19 August 2023
T.J. Hockenson’s contract status with the Vikings is getting interesting. The former first-round tight end, acquired from the Detroit Lions last season for a second-round and two fourth-round draft picks, is entering the fifth year of his rookie contract, after which he can become an unrestricted free agent.
Hockenson, 26, this season is under contract for $9.4 million. A new deal could be worth $15 million a season.
The Vikings, though, have leverage in negotiations — they can put a franchise tag on Hockenson for a relatively affordable $12 million for next year if they can’t reach an agreement. Franchising Hockenson essentially would take him off the free agent market because another team signing him would cost two first-round draft picks, and no team is going to do that for a tight end, no matter how productive.
The holdup in Hockenson negotiations is believed to be not the overall amount of the contract, but the amount of guaranteed money.
— The Vikings the past two years have ranked in the bottom half-dozen in the NFL in actual cash payroll. It might be more than coincidental that two years ago owners Mark and Zygi Wilf paid more than $400 million for Major League Soccer’s Orlando City team.
Some smart people wonder whether that purchase has had an effect on how much cash they can spend going forward on the Vikings.
— The Glazer Family that owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reduced player payroll after buying the Manchester United soccer team.
The Boston Red Sox perennially have been among baseball’s highest-paying teams. But last year, the ownership group, Fenway Sports, put its English Liverpool soccer team up for sale, and this season reduced the Red Sox payroll to $154 million, 11th in baseball.
It’s unknown whether the Wilfs are trying to drag out extensions for Hockenson and wide receiver Justin Jefferson as long as they can because of a cash outlay for their soccer club. But it’s interesting.
— It still looks like an extension for Jefferson is tied to Nick Bosa’s ongoing holdout with the San Francisco 49ers. Whenever Bosa’s contract is settled, Jefferson is expected to seek a similar deal, which now seems could reach nearly $30 million a season. Jefferson is the face of the Vikings.
— If he didn’t have a guaranteed $34 million, four-year contract, Trey Lance, the former Marshall (Minn.) quarterback in his third season with the 49ers after being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft, might not even make the team this season. He’s No. 3 on the roster now. Due to COVID and injuries, Lance, 23, simply hasn’t played enough since high school to develop.
Forget the rumors that the Vikings are interested. The Vikings wouldn’t take on his guaranteed salary for the next two years and give up draft picks, too.
— Kirk Cousins, who turned 35 on Saturday, is a good quarterback, but not a great quarterback. So his future in Minnesota after this season will depend on how much the Wilfs are willing to pay for a good, not great QB. As a free agent, Cousins’ market value would be in the $80 million range for two guaranteed years.
— Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst on Green Bay’s training of quarterbacks, per NBC Sports’ Peter King: “There are some things we believe in here — developing quarterbacks, and drafting quarterbacks to develop. We believe in allowing them to sit and learn a little bit before they have to play.”
— The Vikings now are worth $4.43 billion, an increase of 19 percent from last year, ranking No. 20 among the NFL’s 32 franchises, per sportico.com.
The Packers are valued at $4.75 billion, up 13 percent and ranking No. 17. The Dallas Cowboys are No. 1 at $9.2 billion.
— Ex-Viking Kyle Rudolph, expected to move to Tampa, Fla., and become a Big Ten football analyst for NBC this season, has sold his Orono home for $13.5 million.
— Hall of Fame former Twin Bert Byleven’s 1987 World Series championship trophy has received a bid of $16,106 on a public VSA Auction.
— The Gophers’ projected five starting offensive linemen this season average 319 pounds. Meanwhile, the roster has players from 23 states.
— Sibley grad Michael Busch continues torrid hitting for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Triple-A Oklahoma City club, going 53 for 160 (.331) with 16 homers and 39 runs batted in over a 38-game stretch.
— The over-under bet on sacks for the Vikings’ Danielle Hunter this season is 9.5, per BetOnline.ag. For San Francisco’s’ Nick Bosa, 15.5.
— Fifty-yard line tickets for the Gophers’ football home opener against Nebraska on Aug. 31 are $203 on seatgeek.com, $144 in the end zone.
