Vikings trade for Jared Allen
Patience appears to have paid off for the Vikings in their search for a defensive end.
Unsuccessful in landing an edge pass-rusher early in free agency, Minnesota acquired one of the best in the business at an extremely steep price Tuesday night when it agreed to terms on a trade with Kansas City for Jared Allen.
Allen, according to the Fox Sports Website, will become the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. His new contract will be for six years and just shy of $74 million. Allen told Fox this includes $31,000,069 guaranteed. Allen’s jersey number is 69.
Allen, who led the NFL with 15.5 sacks last season and was selected to the Pro Bowl, will cost the Vikings on more than one front. Kansas City will get the Vikings’ first-round pick and both of their third-round selections (No. 73 and No. 82) in this weekend’s NFL draft, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The teams also are expected to swap sixth-round picks.
The deal will be finalized today.
Lewis: Johnson should sit
The Bengals are calling Chad Johnson’s bluff. Tired of the receiver’s posturing for a trade, coach Marvin Lewis said that Johnson should keep his word and sit out the season – the strongest comment from an organization that is reluctant to let him go.
“I’ve stated our case with Chad,” Lewis said. “He has a contract through 2011. He’s stated without an opportunity to go to a different team and a new contract, he wasn’t going to play. I think he’s a man of his word and says he’s not going to play, so don’t play.”
Around the league
Seahawks defensive lineman Rocky Bernard pleaded not guilty to domestic violence assault and was released from jail in Seattle. … Longtime Carolina Panther Mike Rucker announced his retirement. The 33-year-old defensive end spent his entire nine-year careeer with the Panthers. … A federal judge in Minneapolis denied the NFL’s motion that he vacate his earlier ruling that allows suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick to keep $16.5 million in bonuses. U.S. District Judge David Doty had ruled in February that the Falcons would violate the NFL collective bargaining agreement if they tried to recover bonus money Vick already received.