Vikings cut longtime LT McKinnie; ex-Colt Johnson takes over

MANKATO, Minn. -- Bryant McKinnie spent nine years as the mainstay on the Minnesota Vikings' offensive line, never really becoming the dominant force he was expected to be but still giving the team almost a decade of solid performances.

When McKinnie showed up to training camp in Mankato woefully out of shape after the summer-long lockout, the Vikings decided to cut ties with the former No. 7 overall draft pick and start over at one of the most important positions on the team.

"This decision, while not an easy one, is in the best interests of our football team as we move forward preparing for the season," Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said in a statement issued Tuesday by the team. "We appreciate Bryant's contributions to the Vikings and we wish him the best in the future."

The Vikings placed McKinnie on the non-football injury list at the start of training camp, and Frazier was vague about the reason for it. He hinted that McKinnie's weight had something to do with the issue and said Tuesday morning that he hoped to have the issue resolved soon.

Frazier met with team officials in the afternoon and informed McKinnie of the move, which will save the Vikings $5.4 million against the salary cap this season and help them get below the $120 million limit. The Vikings signed free-agent left tackle Charlie Johnson on Monday, paving the way for McKinnie's exit.

McKinnie's placement on the non-football injury list also means he likely will not be paid about $750,000 in workout and roster bonuses that were included in his contract.

"Its been fun," McKinnie wrote on Twitter.

So ended an era of sorts in Minnesota. The Vikings drafted McKinnie out of the University of Miami in 2002, picturing him as the next great left tackle in the NFL. He held out for half of his rookie season, but he immediately stepped in as the starter after signing his contract.

Incredibly agile for a guy who is 6-foot-8 and over 340 pounds, McKinnie helped make things easier for Adrian Peterson and was partially responsible for six of the top eight rushing seasons in franchise history.

McKinnie was voted to the Pro Bowl after the 2009 season, but he didn't show up for practices and was scratched from the game, eventually having to pay back almost $5,000 in travel expenses to the NFL.

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It would be hard to view McKinnie as a disappointment given that he never missed a game to injury during his time in Minnesota and gave the Vikings nine years at one of the most demanding positions in the game. But there always will be the sense that the immensely talented McKinnie could have been better.

Last season, McKinnie appeared to regress during a 6-10 season, and he admitted to being a little too heavy by season's end. He vowed to work hard in the offseason and return in top physical condition, but the lockout prevented him from staying in touch with coaches and doing any work at the team's facility in Minnesota.

McKinnie stayed at his home in Miami most of the offseason, working on his budding music career and prolifically tweeting about his social life on South Beach.

Now the Vikings likely will turn to the 27-year-old Johnson, who started 54 games for the Indianapolis Colts and protected Peyton Manning's blind side in 2008 and 2009. In Minnesota, Johnson will be charged with keeping new quarterback Donovan McNabb clean.

"I feel like that's what they brought me in for, was to come in and compete and try to get one of those five spots on the line," Johnson said Tuesday morning, before the McKinnie move was announced. "So, I'm not going to sit back and try to bide my time and wait. I'm going to come in and compete and see what happens."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Vikings, McNabb work out contract to seal trade with 'Skins

Donovan McNabb's arrival in Minnesota has been a rumored scenario for at least five years, ever since Brad Childress left the Philadelphia Eagles to take over the Vikings in 2006.

Childress is long gone now, but another former Eagles assistant -- new Vikings coach Leslie Frazier -- helped make those rumors a reality Wednesday, just in time for McNabb to help bridge the gap from Brett Favre to rookie Christian Ponder.

The Vikings acquired McNabb from the Redskins for a sixth-round draft pick in 2012 and a conditional sixth-rounder in 2013, two people with knowledge of the transaction told The Associated Press.

In order to make the trade happen, McNabb had to agree to re-work the five-year, $78 million contract he signed with the Redskins because the Vikings didn't have enough salary-cap room for him with the way the deal is structured. NFL Network insider Michael Lombardi confirmed that a restructured deal was in place, but the terms weren't immediately available.

McNabb gives the Vikings a veteran quarterback while they groom Ponder, who was drafted 12th overall out of Florida State in April, to be the team's long-term answer at the position. The original preference for Frazier and the Vikings was to have Ponder start Week 1 in San Diego, with a capable veteran backup there just in case.

But that was before the NFL lockout prevented players from working out with coaches all summer and put Ponder behind schedule in his development. That made it more important for the Vikings to add an accomplished, experienced quarterback they believe can win games with a roster full of veterans while Ponder gets up to speed.

From the sounds of it, Ponder isn't conceding anything just yet.

"Excited to have McNabb join," Ponder wrote Wednesday morning on Twitter. "Will learn a lot from a Pro Bowler. But that doesn't mean I'm not still fighting to start week 1!"

The trade ends a tumultuous one-year run in Washington for McNabb. The 12-year veteran was benched twice last season and threw 14 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions in 13 games. He completed 58 percent of his passes for 3,377 yards, and his agent, Fletcher Smith, publicly sparred with coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

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Even before the deal was completed, some Redskins players already were treating McNabb's departure as a foregone conclusion. The writing has been on the wall for some time in Washington, and news of the discussions with the Vikings only served to validate that feeling.

"You see a guy that's been a Pro Bowler six times," Redskins linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said. "He was going to come in and really help us win more games, but it didn't work out. Relationships broke down, and now he's not here, but you can't really focus on that. You've got to continue to move forward."

Childress coached McNabb in Philadelphia from 1999 to 2005 before leaving to become the coach in Minnesota. From the minute Childress arrived in the Twin Cities, it was assumed that McNabb would one day join him in purple.

But McNabb stayed put with the Eagles, and the Vikings coaxed Favre out of retirement -- twice. Favre led the Vikings to the NFC title game after the 2009 season, but he had a disastrous, injury- and scandal-plagued campaign in 2010 as Minnesota sunk to the bottom of the NFC North.

When Frazier took over as the full-time head coach in January, he said it was time for the team to end its penchant for bringing in retreads and past-their-prime veterans and develop a young quarterback from the start.

The Vikings surprised many when they drafted Ponder so early in the first round and immediately said he would compete for the starting job right away.

