North Notes: Greenway, Lions, Browns

Veteran linebacker and two-time Pro Bowler Chad Greenway has spent his entire nine-year NFL career with the Vikings, and he wants to return to the team for the 2016 season, according to Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune.

“I want to enjoy this moment, and enjoy the playoffs,” Greenway said. “To me, it rejuvenates you as an athlete and a person to go through this and have this in front of you. I’m probably going to play next year. To go through a year like we’ve gone through and to be part of this has been really fun.”

While Greenway sounds committed to continuing his playing career, he doesn’t want to play for a team besides Minnesota, so the Vikings would have to be willing to have him in 2016. The linebacker, who will turn 33 next month, is in the final year of a contract and is earning a $3.4MM salary to go along with a $5.575MM cap hit in 2015, so I suspect the Vikes would be on board with his return if they could reduce both of those numbers a little for next year.

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s North divisions:

• As the Lions search for a new general manager and possibly a new head coach as well, it’s crucial that those two figures share a philosophy and can co-exist without any friction, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com.
• It’s difficult to support the idea that the Browns should retain coach Mike Pettine for 2016, Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer writes.
• Per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the Browns are the latest team to work out standout CFL wide receiver Eric Rogers, who is reportedly in the midst of visiting 14 NFL clubs.
• Eddie Goldman‘s ankle injury figures to end his season, but it’s not expected to require surgery, and the arrow is pointing up for the Bears defensive tackle, as Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune outlines.