Cornerback Antoine Winfield is the heart and soul of the Minnesota Vikings defense. Not only is he a classic shutdown corner—thus virtually eliminating the opposing team’s top receiver—he is also a staunch run defender with no fear of facing much larger offensive linemen or taking on running backs of any size. He plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played—with guts and grit. That’s why the Vikings gave him a four-year, $36 million contract extension back in July.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, they will be without arguably their best defensive player for not only tomorrow’s game against the Pittsburgh …read more

To follow-up my NFL Supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month post from yesterday, here is a photo sent to me by the Minnesota Vikings. Linebacker Chad Greenway is the team’s breast cancer spokesperson. And during the month of October—along with teammates Antoine Winfield, Brett Favre and Chester Taylor—Chad will be donning these pink cleats (along with other pink-themed equipment) in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Chad’s wife Jenni is also getting involved. She will be one of many volunteers handing out pink ribbons and towels Monday night at the Metrodome when the Vikes host the Green Bay Packers.
Chad was …read more

The Minnesota Vikings (finally) signed Pro Bowl (finally) cornerback Antoine Winfield to a four-year, $36 million contract extension today. A generous $16.1 million is guaranteed. This will keep him in Minnesota through the 2013 season. At 32-years-old, Antoine is still one of the toughest run-stopping DBs in the league. And he continues to show above average cover skills, even in the twilight of his impressive career. The Vikes will be a better team four for years to come.
Antoine shared his thoughts on remaining with the Vikings:
“I love being here. I love playing in the dome. I’ve been here five years …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
The Minnesota Vikings have had an uneventful offseason thus far, but the contract extension they gave cornerback Cedric Griffin yesterday was definitely one of the team’s highlights. Terms of the extension were not immediately disclosed. Last season, Ced ranked second on the team with 100 tackles plus he had 13 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one interception. He also had four solo tackles and had an INT in a playoff game against Philadelphia. He was more than grateful for the new deal:
“I’m definitely excited to get an extension done with the Vikings. I thank …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
Here is the NFC Pro Bowl roster. Starters are listed in bold.
OFFENSE
QB: Kurt Warner, Cardinals; Drew Brees, Saints; Eli Manning, Giants
RB: Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Michael Turner, Falcons; Clinton Portis, Redskins
FB: Mike Sellers, Redskins
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals; Anquan Boldin, Cardinals; Steve Smith, Panthers; Roddy White, Falcons,
TE: Jason Witten, Cowboys; Chris Cooley, Redskins
T: Jordan Gross, Panthers; Walter Jones, Seahawks; Chris Samuels, Redskins
G: Chris Snee, Giants; Steve Hutchinson, Vikings; Leonard Davis, Cowboys
C: Andre Gurode, Cowboys; Shaun O’Hara, Giants
DEFENSE
DE: Justin Tuck, Giants; Julius Peppers, Panthers; Jared Allen, Vikings
DT: Kevin …read more

Photo Courtesy Minnesota Vikings
Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

It’s official. The Kansas City Chiefs have traded All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen to the Minnesota Vikings for three picks in this weekend’s NFL Draft. The Vikings give up their first-round pick (17th overall) plus both of their third-round picks (73rd and 82nd overall). Initially, the Chiefs wanted Minnesota’s first and second-round spots, but the Vikings had enough Draft picks (nine) to negotiate with. Considering their second-round pick non-negotiable, they decided to abandon their two third-round picks instead and the Chiefs jumped at the opportunity. KC now has 13 total …read more