Ponder was billed as the most NFL-ready quarterback in the 2011 class, but not being able to work with new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and most of his teammates at various minicamps and organized team activities throughout the summer makes it a bigger challenge for him to be ready to start Sept. 11 in San Diego.

Ponder said last week during a workout at the University of Minnesota that he still was aiming to be the starter from Day 1.

"That's what I'm pushing for," he said. "That's what I'm hoping for. So we'll see what happens."

Bringing in McNabb does show veterans such as Adrian Peterson, Antoine Winfield, Jared Allen and Kevin Williams that the team is still in a "win now" mode, and it was unclear Wednesday night just how the pecking order at quarterback will play out.

"I would have loved to have him back here," Alexander said. "But things just didn't turn out the right way, and he'll go on and eventually be a Hall of Famer."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jackson confident in his abilities as he moves beyond Vikings

For Tavaris Jackson, it's quite simple. The Minnesota Vikings aren't giving him a chance to be their starting quarterback, so it's time for him to find a new home.

"It's probably time for a change," Jackson told The Star Tribune on Tuesday. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to play up here the last five years. ... (But) I'm not trying to be a backup. I'm trying to go somewhere where I have a chance, and I don't feel like I'd get that chance here. It's time to move on. No hard feelings or anything. It's a business."

When the Vikings selected Jackson in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft, he was viewed as a raw player who had the skills to develop into a star. But Jackson never found consistent success as a starter in 2007 or 2008, and he was moved into the background when the team acquired Brett Favre before the 2009 season.

Favre's retirement ostensibly opened the door for Jackson to return to a starting role in 2011, but the Vikings showed their hand when they drafted Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder 12th overall in April. Minnesota didn't offer Jackson a contract before the NFL lockout, another sign the team had moved on at quarterback.

The decision to draft Ponder was met with derision from some Vikings fans, and Jackson says he can sympathize with how Ponder may feel about that.

"Since Day 1, I don't really think I was really welcome here anyways, because nobody really knew who I was, being from a smaller school," said Jackson, who attended Alabama State. "A lot more things probably play into it, too. It's just the way things are. I can't help that."

Asked to elaborate on his comments about the fans, Jackson added: "Just the way things happened, like the way I was thrown into there, the way where it was me or Brett (Favre) or all this stuff. Just a lot of different things played into it that kind of soured our relationship. Fans are going to be fans."

On-field performance likely also played a role in Jackson's reception from fans. He was 10-11 in 21 starts with the Vikings, including the playoffs, and he threw 24 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions.

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Jackson, 28, is moving forward, and he has been participating in workouts organized by Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald at the University of Minnesota. He has been moving well in the workouts, according to the Star Tribune, and appears fully healed from the foot injury that put him on injured reserve at the end of last season.

Jackson is talking like a player who knows his career is at the crossroads, and he's trying to do something about it.

"This reminds me of me transferring from Arkansas to Alabama State," he said. "Like (I have a) sour taste left in my mouth. It really, really motivated me to try to get to the NFL, and it really motivated me to try to be the best. I think this situation, the ways things happened here, it adds a lot of fuel to the fire."

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Vikings' Ponder wants to start but willing to learn from veteran

Rookie quarterback Christian Ponder, the Minnesota Vikings' first-round draft pick, told KFAN-AM that he's gunning to become the team's starting quarterback this season, but he understands the thought process behind possibly bringing in a veteran.

"Obviously, I think everyone in my position would love to start Week 1," Ponder told the radio station last week. "It's the competitor in me, and something I've always dreamed of was starting in the NFL, and I want to do it ASAP. But obviously there are some reasons behind bringing a guy in, and obviously there's some definite pros to it. If they still bring in a guy, it's going to be someone who knows what he's doing. It will give me a lot to learn from and help me out.

"But at the same time, I want to definitely start Week 1. So, we'll see what happens, and whatever happens, I'll be completely fine with it. I think the coaches are going to make the best decision for me personally."

Ponder, a former Florida State star, said his offseason training at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., has helped him learn NFL verbiage and play-calling in a minicamp-style setting.

"There's probably 15 to 20 guys here at IMG and some guys that are in college, some guys are in the NFL and they are coming out and catching routes," Ponder said. "We had some guys that came in that were from the Vikings a couple of weeks ago and we did the same thing when they were here. (Vikings wideout) Manny Arceneaux is down here full time. ... (Vikings tight end Visanthe) Shiancoe was just down here for a couple of days this week ... I got to work with him a bit as well."

Shiancoe joined Ponder and Vikings quarterback Joe Webb, who was forced into starting as a rookie late last season because of injuries to Minnesota's other signal-callers. Ponder and Webb likely would compete for the starting job if the Vikings don't add a veteran quarterback.

"We really went over the playbook," Shiancoe told NFL Network's Jason La Canfora last week.

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"Visanthe is a freak," Ponder said of Shiancoe's athleticism.

Ponder told the radio station that he has kept an eye on labor talks during the NFL lockout, and he can't wait to get going once things are settled.

"I've definitely been following it," Ponder said. "It's just too hard to tell (when the lockout will end) because there's not enough details being released and everyone is being optimistic about it. Then you hear comments here and there that say not to be optimistic about it because we are a long way away, so it's too hard to tell. I want to be optimistic about it, and hopefully things are going to end soon. But at the same time, I don't want to get my hopes up and nothing happens. ... Hopefully it clears up in the next couple weeks. So we'll see."

Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson is waiting to see what Ponder can bring to the offense, The Star Tribune reported Monday, citing ESPN.

"I really don't know much about the guy," Peterson told ESPN earlier this month. "I've heard nothing but good things about him. I've watched him a little bit at Florida State. One thing I have noticed is he's smart with the ball, he's very accurate and just taking the surrounding cast we have as far as receivers -- Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, Shiancoe -- I feel like he'll be able to do enough to get us there.

"We all have our part to do to contribute. I'm definitely going to do my part. So I'm going to do the best I can to make it easy on him, (being as how) he's a first-year guy and we'll see how he responds."

With the lockout in its fourth month, Peterson refused to count out Webb in the team's quarterback battle -- or the addition of a veteran passer.

