To hell with the NFL's tampering rules. The Vikings wasted no time on the first day of free agency, signing safety Madieu Williams to a 6-year contract that includes $13 million guaranteed. The parameters of the deal were believed to be in place sometime Thursday evening before free agency was set to begin. Williams spent the first 4 years of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite their wretched defense over that time, Madieu was one of the bright spots and a strength of their team. He is noted for his coverage skills, an aspect that has been missing from the Vikes safeties the past few years. Williams is not the most physical player in the world but he will certainly be an upgrade over his predecessor Dwight Smith. Smith's matador tactics led to many missed tackles in the secondary and his replacement should improve the team in that area. Madieu is also known for his strong character. He is active in the community and the Madieu Williams Foundation works towards helping kids make smart and healthy decisions both on and off the field. Hopefully Williams' attitude permeates throughout the Vikings locker room.
Shortly thereafter the team agreed to terms with fullback Thomas Tapeh. Tapeh is a familiar face as he spent 4 years in the backfield for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and played his high school football at St. Paul Johnson. Fullback is a key position in Brad Childress' West Coast Offense and Tapeh is expected to lead block for Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. The move likely signals that veteran Tony Richardson is out the door as it appears there is no room on the roster for him.
The whirlwind of action did not end there. Wide Receiver Bernard Berrian was flown in for a visit courtesy of Owner Zygi Wilf's private jet. Berrian arrived at Winter Park sometime during the afternoon and it is believed that a substantial offer was put on the table. Nothing has been agreed to at this point and it is likely that Berrian and his agent will still visit with other teams, possibly the 49ers, Raiders, and the Titans. As one of the top free agents on the market it is likely that he will make a decision this weekend.
The team also made a play for a QB upgrade. A 3rd rounder in the upcoming draft was offered to Houston in exchange for QB Sage Rosenfels. Rosenfels played well in extended action this past season while starter Matt Schaub was down with an injury. He sports a career 82.0 QB rating, albeit in limited action. As of last night the teams had hit a snag in their discussions, with the Texans demanding a 2-rounder for the 29 year old quarterback, a price the Vikings were unwilling to match. But as of this morning it appeared that talks were back on and there were even rumors that a deal was already in place. Adding Rosenfels would be a sage move for the team (pun intended) as he would bring experience and much needed depth to the position. At the very least he would push incumbent Tarvaris Jackson with the potential to overtake him and be the team's starting QB for the 2008 season. Were Rosenfels to lose the training camp battle, he would still be a monumental upgrade over 2007's backups Kelly Holcomb and Brooks Bollinger. Nothing is set in stone at this point but the possibility of acquiring Rosenfels is an intriguing one, especially considering the team has two 3rd round picks to work with.
If they fail to come to an agreement with the Texans, it is likely that they will turn their attention to Buffalo's J.P. Losman. Losman is a bust as a 1st round pick but he has shown flashes of solid play and would come at a cheaper price than the Texans are asking for. Losman would arrive in a backup role but would certainly have the opportunity to earn a starting gig. He holds many of the same traits of Jackson. That is not a compliment at this point, but he has all the physical tools to succeed, much like T-Jax, and it is just a matter of him figuring it out between the ears.
Defensive End Justin Smith is also expected in Winter Park tomorrow after meeting with the 49ers and Dolphins today. The first day has already been a busy one and more action should take place in the next few days. Stay tuned.
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