— The Gophers are the 42nd-best football team in the country, per cbssports.com. Wisconsin is 19th, Iowa 25th. Michigan and Ohio State, both Minnesota opponents this season, are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Nebraska is No. 54.
— Pablo Lopez, who has become the Twins’ ace, is the club’s representative for the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association’s Heart and Hustle Award voted by former players. Ex-Twin
Luis Arraez is the Miami Marlins’ representative.
— Former Gopher-Timberwolf Richard Coffey’s daughter Nia Coffey, a Northwestern University grad, is averaging 6.9 points and is a defensive specialist for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.
— Ex-Gophers outfielder Brett Bateman, 21, who last month received a $180,000 signing bonus as the Chicago Cubs’ eighth-round draft pick, is hitting .276 for Class A Myrtle Beach.
— Cretin-Derham Hall junior Sam Udovich tied a Sugarloaf Mountain course record 66 last week in Maine and finished 4 under par for 54 holes to set a tournament record in winning the American Junior Golf Association championship.
— Caleb VanArragon of Blaine this summer won the Minnesota State Amateur and State Open golf tournaments while sister Kathryn won both women’s tournaments. Caleb has been playing golf since he was 3 years old, Kathryn since 2 years old.
“We’re both pretty motivated,” Caleb said. “Our parents didn’t really care what we excelled at; they just wanted us to excel at something.”
— The University of Minnesota had athletics revenue of $135 million and expenses of $130 million in 2022, ranking No. 29 in the country among public schools, per a recent USAToday.com survey. Iowa, which ranked No. 21, had revenue of $151 million and expenses of $151 million. Wisconsin, which was No. 22, had revenue of $150 million, expenses of $147 million.
Ohio State led the nation with revenue of $252 million, expenses of $226 million. The Gophers ranked 10th in the 14-school Big Ten.
— Ex-Gophers QB Tanner Morgan completed 5 of 8 passes for 36 yards with one interception in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 27-17 exhibition victory over Tampa Bay last weekend.
— Happy birthday: Hall of Fame former Twin Paul Molitor turns 67 on Tuesday.
— Duluth Denfeld grad Laura Bellamy is new coach of women’s hockey at alma mater Harvard.
— Dennis Van Norman’s wonderful “Threading a Kayak down the Mississippi” hardback, with foreword by Don Shelby, is worthy of yet another writing award for the Maplewood author.
— Garrett Hendrickson, 31, the new Augsburg men’s hockey coach, is the grandson of Dave Hendrickson, the legendary late Virginia High coach, and the son of Keith Hendrickson, who scouts for the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights and soon will be hosting the storied trophy in the Hugo-White Bear Lake area on Oct. 5 at a community site to be determined. The Cup has to move to Calgary the next morning.
— Ex-Twin Roy Smalley is a new member of the National Baseball Congress Hall of Fame.
Don’t print that
— The market for ex-Vikings running back Dalvin Cook’s one-year contract with the New York Jets — $8.6 million — probably was set by the reworked deal the Packers gave running back Aaron Jones, $8.52 million for this season.
It’s a good bet the Jets’ offer was on the table for a couple of weeks before the team last week finally said take it or leave it. It was the best offer Cook was going to get. It’s also probable that Cook’s preference was to sign with the hometown Dolphins, but Miami wasn’t willing to offer as much as the Jets.
— The Jets, with the signing of QB Aaron Rodgers, are making this an all-in season. They haven’t been in the playoffs for a dozen years. Cook will be the team’s top running back. It’s unclear whether the Vikings offered Cook a deal to remain in Minnesota, but it is clear that Cook wouldn’t have been featured as much as in the past with the Vikings.
— Timing of a trial date next year for Cook’s alleged domestic assault against a girlfriend in the Twin Cities — she sued in 2021 — could affect whether the NFL suspends him. By then, though, Cook could be retired.
— If Zach Parise, 39, of the New York Islanders decides to retire after 18 NHL seasons, don’t be surprised if he becomes an assistant coach at Edina High.
— It looks like ex-Gophers guard Andre Hollins is a leading candidate to replace Spencer Tollackson as Gophers men’s radio analyst.
— Former Gophers receiver Seth Green advocated for Wisconsin for his younger brother Bryson, a wide receiver who has transferred to the Badgers from Oklahoma State. Green’s father, Bryan, was a running back for the Gophers.
