Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford is one year away from free agency and he could be poised to cash in all over again, ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling writes. Bradford’s agent Tom Condon will likely seek a deal with an average annual value of $20MM or more with at least $40-$50MM in guaranteed money. That may sound like a high price tag for Bradford, but it’s not that outlandish when looking at other quarterback contracts. After Derek Carr‘s extension with the Raiders, 13 quarterbacks in the league now make an average of $20MM or more. The question is – will the Vikings be the team to give Bradford that kind of deal? In theory, Minnesota could have Teddy Bridgewater ready to go for 2018, but they can’t bank on that, so they’ll likely explore a Bradford extension.
Here’s a look at the NFC North:
- Running back Ka’Deem Carey is not a lock to make the Bears‘ roster, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. Right now, Carey is in a contract year and, like former starter Jeremy Langford, he’s competing to be the backup for Jordan Howard. Carey can help his chances of making the cut by improving his special teams play, but Biggs can also see the Bears signing another running back late in the summer.
- Kyle Rudolph, David Morgan, and Bucky Hodges project to be the Vikings‘ three tight ends on the 53-man roster, but Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune could see the team adding a veteran instead of keeping Hodges. Hodges, a Virginia Tech product, was taken in the sixth round of this year’s draft.
- Will former Chiefs GM John Dorsey land with the Packers? Contrary to speculation, a reunion between the two is believed to be unlikely.
- Lions president Rod Wood isn’t balking at the idea of making quarterback Matthew Stafford the NFL’s highest-paid player.