Ian Rapoport of NFL.com is reporting that the Minnesota Vikings have reached an agreement with free agent safety Andrew Sendejo on a new four-year contract worth $16 million.
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Sendejo won the starting job over Robert Blanton before the season opener and started 14 games for the Vikings in 2015, including playoffs. Iloka is familiar with Mike Zimmer’s defense and would be a great fit opposite Harrison Smith, but after committing so much money to Senjejo, Minnesota will probably stand pat at safety.
Aaron Wilson covers the Texans for The Houston Chronicle. He recorded 194 tackles in his first five years with the Vikings.
Ellis got a one-year deal, agent Drew Smith said. I suppose they could still go after a lower-cost free agent at the position.
In terms of depth, re-signing Sendejo does seem like a good decision since he has also been a key contributor on Minnesota’s special teams during the last few seasons. Pro Football Focus ranked him 78th of 88 safeties with enough snaps to qualify for grading, while Smith was graded out as the No. 2 safety in the league by PFF’s metrics.
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That led to speculation that the Vikings would either sign a strong safety when free agency opens on Wednesday, or perhaps draft one in the early rounds this spring. The true measure will come when the full contract details are available.