“(Seth) thought (Wisconsin) was a great atmosphere, a great fit for me as a player,” Bryson told badgerextra.com.
— It looks like the Twins got a bargain with the $73.5 million, four-year contract of starter Pablo Lopez, 27, who ha’s thrown 19 consecutive shutout innings. With Lopez and Sonny Gray expected to start the first two games of the playoffs, probably against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Twins’ amazing 18-game playoff losing streak could finally end.
— Cory Provus, the class of the Twins’ broadcasting crew, in response to the Baltimore Orioles suspending broadcaster Kevin Brown for pointing out a negative team won-loss stat, tweets in support of his brotherhood that the Twins haven’t won a playoff game since Oct. 5, 2004. Simply honest reporting with which Twins ownership would have no problem.
— Whether the Twins, with all their younger left-handed hitting outfielders, pick up Max Kepler’s $10 million option for next year probably will depend on how he finishes the season.
— The Twins have to be wondering how many more games they would be ahead in their division had they played Matt Wallner ($720,000 pro-rated salary) regularly and not spent $11 million on Joey Gallo.
That $11 million could have signed two middle relievers.
— The Twins are paying reliever Dallas Keuchel (9.45 earned-run average) a pro-rated $720,000 with incentives he won’t reach.
— After 14 games to start the 2022 season, before his right knee got worse, the Twins’ Byron Buxton was the major league’s best player. This year, he’s batting .207 in 85 games exclusively as a designated hitter.
— St. Paul Saints investor-stale comedian Bill Murray on the Triple-A team at last week’s retirement of Darryl Strawberry’s No. 17 jersey at CHS Field: “I grew up in Chicago and I grew up rooting for the Chicago Cubs, and people say to me ‘you must hate the White Sox.’ No, I don’t. I’m OK with the White Sox. And it’s the same thing with Minneapolis. I’m OK with Minneapolis — I’m completely OK with them. But I love St. Paul.”
— Minnesota Sports and Events has been interested in bringing the Big Ten football championship game to U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Vikings, but now there’s word that Las Vegas is interested in bringing the game to Allegiant Stadium, home for the Raiders.
— A little birdie says the name, image and likeness (NIL) minimum rate for men’s basketball players at Creighton is $200,000. Wayzata’s 6-foot-9 Jackson McAndrew has committed to Creighton.
— A Gophers men’s hockey player has turned down a $75,000 NIL deal from an eastern university to play without NIL help to win a national championship at Minnesota.
— Gophers incoming sophomore women’s golfer Bella McCauley has added a third NIL sponsor, Waggle Golf apparel.
— Demand for tickets for Brett Favre’s speaking appearance on Sept. 9 at the Morrie Miller Athletic Association fundraiser in Winona has been overwhelming. The sold-out dinner will also feature former Packers nose tackle Gilbert Brown. Meanwhile, Favre, 53, the Hall of Fame former Packers-Vikings QB, has had back and hip surgeries.
— St. Paul’s Town and Country Club is considering a golf course enhancement plan to begin fall of 2024 that will, in its view, make a “good golf course great.” The project is not to exceed $2.4 million and would include a $2,340 corporate member assessment.
— St. Paul’s Mike Evgen, 57, the former International Boxing Organization world junior welterweight champion, has recovered well after a major heart attack last winter.
“I’m ready to go 10 rounds if you can find someone to go with me,” Evgen said Friday.
— PGA Tour players Troy Merritt from Spring Lake Park and ex-Gopher Erik van Rooyen each will get $85,000 shares from the FedEx Cup bonus pool, which is $75 million, with $18 million going to the winner.
— Outfielder Alex Cole, who caught the final out of Twin Scott Erickson’s no-hitter against Milwaukee in 1994, died the other day at age 58.
— Of the 131 Division I football teams last season, Iowa ranked 130th in offense. Offensive coordinator: Brian Ferentz, son of head coach Kirk Ferentz.
Overheard
— Coach Chip Kelly, whose UCLA football team joins the Big Ten next year, on recruiting: “You want to know what’s going on in recruiting right now? It’s all NIL. So whoever has the most money is getting the most players.”
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