Winfield released

[Cliff]

Undoubtedly...

I also got the impression from at least one report that cutting him wasn't necessarily in the plan but when negotiations with Loadholt took a turn toward the expensive (ie; more than the Vikes expected it to cost them) Winfield became a cap casualty because they didn't want Loadholt to hit the open market.
He's one of my favorites too and I'd love to see him playing for the Vikings again this season. I hope they can work something out.

I read a quote from Spielman that said they decided to release him abruptly because like Jim said the Loadholt deal was higher than they thought but they wanted to give him a fair shot at free agency.

It seems like the sides weren't very close and rather than eat into the free agency period trying to come to an agreement when they already weren't very close they wanted to give him a shot to find the deal he wanted with some other team.

To me it also seems like they wanted to let the market set his value to avoid overpaying for his services.

[losperros]

To me it also seems like they wanted to let the market set his value to avoid overpaying for his services.

And who knows? That just may work for both the Vikings and Winfield. Given Winfield's age, maybe he won't get a better offer than what the Vikings presently have put on the table for him. Once he sees that, it may lure him back to the team. After all, Winfield has said he likes playing for Frazier and the Vikings.

[mondry]

And who knows? That just may work for both the Vikings and Winfield. Given Winfield's age, maybe he won't get a better offer than what the Vikings presently have put on the table for him. Once he sees that, it may lure him back to the team. After all, Winfield has said he likes playing for Frazier and the Vikings.

I don't think it's possible to work for both parties, but we may have different definitions of "work."

Either winfield will get a better deal on a different team (in which case it didn't work for us to get him back) or he'll take a cheap deal here in which it will work for us but ultimately cost winfield a LOT of money. Unless you simply mean it works for both in the sense that we get winfield back and he still has a job in the NFL, which is something, considering how things might play out for Urlacher retiring.

[dead_poet]

I don't think it's possible to work for both parties,

I believe it can. Winfield likely won't get $7 million/year from any team. But if he's commanding, say $4 million, we can match. It's as much as he was going to get so it's a win from his perspective (he maxed out his value) and the Vikings get $3 million savings (which is a win for them).

[The Breeze]

can we afford $4 million? or is that just a contract # that could be messaged to work with the cap.....back loaded or something.

[saint33]

4 million is even probably more than he can get on the market. I think he's looking at 3 million or less tbh

[The Breeze]

4 million is even probably more than he can get on the market. I think he's looking at 3 million or less tbh

well, that sucks for winfield because he definitely played at a high level last season....but it's good for us trying to resign him. if it's true.

[dead_poet]

4 million is even probably more than he can get on the market. I think he's looking at 3 million or less tbh

Probably. I was just throwing that out there. Ed Reed got $5 million/year.

[saint33]

well, that sucks for winfield because he definitely played at a high level last season....but it's good for us trying to resign him. if it's true.

Ya, I think that's what it's going to come down to. Winfield will wait on the market for a better price, and like most veterans probably won't sign til after the draft. But when the top young CBs on the free agent market are only get around 5 million a year, it's hard to see a 36 year old, injury prone corner get 4.

[King James]

Even if Winfield is back his role will be reduced to a nickel corner. So I agree that we should see if we can get the price down. 7.5 million is a lot for a player who will only play 3rd downs.

[Eli]

Even if Winfield is back his role will be reduced to a nickel corner. So I agree that we should see if we can get the price down. 7.5 million is a lot for a player who will only play 3rd downs.

It is a lot, but the Vikings played a lot of nickel and dime defenses last year, not just on 3rd downs. That may have had something to do with their lack of talent at LB, but it's also because they play in a pass-happy division and league. Beyond that, unless the Vikings do a lot to benefit their depth at CB between now and September, Winfield would be just an injury away from becoming a starter.

[losperros]

It is a lot, but the Vikings played a lot of nickel and dime defenses last year, not just on 3rd downs. That may have had something to do with their lack of talent at LB, but it's also because they play in a pass-happy division and league. Beyond that, unless the Vikings do a lot to benefit their depth at CB between now and September, Winfield would be just an injury away from becoming a starter.

Good points. If nothing else, the Vikings are going to play a lot of nickel and dime sets against good QBs and WRs, and Winfield did not allow a TD pass last season.

[jackal]

Winfield will get picked up... Someone will pay 3-4 million

[DanAS]

Winfield will get picked up... Someone will pay 3-4 million

The shame, in my opinion, isn't that the Vikings refrained from paying the $7+ million. It's that, if the news reports are true, the Vikings didn't handle the negotiations in the best way possible to convince Winfield that they really, really wanted him back -- just at a price that isn't too far above the market level. Winfield apparently was put off by the way the Vikings handled the release, and this is over and above their decision not to pay his previous salary. As a result, I suspect he will be less likely to go back to Minnesota after he looks around and realizes that nobody else is going to pay the $7+ million either.

I do think we really, really should want him back. But clearly, he needed to reduce his salary. Frankly, so do a couple of the other veterans on this team, who are quite overpaid, given their present market value. Those guys haven't stepped up and renegotiated downward to give the Vikings that cap room to sign Antoine and maybe another decent free agent. This one of the reasons why the Vikings are being viewed by neutral commentators as a middle of the pack team, rather than a playoff team that is only likely to get better. (Another reason, which has gone unnoticed by some, is that we were EXTREMELY lucky last year on the injury front; relatively injury-free teams always seem to max out on their performance.)

[saint33]

The shame, in my opinion, isn't that the Vikings refrained from paying the $7+ million. It's that, if the news reports are true, the Vikings didn't handle the negotiations in the best way possible to convince Winfield that they really, really wanted him back -- just at a price that isn't too far above the market level. Winfield apparently was put off by the way the Vikings handled the release, and this is over and above their decision not to pay his previous salary. As a result, I suspect he will be less likely to go back to Minnesota after he looks around and realizes that nobody else is going to pay the $7+ million either.

I do think we really, really should want him back. But clearly, he needed to reduce his salary. Frankly, so do a couple of the other veterans on this team, who are quite overpaid, given their present market value. Those guys haven't stepped up and renegotiated downward to give the Vikings that cap room to sign Antoine and maybe another decent free agent. This one of the reasons why the Vikings are being viewed by neutral commentators as a middle of the pack team, rather than a playoff team that is only likely to get better. (Another reason, which has gone unnoticed by some, is that we were EXTREMELY lucky last year on the injury front; relatively injury-free teams always seem to max out on their performance.)

Ya, we were extremely lucky on the injury front last year. It's not like we lost an MVP candidate halfway through the season at a position we were already weak at....