"Obviously (Brett) Favre is retired, we've got some guys returning -- Joe Webb," Peterson said. "When you draft a quarterback (as high as Ponder), I'm sure you would assume that he's going to come in as the starter. The lockout is still in effect, and it's still undetermined when the season is going to start. I don't know how we throw a young guy into the fire like that. To just start.

"To be able to sit here and tell you who exactly is going to start, it's a long stretch for me to pick. I'm sure whenever the lockout is lifted and we start where there is some type of training camp, the best player will be on the field."

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Leber wonders if he'll return to Vikings after lockout ends

Ben Leber, one of the 10 plaintiffs in the Brady et al v. National Football League et al case, said last week that he believes the lockout will end in time so as not to disrupt the regular-season schedule.

The question for Leber now is, will the unrestricted free-agent linebacker return to the Minnesota Vikings for a sixth season? The 10-year veteran told The Star Tribune on Monday he isn't so sure despite he and his wife's desire to remain in the Twin Cities.

"The reality is if they were really, really wanting me back, then maybe something would have been said before the lockout," said Leber, who frequently has been involved in talks between the players and owners during the lockout. "I had a good meeting with Coach (Leslie) Frazier and (vice president of player personnel Rick) Spielman at the end of the year. Each side expressed how much I'd like to be here and finish my career here. I am hopeful and hope that I can come back and be a Viking again. But I'm also a realist, and I've been through this process before. It's not always up to you, and you have to be willing to move on."

Leber, who's considered a leader on the Vikings' defense, has started for the past five seasons since signing with Minnesota after playing his first four seasons for the San Diego Chargers. Whenever the lockout ends, the free-agent period is expected to be brief and frenzied.

"I get a little anxiety about it," said Leber, who held his annual football camp at St. Thomas University in St. Paul last week. "I do wonder how it's all going to play out, and I'm a little worried about how crazy it's going to be. Thinking about it from a family perspective. Having a newborn at home (a 3-month old son) and how is that going to play out? Am I going to be gone traveling maybe team to team looking for a potential place to play?

"Is it going to be one of those things where you sign on the dotted line and you go to training camp the next day and be gone for another month? All those things my wife and I have talked about, and at the end of the conversation, we're just like, 'Well, we don't know. We can't sit here and waste time speculating.' So I guess whatever happens, happens and we'll roll with it when we get there."

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Ponder would prefer to work out with Vikings teammates

Rookie quarterback Christian Ponder told Minnesota's KFAN radio Tuesday that his personal workouts are going well, but what he really wants to do is work out with his new Vikings teammates in Minnesota.

"(Linebacker) Chad Greenway had mentioned coming up there and doing some stuff up there," Ponder said. "I think that's important for me to get up there."

He added, laughing, "The biggest problem right now is that I don't have any money. The plan is to get up there some time and find somewhere to live. But with a lockout I'm not getting paid. But I know at some point I'll get up there and spend some time with those guys."

The Star Tribune reported Tuesday a group of Vikings veterans, including offensive linemen Steve Hutchinson, John Sullivan and tight end Jim Kleinsasser, are working out together in the Twin Cities four days a week.

Ponder is particularly interested in working with the Vikings' receivers, especially Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian, none of whom participated in a workout in Florida last week.

"We've already talked to those guys, and sometime soon we'll be getting together," Ponder said. "It will happen, and it will be good. Obviously they're some big-time guys I want to get my timing down with and everything. So we'll get together at some point."

Ponder, the 12th overall selection in April's draft, said his time working with fellow Florida State alum Chris Weinke at the IMG Madden Football Academy in Bradenton, Fla., has been beneficial.

"Actually me and Chris have done some things -- he's fixed some things in my mechanics and I'm throwing the ball extremely well," Ponder said. "That's one (reason) why I'm excited for the season to get started so I can get back out there and really play."

But playing -- or even practicing -- is not as easy with the lingering lockout. Ponder said the labor situation his hindering his development, particularly as he eyes a Vikings starting job vacated by the retired Brett Favre.

"I definitely don't think it's helping me," he said. "I need as much time and practice as I can get. It's good what I'm doing now. But it's completely different when you're going against defenses and you're getting coaching from (offensive coordinator Bill) Musgrave and being with your teammates. I definitely don't think it's helping me."

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Frazier: Vikings will be prepared once the lockout ends

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. -- As one of a handful of clubs with new coaches and a new offense to install, the Minnesota Vikings stand to lose plenty from the lingering lockout.

The labor impasse has taken away valuable offseason development time.

Oh, and they have a quarterback to break in, too, whether it's first-round draft pick Christian Ponder or a veteran they could sign once the owners and players forge an agreement to allow free agency to begin.

Coach Leslie Frazier won't buy this behind-the-eight-ball theory for his Vikings. Extra pressure to catch up whenever the work stoppage ends is merely perceived, Frazier insisted.

"You look forward to bringing everybody together and kind of shaping and molding your team and creating the culture that you want on your team, and when that time comes we'll be able to get that done," Frazier said, adding: "Not a real mystery as to how our team would look. The fortunate thing for me is I'm familiar with a lot of our roster, and that helps me a lot."

Frazier spoke Wednesday at Rush Creek Golf Club before the team's annual charity golf event to benefit the Vikings Children's Fund.

"Our organization has done a lot of right things in my mind, as far as handling this lockout in the right way and preparing us for some of the things that are going to come," Frazier said. "We talked through some things yesterday with our ownership and just went through some of the different scenarios. So I feel confident that when the time comes -- because of the leadership that we have on our offense, our defense, our special teams, our staff -- that we'll be ready to go."

Put in charge when Brad Childress was fired last November, and coaching the Vikings for the final six games of that disappointing and tumultuous 2010 season, Frazier had a leg up on the job when he was hired as the coach in January.

Ponder has much to learn about his receivers, and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave needs time to teach the plays.

"We're at a serious disadvantage having a new quarterback and a new offense without practice and coaching," wide receiver Greg Camarillo said last week from Bradenton, Fla., where he worked out with Ponder and a small group of Vikings teammates.

All they can do is be as ready as possible.

