, Reggie Nelson. Iloka is younger and better, but Nelson would presumably be cheaper.

Should Iloka and Nelson both slip through the Vikings’ fingers, they could choose to pursue a lesser free agent like Tashaun Gipson, Husain Abdullah or David Bruton.

Next: Five moves the Vikings should make

Keep in mind of course that the Vikings also are expected to sign safety Harrison Smith to a new, very large long-term contract. How much money does Rick Spielman want to commit to the safety position?

George Iloka is still the brass ring, but the Vikings might be better off pursing a less-expensive alternative whose skills complement those of Harrison Smith. And if the Vikes can’t find a free agent safety they like, at least they have the old stand-by Andrew Sendejo. Who is not making $16 million.