Posted by Josh Katzowitz The Vikings have announced they will franchise tag LB Chad Greenway, leaving the door open for others to court WR Sidney Rice and possibly sign him away.
Greenway is a good choice for Minnesota. He’s led the team in tackles the past three seasons (this year, he had a career-high 144 stops), and he’s played in 64-straight games. He’s durable and talented, and he’d be a good candidate for a long-term deal.
According to NFL.com’s Jason La Canfora, the Vikings won’t use their transition tag on Rice either, and apparently they believe they can re-sign him on their own. You’ll recall last season that Rice missed 12 games after undergoing hip surgery, and when he returned, he produced pedestrian numbers (17 catches, 280 yards, two touchdowns in six games (five starts)).
[Related: Franchise Tag Tracker]
But it was also pretty obvious that Rice wasn’t happy with his $550,000 salary for 2010, and it’s also clear Minnesota will have to pay him much more in order to keep him.
Of course, it’s not out of the realm of possibility another team swoops in and tries to sign Rice, but that’s the risk the Vikings are willing to take. Instead, they’ll tag Greenway and pay him about $10.2 million for 2011.
"Chad's an important part of our team and his play speaks for itself," Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said in a statement, via ESPN 1500. "He's productive and has continued to improve each year he has been in the NFL. He's a leader for us in the locker room and on the field."
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