"That's our job. If you're not ready for it, I don't feel bad for you," defensive end Brian Robison said recently.

Robison has been doing mixed martial arts workouts near his home in Texas.

"Hopefully everybody is busting their butt to get there, and we're able to hit the ground running when the time comes," he said.

Frazier said the organization is "still discussing" a drop-dead date for committing to or canceling training camp at Minnesota State University in Mankato if the lockout remains in place. School starts there Aug. 22, so a delayed out-of-town camp is unlikely.

The other contingency plans pertain to free agency, where the Vikings will turn for help at several positions, possibly including quarterback.

One of the biggest unknowns is exactly which players will be on the market, given the uncertainty about eligibility requirements -- could be four years, could be six of experience -- in the collective bargaining agreement.

"Whether or not it's a six-year plan or a five-year plan and even guys that are at the end of four, we have a list and we've identified the guys that we think fit what we're looking for if we choose to go that route," Frazier said. "We haven't made a decision that we're going to go with a veteran quarterback, but we have an idea, based on the list we've put together, if we went that route who we'd target."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Vikings support owners despite lockout's effect on QB picture

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Greenway says there's good chance Leber will exit Vikings

Ben Leber's status as a free agent has placed him firmly in NFL limbo this offseason, and at least one Minnesota Vikings teammate doesn't foresee a return to purple and gold for the veteran linebacker.

"The reality of (Leber's status) is certainly uncertain," linebacker Chad Greenway said in an interview with KFAN-AM. "I would say there is a better percentage of him not being here than him being here. But again, that's not my hope."

Leber, 32, is coming off his fifth season with the Vikings. He began his career with the San Diego Chargers, who selected him in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He has played in every regular-season game but one during his tenure with the Vikings. Last season, he finished with 35 tackles, but he was held without a sack for the first time in his career.

Greenway made it clear he'd like Leber to return for a sixth season in Minnesota.

"Well, I hope he stays," Greenway said. "I think he's a great player and certainly a great teammate. Would love to have him around for another few years, as long as he wants to play."

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Rookie QB Ponder, Vikings begin three-day workouts at IMG

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Smack in the middle of baseball spring-training country, IMG headquarters has become the unofficial headquarters of the Minnesota Vikings' offseason workouts.

With music blaring, the energy is crackling here, where a half dozen Vikings players have come -- with more on the way -- to take advantage of IMG's state-of-the-art training facilities. Rookie QB Christian Ponder has invited his new teammates to work on the Vikings' playbook.

Ponder said he was the first Vikings player to receive the playbook from new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave during the one-day window last month when a federal judge lifted the NFL lockout and coaches were allowed to make contact with their players.

Ponder said he went to Kinkos to make copies of the playbook for his teammates, and was careful to do the work himself, not letting the pages leave his sight. The end result? The 12th overall pick in last month's draft is now tasked with delivering Musgrave's playbook to the likes of Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice, Bernard Berrian and Visanthe Shiancoe, all of whom are expected to join quarterback Joe Webb, rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph and others for workouts during the the next three days.

Ponder said he thinks he's read enough of the playbook that, if put through a normal NFL practice, he already could call half the plays.

The variety of athletes from all over the world and from different sports training at IMG makes for an interesting dynamic.

NFL players, sometimes putting up 400 pounds or more on the bench press, are surrounded by 14-year-old tennis players as well as some NBA draft hopefuls from smaller schools.

Jeff Dillman, IMG's head strength and conditioning coach, said the facility played host to three first-round quarterbacks (2011 top overall pick Cam Newton, Ponder and Tampa Bay's Josh Freeman) in one afternoon last week, on the football field next to a baseball facility where former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher and free agent Jamie Moyer was rehabbing, which was next to a weight room where future tennis and golf stars were trying to get bigger, faster and stronger.

"There's nowhere else in the world where this is happening," Dillman said.

Also here is former Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, who went undrafted last month. Herzlich said it has been great working out with Ponder and Rudolph, two guys he "hated" to play against in college.

Herzlich has already turned down the UFL. He said he has not been contacted by any NFL teams but has 10 to 11 in mind as possible landing spots. He said he plans on being the Cam Newton of free agency, as the first undrafted player signed, once teams are permitted to do so.

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Allen understands contract situation facing Edwards, Vikings

Jared Allen believes Ray Edwards is "deserving of a contract" and that "you can't blame the guy for trying to get everything he's worth," but he's prepared for his fellow defensive end to leave the Minnesota Vikings.

"It's not my place to get involved," Allen, an three-time All-Pro, told The Star Tribune on Friday. "Management will do what it's got to do. Ray will do what he's got to do. I can say Ray's a good player. A vital part of the defensive line."

Edwards, who has 29.5 sacks for Minnesota in five seasons, has said if he isn't declared an unrestricted free agent for 2011, he won't play for the restricted free-agent tender of $2.8 million. He also has said he won't play for less than the three-year, $14 million-plus contract the Vikings gave his backup, Brian Robison.

Edwards has pursued a boxing career during the lockout and won his debut fight a week ago in Hinckley, Minn.

"Is Ray deserving of a big contract? I think he's deserving of a contract," Allen said. "So management will do what they feel is best for the team, and Ray will do what he feels is best for himself in his career. And then you go from there.

"That's just the business side of things. You got one shot to make as much money as you can to retire off of. You can't blame the guy for trying to get everything he's worth, especially if there's guys who are making more money for him."

Allen noted that he was in a similar situation as Edwards when he was in Kansas City, which traded him to Minnesota following the 2007 season -- when he led the NFL with 15.5 sacks and was an All-Pro -- rather than give him a big contract. The Vikings gave Allen a six-year, $73.26 million deal, and he has recorded 40 sacks in three seasons and was a first-team All-Pro in 2008 and 2009.

If he's playing opposite Robison next season, Allen is fine with it -- "Brian's obviously a good player ... a versatile guy who can play inside and out ... a heck of an athlete," he said -- but he thinks highly of Edwards, too.

"Ray has a presence on that field, so it makes it a little easier for me," Allen said. "If Ray doesn't show up, I'm sure I'll see a few more double-teams than I already see. ... But I also think that's one position we'll be OK at."

