Vikings Continue Spending Spree, Signing Xavier Rhodes to 5-Year extension worth $70m (May Be Trying to Extend Barr, Kendricks and Joseph as Well)
Joe Johnson
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On Friday night’s purpleJOURNAL Podcast, I mentioned that one of my bigger pet peeves in talking with other Vikings fans was when people bring up how “cheap” the Wilfs are (or that the Vikings can’t compete because they’re a small-market team). I understand that people don’t like the fact that billionaire owners in a league that generates almost ten billion dollars a year in revenue get away with splitting the cost of their stadiums with the public, I do. I consider it a necessary evil because they have leverage and if we want football, we have to pay. If I didn’t like it, I’d move to North Dakota. Not that I’m siding with the owners over the public, it’s just that I remember what it was like when the Vikings had Red McCombs as their owner, so I’m grateful that the Wilfs aren’t cheap Texas literal used cars salesmen like McCombs was.
Further proof of that came over the weekend when the Vikings did this:
The #Vikings and CB Xavier Rhodes have agreed to a 5-year extension worth $70M, source said. He'll get $78M over 6 years.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 30, 2017
Wow. After dropping $58 million on Everson Griffen last week, the Vikings locked down Xavier Rhodes, who has emerged as a top corner in the league. That’s a lot of money, but he’s earned it, he’s essentially become a shut-down corner and a lot of people have thought that he could emerge as a top-three corner in 2017. Now, all they need is for Trae Waynes to emerge in his third year as a pro, something that I strongly believe will happen. Rhodes struggled early in his career, as corners do (as they play the hardest position on the defensive side of the ball and really on the entire team (outside of the QB position, of course) and so if Waynes does begin to pan out the Vikings will have two 6 foot tall corners under roster that are in mid-20’s or earlier. That’s a defensive future you can build around and that’s clearly what the Vikings are doing by locking all of these players down now.
I’m impressed, I’m happy and I can’t wait for this defense, with little else on their mind besides playing (now that they’ve gotten their extensions), ready to go.
With that in mind, though, the word is the Vikings are looking to extend other staples of the defense, I’ll let the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson lay it out for you:
Sources say Vikings also trying to get extensions done with Linval Joseph Anthony Barr Eric Kendricks locking up key defenders
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) July 29, 2017
So, there you have it! This does give credence to the theory that perhaps the team doesn’t want Teddy to come back (especially if he isn’t 100%) this season, as having him rehab as a back-up on the roster would mean they’d need to address his contract sooner (especially considering they just declined to pick up his fifth year option). So, despite the fact that there’s a ton of people online looking for Teddy to return in 2017, like AP did in 2012, it’s not going to happen, unless he’s cleared by doctors and Sam Bradford goes down with a season ending injury. While that’s entirely possible, considering the luck the Vikings have had… Always, it’s not really going to happen outside of that scenario.
Not to end this piece on negativity, as these are good things! We have owners that are willing to pay the players that our Coaches and (especially) GM have drafted or acquired through free agency. I really think that with some time to rest in between drives, this defense will be top three in the NFL if not the top unit this year. I’m calling it right here and now. So, Get ready for me to share this screen shot come the Bye week saying, see? I told you so! It makes me really, really excited for the start of the season, as I’m sure all of you are, as well. So, let’s go Purple and Gold, or really, Gold and Gold, since… You know… They’re all extra rich now.
SKOL!