Rick On Ant Man™ At The Combine

Not the words of an un-interested GM...

Brez has gone completely gray.

I'm sure they want to resign Harris badly.

Look at the teams with good to great Defenses that won Superbowls that played a lot of Zone. Seattle, Baltimore, San Francisco would be on this list if Shanahan wasn't such a know-it-all.  They all had 2 good or great Safeties. Not 1 great one and a Sendejo. 

Unless Rick can find Mike two Man Coverage CBs this offseason the team will continue to feature a lot of Zone looks. Having Smith AND Harris is the key to making it work. 

Biggest priority I'd imagine.

@"suncoastvike" said: Biggest priority I'd imagine.

it should be unless they are planning on drafting one very early to pair with Smith.

Can't see them letting Ant go.

@"BarrNone55" said: Brez has gone completely gray.

Balding will be next. 

@"Vikergirl" said:

@"BarrNone55" said: Brez has gone completely gray.

Balding will be next. 

So this remark isn't laying the groundwork for, "Sorry fans but he got a huge contract offer we can't afford to match"..??
Because this isn't really the kind of statement that starts a shrewd negotiation - kind of like walking into a dealership and telling the salesman that he sells the best car in the world.

We can franchise or transition tag him...

@"Jor-El" said: So this remark isn't laying the groundwork for, "Sorry fans but he got a huge contract offer we can't afford to match"..?? Because this isn't really the kind of statement that starts a shrewd negotiation - kind of like walking into a dealership and telling the salesman that he sells the best car in the world.

That was kind of my (initial) reaction, too.  But I don't think that those kinds of statements are going to have much impact on negotiations.  Everyone at that table knows Ant's value.  The question is whether or not he's willing to accept a lower salary to stay with the Vikings (or sign his tender / tag).

@"BarrNone55" said: We can franchise or transition tag him...

That is definitely an option.  I actually looked up the last time we used the franchise tag...  it was on Chad Greenway in 2011.  We ended up working out a long-term deal, but damn that's a long time...  and we only used it one other time on Jimmy K.

I kind of feel like Harris is a team guy and will take a deal that puts him top 5 in AAV, but pays him like the top safety in the first couple years (like Rhodes, Hunter, Harrison, etc. did).  He should be our #1 target as far as internal FAs.

The more I think about this I think they'll have to franchise him to keep him.  Then how the hell would they pay him?