McDaniel To Stay

By: Viking Update Staff

Date: 2/19/2001

The Vikings and linebacker Ed McDaniel agreed on a restructured contract Monday that will help reduce some of the Vikings cap overage and allow McDaniel to stay in Minnesota for his 10th season and keep one less hole left to fill in the defense. When players were being targeted for release or restructuring of their contracts, one of the first names mentioned was Ed McDaniel. A player who wouldn't be as serious a cap hit because of a smaller signing bonus, McDaniel didn't have the leverage players like John Randle -- who would cost the Vikings $6 million if cut in the next week -- agreed to a pay cut to come back.

McDaniel agreed to rework a two-year deal that will pay him $3.6 million in a signing bonus and a $500,000 base salary. The deal works out to a pay cut of about $1.3 million, but, in the convoluted world of the salary cap, it works out to a savings of $3.6 million against the 2001 cap.

TUESDAY NOTES * The Vikings are quietly hopeful that a deal can be worked out with John Randle, who has the same agent as Eddie Mac. * With only a week to go until the salary cap must be trimmed down, the Vikings are still about $14 million over the cap, according to team sources. Teams that aren't in compliance with the salary cap by March 1 are subject to a $1 million-a-day fine from the league. * The Vikings are continuing to talk to Todd Steussie about reworking his deal and are trying to lock up center Matt Birk long term. However, discussions with Orlando Thomas are not going well, and he could be the next player on the chopping block. * The Vikings are expected to offer restricted free agents Kailee Wong and Birk first-rounder tendered offers, which means if a team makes a run at either player and the Vikings don't match the offer sheet, they would receive a first-round draft pick in exchange for them. * The Vikings announced the hiring of Steve LaCroix as the vice president of sales and marketing. LaCroix comes to the Vikings after working with the Indi

-- Mark (Karch 222@aol.com), February 20, 2001