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L.A. stadium not subject of Vikings' meeting with AEG boss

AEG CEO Tim Leiweke was in Minneapolis this week and met with Vikings officials, setting off speculation that owner Zygi Wilf might be considering having his team fill the company's proposed downtown Los Angeles stadium.

Although that possibility might not be entirely off the table, it's far from the reason that Leiweke was in town.

A source with intimate knowledge of the situation said Thursday that Leiweke's Minnesota trip was to tend to business with Target Center, the home of the NBA's Timberwolves and a property managed by AEG. Leiweke has an existing relationship with the Wilf family and the Vikings, which prompted the meeting while the CEO happened to be in the area.

The Wilfs primarily were inquiring about the idea of developing an entertainment district around a new stadium in Minnesota. AEG recently has developed such projects in London, Edmonton and Kansas City, and it built the LA Live complex adjacent to Staples Center, home to the NBA's Lakers and NHL's Kings and at the epicenter of the proposed NFL stadium.

The Vikings on May 10 announced a deal with suburban Ramsey County to collaborate on a $1.1 billion retractable-roof stadium, but they are still seeking funding to build. The team's lease at the Metrodome expires after the 2011 season.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press first reported the meeting between Leiweke and the Wilfs.

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Pat Williams says Frazier told him Vikings want him to return

The Minnesota Vikings might have their vaunted Williams Wall for one more season after all.

Pat Williams, who'll be a free agent once the NFL lockout ends, now pegs his chances of returning to the Vikings as 50-50, he told The Star Tribune on Friday night, just before teammate Ray Edwards' boxing debut in Hinckley, Minn.

Williams, 38, said he talked to Vikings coach Leslie Frazier last month during the short time that the lockout was lifted by a Minnesota court, and the defensive tackle received assurances that the team wants him to return. Williams previously said he didn't trust the Vikings, with whom he has spent six seasons after eight years with the Buffalo Bills.

"It's just guys up in the office, man," Williams said when The Star Tribune asked him whom he didn't trust. "You know how the front office is. It's just certain guys up in the office. I don't have a problem with Coach Frazier. Me and Coach Frazier talked. We talked a lot of times. It's just people up in the office, man. With a lockout going on now, it's all the same. Business."

Williams also said he was cleared to lift weights last week, after he recovered from offseason surgery to fix a torn left triceps. And when he does return, there's the whole matter of a four-game NFL-imposed suspension. In March, the Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the league's right to ban Williams and his linemate, Kevin Williams, after they tested positive for a banned direutic in 2008.

Kevin Williams, 30, decided not to appeal that decision, but Pat Williams isn't giving up.

"We're hoping everything gets solved ... so we don't get suspended, but if we do, we do," Pat Williams told The Star Tribune on Friday.

Kevin Williams jokingly added: "With all this (lockout stuff) going on, maybe they'll forget about it and we can go on with our regular work. If it happens, it happens. I found a great place to work out in Little Rock. I'll be there getting ready and see you in Week 5 if that's the case."

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Vikings DE Griffen wants to put offseason issues behind him

Everson Griffen won't deny that his offseason has been unacceptable. Now the Minnesota Vikings defensive end is trying to show his team that he's back on the right track.

Griffen was arrested twice in the Los Angeles area in January, but he relocated to Minnesota last month to focus on training for a new season, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Saturday.

"I had a little rough stretch," said Griffen, who works out daily with linebacker E.J. Henderson, linebacker Jasper Brinkley and quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. "Coaches want me back, and that's the place for me to be. ... I'm just trying to make changes. I've got big years coming up. I'm just trying to show the Minnesota Vikings I'm here for good."

Griffen was arrested for allegedly being drunk in public and resisting arrest over the course of one week (the charges were later dropped, he said). When the 23-year-old later announced that he was hosting a Facebook-advertised party in Las Vegas, Vikings coach Leslie Frazier intervened. The party was called off after Frazier delivered a clear message on what's expected from Griffen both on and off the field.

"He said, 'Know what you're here for,' " Griffen said. "I'm here to play football. I'm here to represent the Minnesota Vikings, and I want to represent them in a good way, not a bad way."

Griffen was a fourth-round draft pick by the Vikings last year after skipping his senior season at USC, and the team acknowledged his penchant for inconsistent play. But Griffen saw more playing time toward the end of his rookie season and finished with 11 tackles, also playing on special teams. The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder in line to compete for a more significant role in 2011 with starter Ray Edwards on the verge of free agency.

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State lawmakers to consider bill for new Vikings stadium

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings finally got their stadium bill Friday, but with just 45 days left in the legislative session, they must compete for attention from state lawmakers who are mulling deep spending cuts in response to a $5 billion budget shortfall.

The bill is set to be introduced Monday, but its text was released Friday. It proposes spending $300 million in money from state taxpayers to help cover the costs of the Vikings' long-sought replacement for the Metrodome. Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, said she's glad to finally have a proposal for fellow lawmakers and the public to consider.

Despite the shrinking amount of time available, Rosen doesn't believe legislative committees would take up the bill in the next few weeks. She acknowledged the bill leaves many unanswered questions, chief among them which Twin Cities city or county will partner up as a home for the stadium and tap local taxpayers for another portion of the cost.

"I think there's plenty of time to get a Vikings bill done (this year)," Rosen said, noting that a previous bill was introduced last year with just 10 days left in the session. This year, the regular legislative session by law must end by May 23.

The bill would raise money for the stadium with a 10 percent state sales tax on sports memorabilia, along with a sales tax on luxury seats at the new stadium and on digital video recorders, and proceeds from stadium naming rights and a football-themed state lottery game.

The bill doesn't identify a location for the new covered stadium to replace the Metrodome, instead creating a Minnesota stadium authority with members appointed by the governor who will gather site bids from local governments and choose a stadium site by Feb. 15, 2012. The Vikings would be responsible for one-third of costs estimated to reach at least $900 million, plus any cost overruns.

City or county officials interested in the stadium would submit bids that include a financing package for a local share. Aspiring local partners could raise that share with a half-cent increase in their local sales tax, as well as by levying or increasing local sales taxes on liquor, lodging, entertainment, game admission, food and beverage.

