Feb. 26, 2008

The Vikings, as much as any team leaguewide, have done an excellent job of getting their core players signed before they hit free agency. Over the past two years, the team has done deals with DTs Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, LB E.J. Henderson, OT Bryant McKinnie, PK Ryan Longwell, P Chris Kluwe, OG Anthony Herrera and others before other teams could get to them. The front office, namely “capologist” Rob Brzezinski, has been as smart as almost any other in terms of keeping the team’s books in order, mostly through the use of the “likely to be earned” incentives to create future space. The result is that none of the team’s UFAs is an essential, must-keep player — though Robert Ferguson, Dontarrious Thomas and Tony Richardson could be back at the right price. Most of the other players, including Spencer Johnson, who is stuck behind the two Williams, could seek starting duty elsewhere. Special-teams ace Heath Farwell is likely to be tendered at the second-round level.