HEADLINES

John Sullivan

North Notes: Ravens, Browns, Mays, Vikings

October 13th, 2015 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Having already acquired Chris Givens and Will Davis via trades in recent weeks, the Ravens will continue to explore ways to upgrade the roster. However, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun writes, the club probably isn’t just one player away, so it’s unlikely that Baltimore would give up multiple future draft picks or other assets to plug several holes.

Let’s round up a few more items from across the NFL’s two North divisions….

  • The Ravens are off to a disappointing 1-4 start, but head coach John Harbaugh said on Monday that he’s not considering making any changes to his coaching staff, per Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com. “Our coaches are doing a good job,” Harbaugh said. “We just got to collectively find a way to finish games and get the job done. We’ve got tough challenges that we’re facing, but we’ve got just the men for the job.”
  • Free agent linebacker Joe Mays is working out for the Browns today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Mays, who turned 30 this year, is well-traveled, having started games for the Broncos, Texans, and Chiefs since 2012.
  • Center John Sullivan, who is on the IR-DTR list, and cornerback Josh Robinson, who remains on the PUP list, are optimistic about returning to the Vikings‘ active roster in the coming weeks, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, who notes that the club will have to make at least a couple roster moves to create room for the returning players. Robinson is eligible to return as early as Week 7, while Sullivan could be activated for Week 9.

Vikings Place John Sullivan On IR-DTR

September 10th, 2015 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

The Vikings have lost another starting offensive lineman for at least half the season. According to a press release from the team, the Vikes have placed center John Sullivan on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Sullivan, who underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy on Wednesday, won’t be eligible to return to the field for eight weeks.

Sullivan, a former sixth-round pick, has been a mainstay on the Vikings’ offensive line since 2009, starting all but three regular season games at center for the team over the last six years. It’s the second major hit Minnesota’s line has taken in recent weeks, as the team also placed starting right tackle Phil Loadholt on season-ending IR after Loadholt suffered a torn Achilles during the preseason.

With Sullivan out, Joe Berger appears to be the next man up at center for the Vikings. The veteran lineman signed a new two-year contract with Minnesota in March after starting nine games at right guard in 2014 for the club.

Here’s the full list of how teams around the league have used their IR-DTR spots so far.

Contract Details: Sullivan, Morgan, Wilson

April 7th, 2015 at 5:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here are the details on some recently-signed contracts, all courtesy of the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson on Twitter:

  • John Sullivan, C (Vikings): Extended through 2017. $1MM guaranteed. Annual $100K workout bonus, plus $500K escalator for 2017 with 90% playing time in 2015 and 2016 (Twitter links).
  • Will Montgomery, C (Bears): One year, $950K base value. $120K guaranteed (link).
  • Joe Morgan, WR (Saints): One year, $600K base value. $15K signing bonus (link).
  • Josh Wilson, CB (Lions): One year, $950K base value. $200K guaranteed (link).
  • Nick Bellore, LB (49ers): Two years, $1.69MM base value. $30K signing bonus. $505K available through incentives (link).

Vikings Extend John Sullivan Through 2017

April 7th, 2015 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Vikings have tacked on another year to the contract of center John Sullivan, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team extended Sullivan’s deal through the 2017 season. Per Yates, Sullivan’s new base salaries for the next three years are $7MM (2015), $5.5MM (2016), and $5.5MM (2017).

Sullivan, who will turn 30 in August, has been Minnesota’s full-time starting center since the 2009 season, missing only three games during that six-year stretch. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as one of the league’s better centers in 2014, with a +7.5 run-blocking grade buoying him to a 12th-place finish among 41 qualified players at the position.

Based on the figures reported by Yates, Sullivan appears to have received a pay raise for the next two seasons in addition to earning an extra year on his contract. His deal previously called for base salaries of $4.65MM in each of the next two seasons.

Teammates React To Peterson’s Absence

September 14th, 2014 at 8:06pm CST by Rob DiRe

While the Vikings have decided not to address the Adrian Peterson situation until Monday, his absence became a huge part of the story of the team’s 30-7 loss to the New England Patriots.

Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune captured some of head coach Mike Zimmer’s press conference following the loss.

“I don’t want to discuss the Adrian issue at all today,” said Zimmer. “This is about the football game here. We’ll talk about it Monday or whenever we have the press conference on.”

While Tesfatsion noted many players declined to comment on playing without the star running back, there were some players willing to discuss it. Tom Pelissero of USA Today noted that even players who were willing to broach the subject, they had no answers for the media.

“He’s one of the best players in the NFL. Obviously, everybody knows that,” said linebacker Chad Greenway. “The reality is there’s going to be some interesting times ahead. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“I don’t think we have any excuses for what happened out there today,” said center John Sullivan. “If you go out and execute the way we did on the first drive the entire game, this question isn’t being asked right now.”

“We obviously don’t condone any of the alleged (actions),” said safety Harrison Smith. “But we’re going to stand behind our guys, and that’s pretty much all I’ve got to say.”

The entire organization was still frustrated following the blowout loss. Zimmer made an emphasis on how little the lack of Peterson influenced the game.

“It didn’t affect the team,” said Zimmer. “You know what affected the team? Throwing interceptions. Getting a field goal blocked. Not tackling well enough. Having penalties on defense.”

The team will likely not have Peterson rejoin the team anytime soon, and must go into a game against the 0-2 Saints without their best offensive weapon. The team’s new best player on the offense also commented on how the team is handling the situation, according to Mark Craig of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).

“We just have to get that mindset,” said Cordarrelle Patterson. “28 probably ain’t going to be here with us.”