After wining and dining with Vikings GM, Rick Speilman, and touring Winter Park in Eden Prairie, free agent RB LaDainian Tomlinson chose to sign with the loser of the AFC Championship Game rather than the loser of the NFC Championship Game.

The day after visiting Minnesota, LT flew to New York and talked with the Jets.

He left New York the next day and was rumored to be planning trips to Philadelphia and New Orleans before it was announced that he had agreed to a two-year deal to play with the Jets.

In New York, LT will be coached by Brian Schottenheimer, who was a quarterback coach in San Diego from 2002-2005 and is the son of LT’s former head coach, Marty Schottenheimer.

LT was looking for two things in free agency this season: playing time and a Super Bowl ring.

He has a legit chance for both in New York. The Jets released workhorse RB Thomas Jones (1402 yds, 14 TD, 4.2 ypc) to avoid paying his $2.8 million roster bonus. Jones signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Jets were left looking for a veteran running back to complement second-year player Shonn Green (540 yds, 2 TD, 5.0 ypc).

New York’s signing of LT signaled the continuance of the Vikings’ quest to find a replacement for Chester Taylor (727 total yds, 2 TD, 5.3 yd avg), who signed a four-year deal with the Chicago Bears earlier this month.

With LT off the market, the Vikings must start exercising their other options. There are plenty of options for someone who would be willing to play second fiddle to Adrian Peterson.

There are three unrestricted free agents the Vikings should turn their attention to: Willie Parker, Brian Westbrook, and Adrian N. Peterson.

Westbrook seems the logical choice right now.

Despite his knack for being injury-prone, Westbrook can still make a play. The Vikings like to run screen plays, which is where Westbrook is known to excel. He will turn 31 in September, but he may excel in a back-up role. The less you are on the field, the less chance you have to get hurt.

Parker is also a legit option.

A veteran running back with playoff experience (two Super Bowl titles), “Fast” Willie Parker would be a good compliment to Adrian Peterson’s aggressive style of running.

The power-speed duo back had a lot of success last season. Carolina’s Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams combined for 2,250 yards and 17 touchdowns, Tennessee’s Chris Johnson and LenDale White combined for 2,228 yards and 16 touchdowns, and Miami’s Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown combined for 1,769 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Another option the Vikings could pursue would be Adrian N. Peterson, not to be confused with Adrian L. Peterson.

ANP spent the last eight seasons in Chicago, primarily as a back-up, and could fit well into the Vikings’ system. It would also be awesome to have Adrian Peterson on the field every play. ANP has proven he can play; he was in the Heisman conversation during his time at Georgia Southern. His has been in the NFC North his entire eight-year career and knows the division’s defenses well.

Although the Vikings have promising rookies Albert Young and Ian Johnson on the roster, they could address the need for a third-down back through the draft.

A championship-caliber team needs veteran players to carry the workload. And a big name player, like Parker or Westbrook, might sway QB Brett Favre into coming back.

Read more Minnesota Vikings news on BleacherReport.com

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1. LaDainian Tomlinson Doesn’t Sign

Tomlinson left Minnesota without a deal, and is off to visit the Jets. I still think that he’ll sign with the Vikings after testing the market.

I don’t have to explain why this would a big deal for both parties, but it’s a great fit for the Vikings. A Hall of Fame-caliber running back capable of mentoring Adrian Peterson through a difficult stretch in his career, plus a fantastic screen and draw option on third downs.

The Vikings’ big free agent signings have been hit or miss the past few seasons, and honestly they’re pretty happy they missed on a few last year (I don’t think T.J. Houshmandzadeh would have helped as much as Percy Harvin), but call me cautiously optimistic about the possibility of singing LT.

The question now, of course, is how his ego would take to being the second banana. Tomlinson has said all the right things, but the cure for that is winning, and with Tomlinson as an option the Vikings would have all the tools to put together another Super Bowl run.

2. The Williamses’ Trial Marches On

Both Pat and Kevin Williams have given their testimony over the StarCaps case, and things look to be proceeding much more quickly in the next few months.

Now, I’m not a lawyer, but the feel I’ve gotten over the past few days is that the Williamses have a strong case, and they may end up getting their suspensions repealed after all.

This would, of course, be a significant boon to the Vikings who look to face a much tougher schedule next year and will need both of their tackles to keep themselves from dropping too far behind after the first four games.

3. The Bears Stock Up

They Chicago Bears have, by far, made the splashiest acquisitions this off-season. They’ve added both Julius Peppers and the Viking’s own Chester Taylor in an attempt to leapfrog Green Bay and challenge the Vikings for the NFC Central.

Peppers is an interesting acquisition: He’s the best defensive lineman for six games a year, and then he enjoys a good snooze for the remainder of the season.

