Access Vikings mailbag: next moves in free agency, what's up with Chad Greenway, Johnny Manziel revisited
All is quiet on the Vikings front after a hectic start to the 2016 league year.
Tuesday and Wednesday were wild. Now, after officially inking guard Alex Boone and the two free-agent linebackers yesterday, general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer are presently in Spielman’s home state for Ohio State’s pro day. So no free agents are visiting Winter Park today.
That makes this sunny Friday a great day to tackle some questions from Twitter in our first Access Vikings mailbag of 2016. Let’s get right to it.
— @Rogerskolney wanted an update on linebacker Chad Greenway.
Greenway is one free agent the Vikings have continued to stay in touch with and I would be pretty surprised if he doesn’t re-sign. While other teams have reportedly expressed an interest in Greenway, he wants to finish his career in Minnesota and Zimmer made it clear at the scouting combine that the feeling is mutual. The Vikings added linebackers Emmanuel Lamur and Travis Lewis, but I don’t think that affects Greenway’s status at all. I think Greenway and the Vikings will get a one-year deal done eventually.
— @DThompson2852 asks “Are the Vikings going after Prince Amukamara or Casey Hayward” in unrestricted free agency?
I’ve gotten a few questions about Prince Amukamara now. This is the first about Casey Hayward. No, I don’t see the Vikings signing either of those two free-agent cornerbacks unless the market for them is totally non-existent and they can be had for peanuts. That’s not a knock on them as they are both solid players. But have we already forgotten about a young cornerback named Trae Waynes? The 11th overall pick in 2015 draft didn’t play as a rookie because Terence Newman was solid, but the expectation is that Waynes will start in 2016. Now, Zimmer isn’t just going to give him that starting spot. He’ll have to earn it. And I think he will. But Newman could be back next season, too, as insurance in case Waynes still isn’t ready.
— @Randal1008 wondered about signing wideout Andre Johnson.
Andre Johnson had a really good career with the Texans, but he looked shot last season with the Colts. I don’t think he is a solution here — or anywhere else honestly. There are still some useful veteran wide receivers on the market, though none are close to being top-notch starters. That is why the Vikings will probably look to the draft to find a potential big-play weapon for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. There is a lot of buzz about them liking TCU’s Josh Doctson. We’ll soon see if there is any fire with that smoke.
— @JamesPardes wants to know whom the Vikings could sign next.
Spielman said yesterday on KFAN that the Vikings were eyeing up “five or six” free agents from other teams. Reports have linked the Vikings to wide receiver Andre Holmes, tight end James Hanna and offensive tackle Andre Smith, but generally speaking, these rumors are sometimes agent-driven. As for their internal free agents, I think there is a better than 50/50 chance that both Greenway and Newman are back. And I wouldn’t rule out a return for tight end Rhett Ellison despite what his father posted on Facebook and what one of our local competitors has been reporting. I’m not sure where things stand with running back Matt Asiata and cornerback Marcus Sherels, but I’m guessing they would be welcomed back at the right price, too.
— @UPhxpyros is curious whom the Vikings could ask to return punts next season if cornerback Marcus Sherels signs elsewhere.
Speaking of Sherels, he visited the Jets yesterday and could have visits with other teams in the works. He is a very good special teams player, and it’s not just because he is a reliable, sure-handed punt returner. He’s one of the best gunners in the NFL, in my opinion. But to answer your question, I could see Stefon Diggs getting a crack at the job, sure. And don’t forget about fellow receiver Adam Thielen or running back Jerick McKinnon. Another option is looking for a punt return like Alabama’s Cyrus Jones in the draft.
— @mstanto1 writes: “The fact [they] wanted Manziel over Teddy still scares me. Please tell me that didn’t really almost happen.”
The word is that Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater, in some order, were the top two quarterbacks on their draft board in 2014, though it must be noted that they passed on both of them in the top 10. If Manziel was indeed their preferred QB, as a couple of draft-night reports suggested, the Vikings won’t be admitting that publicly anytime soon, especially not after the Manziel era in Cleveland ended after two years today. But either way, the careers of both Johnny and Teddy Football will forever be linked in both Cleveland and Minnesota, especially if Bridgewater wins a Super Bowl here after the Browns, taking advice from a homeless man, went with Manziel.