Published: Tuesday, March 6, 2001

---------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Charley Walters Staff columnist ---------------------------------------------------------------------- --

Shooter

Birk signs for one year while talks continue

Pioneer Press

Vikings Pro Bowl center Matt Birk today will sign the team's endered one-year offer of $1.13 million, taking him off the restricted free-agent market.

Birk, who played for $350,000 last season, and the Vikings are expected to continue to negotiate a long-term contract. The Vikings have offered the 24-year-old Cretin-Derham Hall graduate a $10 million, five-year deal that includes a $2 million signing bonus. That, however, is considerably below Birk's market value. Birk can become an unrestricted free agent after next season if he doesn't accept a long-term deal. His agent, Joe Linta, said Birk signed so he could begin early workouts with Vikings offensive line coach Mike Tice.

* Vikings middle linebacker Kailee Wong, who like Birk has been offered the same $1.13 million tender as a restricted free agent, isn't likely to sign the tender soon. Wong, who isn't considered as marketable a free agent as Birk, has until April 16 to accept Minnesota's tender.

* Vikings owner Red McCombs said Monday, after his team made it under the $67.4 million salary cap, ``We still have plans and alternate plans to give the Vikings a very good chance to be very competitive'' for next season, but he wouldn't reveal them. Why? ``Because you don't know which way they're going to fall,'' he said.

* There's talk in NFL circles that the Vikings are willing to spend up to $4 million by way of a signing bonus for Miami Dolphins restricted free-agent defensive end Lorenzo Bromell. But that deal would cost the Vikings their first-round (No. 27 overall) draft pick, and that doesn't excite them.

* Vikings pro personnel director Paul Wiggin is out of Fairview Southdale Hospital bu

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

Answers

Birk had a great year no doubt, but it was one year and already he is looking for $4mil. garnted good centers are hard to come by but the Vikings offer was fair considering he made like $380,000 last year. I hope we sign him to a long term deal but c'mon Matt sign the contract then after 2or 3 more pro bowls maybe you can renegotiate. just another example of out of control salaries in the NFL and everywhere. GO VIKES!!!!!!

-- Tom (BMatheus@aol.com), March 06, 2001.