The Bears are hoping that Peppers plays like he did against the Vikings last season, when he put Bryant McKinney on the bench and Brett Favre on the ground. But history shows that Peppers doesn’t really keep that up. We’ll see if the change in location changes him.
Chester Taylor, on the other hand, is a more confusing situation. He’s a great player and the Vikings are going to miss him, but of all the teams he could go to the Bears make the least sense for him.

In terms of the Bears, Taylor is very similar in terms of skill set to Matt Forte. Yeah, he’s probably a better blocker, but you can’t say that one guy or the other is really a change of pace over the other.

And Taylor is going to cost them a lot of money to do essentially the same things that Forte is already doing for them, which doesn’t really help the bottom line, which doesn’t help when they have so many other holes to fill.

On Taylor’s end, it’s a weird choice. Yes, he gets a chance to get revenge on the Vikings for…whatever it is he thinks he needs to get revenge for, but it’s not really helping him any.

The Bears are still probably a few years away from really competing for a playoff spot, and Taylor’s backing up Matt Forte now instead of Adrian Peterson. It’s unlikely that he’s going to hit a lot of incentives that would make this contract worthwhile.

Either way, I don’t think the Vikings are too particularly terrified of the Bears’ big free agents.

4. Kampman Moves On

A few years ago, this would’ve been a huge blow to the Packers and a huge boon for the Vikings. Then again, a few years ago it would have been the Vikings that Kampman signed with.

For all his talent as a pass rusher, and as many days as he made NFC North opponents miserable, Kampman was never going to adjust to playing as a linebacker in the 3-4 scheme

Because of that, I doubt the Packers will miss him much. They’ll miss his presence in the locker room and such, of course, but there won’t be much impact on the field.

It’s still the end of another era for the Vikings-Packers rivalry, though. And may be further incentive for a certain quarterback to come back to Minnesota next season. No, not Tarvaris Jackson.

5. The Brett Favre Saga Continues (Remix)

If you haven’t heard, Brett Favre appeared on the Tonight Show last week, and was very non-committal about his future, just as we’ve come to expect from him.

But, to me, his body language says he’s coming back. I don’t think he’s going to particularly miss any of the free agents the Vikings have lost this season, and he’d be jazzed about the opportunity of playing with someone like Tomlinson.

The answer won’t be delivered until the Vikings break camp in August, but Favre looked and sounded like he was planning for next fall in his head.

Read more Minnesota Vikings news on BleacherReport.com

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MINNEAPOLIS – After more than a year and a half of legal manoeuvring in their closely watched labour fight with the NFL, Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams may finally learn in May if they must serve a four-game suspension for taking a banned substance.

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After losing Chester Taylor to the Chicago Bears, the Vikings turned their attention to a Hall of Fame running back.

LaDainian Tomlinson, who was cut by the San Diego Chargers last month, made his first free agent visit this week when he met with the Vikings.

Coach Brad Childress and vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman were among a contingent of team officials who dined with Tomlinson at a Minneapolis steakhouse on Wednesday and then continued meetings on Thursday.

Tomlinson is eighth all-time in NFL history with 12,490 yards and was the league’s MVP in 2006. But with plenty of tread on his tires, the soon-to-be 31-year old said he would have no problem with assuming Taylor’s third-down role and playing behind Adrian Peterson.

“I don’t,” have a…

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After more than a year and a half of legal maneuvering in their closely watched labor fight with the NFL, Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams may finally learn in May if they must serve a four-game suspension for taking a banned substance. Attorneys for the players and the NFL made closing arguments Friday, wrapping up a five-day trial that included testimony from…

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Before Brett Favre even took his first preseason snap with the Minnesota Vikings last year, I expressed the following opinion:

 

“Favre immediately makes the Minnesota Vikings’ offense better. And it’s not only because he is the most prolific passer in NFL history. The offensive success will come because Favre will show his new soldiers something they have never seen before—leadership.”

As it turns out, Favre took that trait to a talented and diverse Vikings roster and turned what could have been a rag-tag offensive group into a battalion. A personable general with a much heralded love for the battle, Favre developed the raw talent of his teammates into game-day success.

Favre’s directive helped to develop the explosive performance of rookie Percy Harvin, pull the pin on receiving juggernaut Sidney Rice and lead the Vikings to a per game average of 29.4 points (second best in the NFL).

With his knowledge of the quick-read West Coast Offense and his ability to diagnose defenses, Favre brought direction to perhaps the most talented skill-position offense in the NFL.

With or without Favre, the Vikings will still hold one of the best rosters in the NFL heading into next season, but without Favre, the cohesion built in 2009 will be in serious danger of dissolving. And everyone in the Vikings organization knows this, from the top of the owner’s box to the bottom of the roster.

