Tight end Kyle Rudolph confirmed that he’s attempting to negotiate a new deal withe Vikings, but also said he’s been told there are “plenty of other teams” that would have interest in acquiring him, as Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com writes. Rudolph, who is scheduled to earn $7.275MM in the final year of his contract, has already stated he won’t accept a pay cut. Minnesota has the second-least cap space in the NFL, and also drafted tight end Irv Smith Jr. in the second round of last month’s draft.
Here’s more from the NFC North:
- Graham Glasgow could be on the move again. The Lions deployed Glasgow — who played center on nearly every offensive snap in 2018 — at right guard at organized team activities, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Glasgow’s position change will allow Detroit to move 2018 first-round pick Frank Ragnow from left guard to center, his more natural position. Glasgow, for his part, split time between left guard and center in both 2017 and 2017 before moving to center full-time last season.
- The Bears are listing former offensive tackle Bradley Sowell as a tight end, per Adam Jahns of The Athletic (Twitter link). as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes (via Twitter), Chicago doesn’t necessarily have an in-line tight end on its roster, and Sowell played that role in 2018. Per Pro Football Focus, Sowell lined up as an tight end for 30 snaps last season, and spent another eight plays in the backfield. Memorably, Sowell caught a touchdown pass on a trick play against the Rams in December.
- Former AAF quarterback Luis Perez recently worked out for the Lions, tweets Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio. Perez, who signed with the Rams after going undrafted in 2018 and just spent a month on the Eagles’ roster, tossed five touchdowns against six interceptions for the AAF’s Birmingham Iron. Detroit currently has Tom Savage and Connor Cook behind starter Matthew Stafford.
*in both 2016 and 2017…
Just to clarify a point….nobody gets placed behind Tom Savage on a depth chart.
Also Bears moved Mizzell to WR instead of RB.
Moving him off the roster entirely would have been preferable…
Someone just trade for Rudolph already
If minnesota wouldn’t have paid 64 million for a QB that’s gonna sit the bench for half the season they wouldn’t have to worry about Kyle’s pay they would have plenty of room
Vikings should sign Rudolph and then trade him. The alternative is to play him in 2019 at full speed and let him walk in free agency for a comp pick. Or slap a non-exclusive franchise tag on Rudolph and collect two first round draft picks or see the market dry up for him and pay him $9m for one more year and then goodbye.
After a year under the non-exclusive franchise tag does a player still generate compensatory picks? If so, the Vikings can’t lose here, only by signing a large guaranteed contract can they lose.
Not many people use “Tom Savage” and “depth chart” in the same sentence.
Rudolph would look good in NE or NO or PIT once the Vikings eat his money and release him. May save the Vikings a couple Mill on the cap number and then one of those teams get a steal