So far, only Ramsey County has stepped forward as a potential local partner by offering the site of a former Army ammunition plant about 10 miles north of St. Paul. Vikings officials have expressed a preference for the current Metrodome site for a variety of reasons, but local leaders in Minneapolis and Hennepin County have been more hesitant to embrace the team.

Rosen said the creation of the stadium authority -- it would replace the current Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission -- and the 2012 location deadline will give the Vikings more time to recruit the right local partner.

Lester Bagley, the team's point man on stadium affairs, didn't immediately return a call to The Associated Press seeking comment Friday. He said one week ago that the details in the bill summary amounted to a good beginning framework for a stadium plan.

The Vikings have sought state assistance to build a new stadium for about a decade; their lease at the Metrodome ends after the 2011 season, and team officials have said the nearly 30-year-old venue is no longer sufficiently profitable. The collapse of the Metrodome's roof last December added urgency to the Vikings' pleas, and supporters have raised concerns that failure by the state to help pay for a new stadium could result in the team's relocation.

The Senate bill argues that spending state money on a private enterprise "provides to the state of Minnesota and its citizens highly valued intangible benefits that are virtually impossible to quantify." But so far, leaders of the Legislature's Republican majorities have avoided detailed discussions of the bill, saying the state budget takes precedence.

Gov. Mark Dayton has been more supportive.

"I'm glad the Legislature is taking that step, and I remain hopeful that they'll take the initiative to pass this," he said Friday.

Dayton said lawmakers could easily handle a stadium debate while completing a budget.

"There's plenty of time," he said. "I mean this respectfully -- they're good at multitasking. They do that all the time."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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End of the line? Favre inactive for Vikings' season finale

Brett Favre was the NFL's ultimate iron man for 19 years, inspiring coaches and teammates with unparalleled toughness and thrilling fans with a daredevil's verve and a showman's sense of the moment.

Yet the once-irrepressible Favre never looked older or more fragile than in year No. 20. The magic of last season, and most of his brilliant career, never seemed farther away.

It had to end some time. And Favre says that time is now.

The 41-year-old quarterback sat out Minnesota's season-ending 20-13 loss to the Lions on Sunday with a concussion, and it appears that perhaps the toughest man to ever play in the NFL had his career end not on the field trying to rally the Vikings to another victory, but on the bench as a third-string rookie floundered in Favre's place.

No one -- not even Brett Favre -- can play forever.

"I know it's time, and that's OK. It is," Favre said after the defeat. "Again, I hold no regrets, and I can't think of too many players offhand that can walk away and say that. Individually and from a team standpoint, it was way more than I ever dreamed of."

He also retired in 2008 with the Packers and 2009 with the Jets, only to return to the field both times when the football bug bit him in the summer. He knows that there will be doubters again.

"I don't know for me if it's ever easy," Favre said. "I'm sure throughout this year, the comment has been made that, 'We'll wait and see in August or September' and that's fine. It's time. I'm OK with it."

If this indeed is the end -- for real, this time -- for Favre, one of the most colorful and celebrated careers in league history concluded with a season filled with interceptions, injuries and insults.

He was picked off 19 times this season and his 69.9 quarterback rating is the lowest of his career. The Vikings sunk to the bottom of the NFC North after starting the season with Super Bowl aspirations, coach Brad Childress was fired during the season and Favre was fined $50,000 for failure to cooperate with an NFL investigation into allegations that he sent lewd photos and messages to a team employee when both worked for the New York Jets in 2008.

Favre's reputation took a serious hit from the humiliating scandal, which tarnished the image of one of the league's most popular players. He declined to comment on the fine after the game.

His long-awaited union with receiver Randy Moss also was a spectacular failure and his cherished streak of 297 straight starts ended three weeks ago, with a sprained throwing shoulder making it impossible for Favre to let those famously zip-filled passes rip from his right arm.

And just for good measure, the Metrodome roof caved in to provide a perfect metaphor for Favre and the Vikings' 2010, forcing the Vikings to play "home" games at Detroit and at the University of Minnesota's outdoor stadium in December.

"It's been a wonderful experience for me," Favre said. "This year did not work out the way we would have hoped, but that's football. I don't regret coming back. I enjoyed my experience here."

He was listed as doubtful for the game against the Lions on Sunday, having failed to pass the necessary tests to be cleared to play during the week. The Vikings announced that he was inactive about 80 minutes before kickoff, and Joe Webb started his second straight game at quarterback.

"He's a guy who loves football to death. You can tell. He played up until he was 41 years old," Webb said. "I admire him, he's a great mentor for me. I'll always keep in contact with him."

The season started reluctantly, with Favre having serious reservations about coming back after having surgery on his ankle last summer. He also wondered if he could duplicate his incredible 2009 performance, which he called the best of his career.

Childress had to send three of Favre's closest friends on the team -- Ryan Longwell, Jared Allen and Steve Hutchinson -- on a private plane to Hattiesburg, Miss., to coax the old man into coming back for one more shot at a Super Bowl.

But that sensational 33-touchdown, seven-interception masterpiece he put together to help the Vikings reach the NFC title game last year was doomed from the start. Injuries to his two best receivers made it difficult for Favre to get going, and that indestructible body of his finally started to break down.

"All indications, when I talk with him, and we've had many, many discussions -- this is it," coach Leslie Frazier said. "I don't even think it'll be an issue in the future. I don't see any situation that's going to change his mind. You might say, 'We'll, we've been down that road before," but it's different now. Things are different, in his life and in the organization's life as well."

The website Deadspin published the tawdry allegations about Favre's supposed advances on Jenn Sterger in October, and he spent the next two months sidestepping questions about it while being exposed to the kind of public humiliation that he's never had to deal with before.

His record starts streak ended against the Giants on Dec. 13. He was knocked out of three games this season -- against New England on Oct. 31 with a gaping wound on his chin, Buffalo on Dec. 5 with the shoulder injury and Chicago on Dec. 20 with the concussion -- and also played through two broken bones in his foot, tendinitis in his elbow and injuries to his neck, back, ribs and calf.

Renowned for his ability to recover quickly, Favre missed three of his final four games and played a total of less than two quarters over the final five games as the Vikings fell apart.