Brad Childress is a talented personnel coach. He recognizes and pursues players who understand and want to be around the game (players with the un-coachable “football savvy” Favre often talks about).

The coach is cerebral about matching player personality with on-field return, and he doesn’t get rattled by off-field issues surrounding his players (i.e. Brett Favre recruitment, Percy Harvin pre-draft image assault, and the Williams Wall StarCaps case).

Childress is not, however, a coach capable of instilling confidence from the sidelines.

Time after time, down after down in 2009, Favre simultaneously excited and calmed his men in the huddle. His ability to crack a joke then turn to steely-eyed focus in the seconds before a snap gives teammates reassurance and swagger.

Favre captured the attention of Minnesota and the nation last year with that last-second win over the San Francisco 49ers, his victorious return to Lambeau Field and his near-perfect playoff performance against the Dallas Cowboys.

Now Favre’s inaugural season in Minnesota is finished, and the exuberance and drama of 2009 only exist in film reel and memory.

Football is a year-round sport, so teams will keep themselves busy with free agency, the draft and preparations for offseason programs. But the Vikings have that 10,000 pound elephant in the room: the question of Brett’s return.

One thing is for sure, the Vikings badly want Favre back.

They want their leader back for one more run.

In the past year, Favre formed special bonds with so many of his teammates. One of those connections was made with superstar running back Adrian Peterson.

Speaking of Favre, Peterson says, “I hope he comes back for another year or two, gives us another two years. I think we could win back-to-back Super Bowls. I’d take one. But the talent we have on both sides of the football with Favre—just the talent we have on offense, defense all phases—I feel like we can go as high as we want.”

Speaking from the sidelines of a Pro Bowl practice session, the outspoken Jared Allen looked into the camera and said to Favre, “Silver Fox (Allen’s nickname for Favre), everything but my backside loves you. (Favre has a well known habit of sneaking up on teammates to deliver wince-inducing ass slaps.)

“But if you come back,” Allen went on, ”I will let you slap my rear-end every single day. In no way gay at all, but I will take that stinging pain, and I will eat it every day.”

Jared Allen talks a lot—and he has his share of haters because of this—but he is not disingenuous. Just like the rest of the team, he needed proof of Favre’s character and leadership before he believed.

Given the annoyance he expressed last offseason after being hit with question-after-question about a possible Favre signing, Allen’s words this offseason speak volumes about the unique relationship Favre went on to develop with Vikings teammates, staff, and fans.

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf has already expressed his wholehearted desire for another season with Brett Favre steering the Nordic ship.

And what about Brad Childress, the control-freak coach who was supposedly going to lose face with his team regarding the loose timetables he accommodated Favre with last season?

When asked about setting a timeline for a 2010 decision from the star quarterback, Childress made it clear he would be anything but anal and disciplinarian in his approach.

“Would it be nice to know sooner rather than later?” Childress said about Favre’s decision. “Yeah, but you have to be able to deal with ambiguity in this business whether you’re a coach or a player. I just think it’s important to manage a guy’s resources, particularly a 41-year-old. There’s really not a manual on that, just like there’s not a manual for raising kids, there’s really not a manual for 40, 41.”

 

Childress says that Favre has earned a certain amount of “latitude” in the decision making/offseason team activity departments.

 

So, from the team’s owner on down, the Vikings have already made it clear that they desperately want Favre’s charismatic leadership back for another year.

 

Childress has already paid Favre a “non-business” visit at the quarterback’s ranch in Mississippi, and calls and texts from his teammates are sure to follow on a steady basis.

 

The Vikings will be careful not to make Favre feel pressured into a 2010 return. But No. 4 already knows their message loud and clear.

 

Brett, we want you back. We want our leader back.

 

Given that this is the first time Favre has received this message in unequivocal terms from all facets of an organization in at least three years, he just might consider the Vikings’ proposal and say, “I do.”

Read more Minnesota Vikings news on BleacherReport.com

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Free agent running back LaDainian Tomlinson visited the Minnesota Vikings Thursday and apparently left without a…

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By JON KRAWCZYNSKI AP Sports Writer

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The Minnesota Vikings wined and dined LaDainian Tomlinson on Wednesday night, then spent much of Thursday meeting with the star running back in hopes of pairing him with Adrian Peterson in what would be a big-name backfield. Tomlinson emerged from Vikings headquarters on Thursday evening with a purple Vikings jersey in hand, but pulled away in a black limousine without a deal in place.

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MINNEAPOLIS – The agents for Minnesota Vikings players Kevin Williams and Pat Williams say negative publicity from their violation of the NFL's anti-doping policy has unfairly hurt them.