Published: Tuesday, March 6, 2001

Charley Walters: Don't print that

Pioneer Press

Don't print that*

The contract that Vikings backup quarterback Todd Bouman recently signed is for nearly $2 million for three years, which includes a $750,000 signing bonus. Last season's Vikings backup QB, Bubby Brister, was paid $500,000, including a $25,000 workout bonus, but no signing bonus.

* If the Vikings can trade offensive tackle Todd Steussie before having to pay him a $1 million bonus by March 15, Cincinnati is a decent possibility. If Steussie is released by the Vikings, don't be surprised if he signs with Tony Dungy's Tampa Bay Bucs, who already have Jeff Christy and Randall McDaniel on the offensive line and on Monday agreed to terms with free-agent quarterback Brad Johnson on a five-year, $28 million contract ($6.5 million bonus).

That means Johnson will face his former team, the Vikings, for whom he has no love lost, twice next season. The following season, however, look for Tampa to be moved out of the Vikings' division.

Overheard * Vikings owner Red McCombs, whose team made a run the past two seasons at getting to the Super Bowl, asked if next season's Vikings, scaled down because of salary-cap requirements, can do the same: ``We have to wait to see how the team ends up; we've got another couple of months before it's (rebuilding)

-- Mark (Karch 222@aol.com), March 06, 2001