Luft’s Locker Room

Breaking News: Antoine Winfield, beloved Pro Bowl cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings still does not have a contract extension in place and signed.  Who out there in the Vikings blogosphere can tell us a good reason why?

Sean Jensen today in an article entitled, Antoine Winfield frustrated by Minnesota Vikings’ mixed signals, writes about the whole situation.

Words from the Vikings have always been like this:

[O]n June 17, player personnel vice president Rick Spielman said Winfield is “an important part of our defense” and that the club was going to do “everything we can to keep” him.

Back in May Coach Childress said,

“[He would have liked to] have that deal done yesterday”

The man is a Pro Bowler and a pivotal key to the defense being #1 against the run for an NFL record tying three years in a row.  Here are some possible reasons he has yet to be re-signed that I can come up with.  Tell me yours.

Reason 1 – He is 32.  So, the Vikings are about to hire an almost 40 year old quarterback and think nothing of it.  It isn’t like there has been a noticeable decline in play like with Darren Sharper or Matt Birk left to run their contracts out and pursue love out on the free agent market.

Reason 2 – He has this season left on his contract and he will be an old 33 in 2010.  True, but that will lead to the same situation as Sharper and Birk.  Remember the Vikes made a last minute offer through talks to Birk, but they ended up falling on deaf ears.

Reason 3 – Vikings need the money to pay that almost 40 year quarterback listed in reason 1.  Well, the way Sean Jensen figured it out, back in May no less that it would work.

The question has been posed about whether the Vikings could afford to pay both Antoine Winfield and quarterback Brett Favre.

The simple answer is yes.

Let’s say the Vikings sign Winfield to a four-year, $32 million extension that includes $16 million in guarantees (the deal Domonique Foxworth got). The guarantees would be spread over four years. Then that $4 million hit for 2009 would be added to his 2009 base salary. If he got a $2 million base salary, Winfield’s total cap number would be about $6 million.

The Vikings’ rookie pool will be a couple of million (perhaps $3 million).

That leaves about $10 million for Favre.

Reason 4 – He isn’t as popular as you think.  I haven’t heard that before.  No, he is only the “pound for pound” best hitter in the NFL.  Every Vikings fan I know loves his play and he has never been an off field embarrassment or lightning rod of negative controversy.

So again, why haven’t the Vikings worked out an agreeable extension for Winfield?  There are only two possible explanations.  First, that they feel it is best for business to go younger after the season.  It would be cheaper to pay someone like Marcus McCauley, still on his rookie contract basically freeing up about 6 million next year.  Second (and most disturbing), the money that has been agreed to by Brett Favre and the Vikings have pushed the Vikings to the point where a deal with Winfield would put them over the cap.

Antoine Winfield is a team leader and has been since Mike Tice recruited him out of Buffalo in 2004.  He is a “core” player that the defensive team was built around, so why is this deal not done?

“I know where I want to play,” Winfield said. “I want to be in Minnesota. I love the defense. I love my teammates. I love the city.”

Rob Brzezinski needs to work his magic, and give Winfield his wish to be in Minnesota.  End his frustration and that of all us fans.  …Please!  But wait, is there a better option?  I asked my best friend and writer of The Purple Buckeye himself what he thought.  (After all, Antoine was a Buckeye and is a Viking.)

I think age is the primary reason, but comparing him to the Favre situation is apples and oranges.  Favre is a one shot deal–make a run to try and win the Super Bowl this year with a full understanding from both parties that he won’t be around next year.  Yeah, he’s forty, but he’s still better than anything the Vikes have under center.  One year only?  Yeah, do it, knowing you’ve got backups that can come in and do the job.

Winfield is a guy that is 32, and north of 30 RB’s, DB’s, and WR’s tend to decline pretty quickly.  For some guys it’s 31, some guys, it’s 35, but it happens.  Winfield is a bastard against the run, but was exposed a little bit in coverage last year.  If you sign Winfield to a 3 or 4 yr, $30+ million extension, you’re doing it for a guy whose skills you know for a fact will decline, probably significantly, over the course of the deal.  You can almost make the argument that the Vikings have already drafted Winfield’s replacement in Allen Asher, and how both he and Winfield play in 2009 will go a long way in determining whether or not Winfield wears purple next season.

I love Winfield.  I love the passion he brings to the game, I love his fearlessness, leadership, and the fact that he was a Buckeye.  But the NFL is a business, and I don’t see the Vikes committing a lot of money to him over a four year period.

Great reply and you are right, but that is the logical business approach, no different than with Sharper or an even more loved (from a fan’s perspective) Birk.  We shall get year 32 out of him then start McCauley or Asher as you suggest, or someone else.  …But is that what Vikings fans want?

What do you want?

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