Childress was fired after a 3-7 start and the Vikings finished 6-10, putting them in last place for the first time since 1990. Favre's team also finished with a losing record for just the second time in his 19 years as a starter.

"One game, one season does not define me," Favre said. "There will be people saying it's a shame you went out that way, this and that.

"I am truly grateful for the opportunity that, by the grace of God, I got a chance to play this game and play it at a high level and I'm honored. I hope that people admired the way I played, my passion for it, because I hold no regrets."

Assuming this is the end, Favre departs as the career leader in victories (186), yards passing (71,838), touchdown passes (508), attempts (10,169), completions (6,300) and interceptions (336). He was drafted in 1991 by Atlanta but never completed a pass for the Falcons before moving on to Green Bay, where he spent 16 seasons, won three MVP awards and led the Packers to a Super Bowl title in 1997.

After the Packers grew weary of his indecisiveness about retirement, they traded him to the Jets. He spent a forgettable season in New York before joining the Vikings in 2009.

There were a few highlights for Favre in 2010. He threw his 500th career TD pass against the Jets on Oct. 11 and threw for a career-high 446 yards to rally the Vikings from a 14-point deficit with less than 5 minutes remaining to beat the Cardinals on Nov. 7.

Favre got one last victory under his belt when he won the coin toss before the game on Sunday. When the final whistle blew, Favre waved to the fans and jogged past his teammates, up the tunnel and into the team's locker room.

"That's the thing every player and former player that I've talked to ... will tell you that what you miss is the guys, the fellowship, the bus rides, locker rooms, winning and losing together, celebrating together," Favre said. "That's the things you're going to miss. If I sat here and told you I would not miss that, I'd be kidding myself. From a playing standpoint, there's nothing else left to do."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Report: Vikings coach Frazier will have interim tag removed

Leslie Frazier has agreed to become the Minnesota Vikings' full-time coach, the Star Tribune reported Sunday.

Frazier will have his interim tag removed this week, according to the newspaper.

Speaking after the Vikings' 20-13 loss to the Detroit Lions, Frazier said nothing has been solidified and that he will meet with Vikings ownership Sunday night or Monday.

The Star Tribune reported Friday that Frazier was seeking a three-year contract.

Frazier, the Vikings' former defensive coordinator, took over after Brad Childress was fired following a 3-7 start.

Frazier led the Vikings to a 3-3 record while navigating myriad of unpredictable schedule changes. The collapse of the Metrodome roof forced the team to host the New York Giants at Detroit's Ford Field in Week 14 and the Chicago Bears at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium a week later.

Last week's 24-14 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles came after the game had been postponed from Sunday to Tuesday because of a major snowstorm that hit the East Coast.

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Agent: Vikings' Winfield fined $17,500 for hit, uniform violation

The NFL fined Minnesota Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield a total of $17,500 this week for a uniform violation and a hit on Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, agent Ashanti Webb told the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Thursday.

Winfield plans to appeal the $7,500 fine for the hit on Cutler. Webb said Winfield tried to pull up to avoid a helmet-to-helmet hit.

The $10,000 uniform infraction apparently involved the height of Winfield's socks, according to the newspaper.

Winfield incurred the fine for contact on a Monday night play on which he blitzed Cutler. The 5-foot-9 Winfield's helmet struck the 6-foot-3 Cutler in the chin as he wrapped up the quarterback while they fell.

Cutler received three stitches to close the wound, but he returned and led the Bears to a 40-14 victory that clinched the NFC North title for Chicago.

Winfield has long been known as one of the NFL's most physical cornerbacks. But he is rarely fined for hits and is considered among the league's most fundamentally sound tacklers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Vikings RB Peterson hopes to shake thigh injury, play vs. Eagles

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- There are just two games left in the Minnesota Vikings' miserable season, and Adrian Peterson is hobbling around with a painful thigh bruise.

With the playoffs out of reach, why risk further injury to the team's most dynamic player? Why not sit him for the final two weeks and make sure he is ready to go next season?

Peterson doesn't see it that way. The Vikings are 5-9 and going nowhere fast, but he wants to be out there with his teammates until the bitter end.

"It's been a roller-coaster season. It hasn't gone the way we planned," Peterson said Thursday. "But I love to play this game. That's why I do what I do. I definitely don't think that way about it. If I can play, I'll definitely be out there on Sunday."

Peterson injured his left thigh two weeks ago when he collided with Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson on a handoff. Peterson missed Monday night's game against the Chicago Bears, the first time he has sat out since missing two games with a knee injury his rookie season in 2007.

"It's nothing like a torn ligament or anything like that," Peterson said. "I don't feel like I can do any further damage to it. It's basically just a quad. Muscles are just tight. Pushing it will probably help it stretch a little more."

Peterson did some running in practice Thursday for the first time this week, and Vikings interim coach Leslie Frazier said the running back has dramatically improved over the last several days. If Peterson can't play, rookie Toby Gerhart will receive the bulk of the work.

The Vikings lost 40-14 to the Bears and have been outscored 61-17 in the last two weeks, showing signs that some are packing it in and thinking about the offseason. Peterson isn't among them. He practiced on a limited basis Thursday and said he hopes to play Sunday night.

Peterson has been one of the few bright spots for a Minnesota team in such a trying season. He has rushed for 1,149 yards and 11 touchdowns and appears to have solved his fumbling problem. After leading the NFL with 16 fumbles over the previous two seasons, Peterson hasn't lost one this year in 280 touches.

"That's a story that's not been written about enough, the kind of year he's having, even though our team is not having a great year," Frazier said. "But Adrian, he is having a Pro Bowl season, there's no question about it."

Brett Favre again missed practice Thursday with a concussion, and Frazier said the 41-year-old quarterback was still experiencing some symptoms from the injury. Favre will go through another concussion test Friday, as will safety Madieu Williams.

Defensive tackle Kevin Williams also missed practice for personal reasons, but Frazier expected him to return Friday.

Frazier said none of the Vikings who had concussions this season played the week after being hurt.

"It can vary from person to person. Some guys respond a little bit better," Frazier said. "But in this era, where we're very cautious when it comes to head injuries, you're just very cautious. But it varies from guy to guy. Some guys have fewer symptoms than another two days later or a day later."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Bears knock out Favre, Vikings to win first NFC North title since 2006

MINNEAPOLIS -- Bundled up on the sideline in a heavy, gray coat, Brett Favre could only watch as Devin Hester and the Chicago Bears sped through the snow to the NFC North title.

Favre's surprise start ended with a concussion, perhaps putting him out for good, and the Bears spoiled Minnesota's first outdoor home game in 29 years.

Vikings quarterback Brett Favre made a surprise start Monday, but a second quarter head injury cut short what was likely the final home start of his Hall of Fame career.  More ...

Hester set the NFL record with his 14th kick return touchdown, running back a punt 64 yards for a score shortly after halftime to help the Bears fly past the Vikings 40-14 on a frosty, hard-hitting Monday night.

"You play long enough, you're going to get your bell rung," Favre said.

Jay Cutler threw for three scores for the Bears (10-4), who last won this division during their 2006 Super Bowl season. Hester caught one of Cutler's touchdown passes and also took back the second-half kickoff 79 yards to set up a field goal a few minutes before his game-breaking punt return made it 27-7.

That was Hester's 14th career return touchdown, kickoff or punt, breaking Brian Mitchell's previous mark.

"Don't dwell on this," Hester said. "It's the record-breaker, but there's going to be a lot more. I guarantee you that."

Favre doesn't have many, if any, left. He finished 5 for 7 for 63 yards before the big hit by Corey Wootton, and the Vikings (5-9) fell apart in front of their proud alumni in town for the franchise's 50th anniversary celebration featuring all kinds of blasts from the past.

With the Metrodome unusable because of a roof collapse, the game was moved to the University of Minnesota. TCF Bank Stadium was about 80 percent full, with snowballs flying from the seats -- sometimes hitting players -- and plenty of frolicking in the flakes.

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Favre wasn't even supposed to play, but his sprained throwing shoulder suddenly felt better this weekend. His NFL-record starts streak over, he still wanted to play once more in front of the Vikings fans that embraced him so warmly after booing him for so long as a member of the Packers.

He passed his pregame throwing test and trotted out in front of the Minnesota fans one last time, finding Percy Harvin for a 23-yard TD to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead after the opening drive.

"There were a few friendly wagers in the quarterback room on whether Brett would be out there," said Cutler, who had a cut on his chin after a hit from Antoine Winfield and played with a big bandage. "I wasn't surprised at all."

Favre managed one more joyful jump on a teammate's back to celebrate a touchdown, piggybacking right guard Ryan Cook before embracing Harvin and raising his left arm in triumph as he jogged off.

"It was a great opening drive," Favre said. "I probably should've went straight up the tunnel after that. But again -- you've got to try sometimes."

Henry Melton tipped Favre's pass on the next Minnesota possession, Julius Peppers intercepted it at the 14 and Robbie Gould kicked a field goal. The next drive was a three-and-out, and Favre had to hustle back and smother the ball after a high snap slipped through his hands. Cutler zipped a 67-yard pass up the sideline over safety Madieu Williams to a streaking Johnny Knox, and the Bears built a 10-7 lead they never lost.

In the second quarter, the Vikings lost Favre -- possibly for good.

On third-and-4 from the Bears 48, Wootton got in the backfield and grabbed Favre by his non-throwing shoulder, slamming him to the cold turf players had worried about in the days before the game. The career leader in almost every major statistical category for quarterbacks, Favre lay motionless for a few seconds before climbing to his feet and walking off with his head hung down.

Devin Hester made NFL history on Monday, setting a record with his 14th career return for a touchdown. The Bears star moved ahead of Redskins great Brian Mitchell on the all-time list.  More ...

With a black cap pulled past his eyebrows, Favre grimaced as he put on an oversized purple coat and got ready to watch the rest of the game. Rookie Joe Webb took over, scoring on a 13-yard scramble to the edge of the end zone to cut the lead to 27-14, but the Bears had their way after putting perhaps the final seal on Favre's storied 20-year career.

Favre repeatedly has said this will be his final season. He spoke wistfully of his career after the game, but refused to rule himself out of either of the last two games just yet.

"He can walk away with his legacy intact," Vikings interim coach Leslie Frazier said.

If Favre was diagnosed with a concussion, he'd need to meet NFL guidelines requiring him to be symptom-free and cleared by both a team doctor and independent neurological consultant before he can play again.

The Bears were playing their second straight snow-globe-style game, actually, eager to erase the taste of last week's blowout loss at Soldier Field to the New England Patriots.

They certainly got that done.

"By no means are we completely satisfied," Cutler said. "We know we can be so much better offensively."

Afterthoughts in a division featuring Favre and the reigning champion Vikings plus a dangerous Green Bay team, the Bears didn't buy into the doubts. They've caught several opponents at the right time, including the banged-up Vikings. With Cutler playing better, Hester back in his super-rookie form and the defense relatively healthy again, however, the Bears are feeling just fine.

"It's hard to stop that type of team, when everybody is scoring," Hester said.

Former Vikings coach Bud Grant jogged around the field at halftime in a short-sleeve purple shirt, getting carried off by some of his former players after an inspired ceremony.

With general-admission seating, customers braved the cold in parkas, snowmobile suits and ski caps, celebrating touchdowns with snowball throws and cheering their favorite players from the past as they were introduced at halftime.

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Dozens of workers the massaged the field before the game to make it as playable as possible, with machines pushing snow across the yard lines and into the corners of the brick-lined walls. Crews gently rolled off the tarp before warmups while the flakes kept flying.

Players from both teams expressed concerns this week about the safety of the turf. Vikings punter Chris Kluwe posted on Twitter after Sunday's walkthrough his comparison of the surface to "concrete." He predicted a "trainwreck" and later said he was asked to stop tweeting by the team.

Notes: The temperature at kickoff was 23 degrees, with a windchill of 9. ... The attendance was announced at 40,504. ... Williams left the game with a concussion. ... Chicago's Matt Forte, whose knee to the head knocked Williams out, had 92 yards on 17 carries.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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