The New England Patriots have changed the way the NFL does business. That’s been true at multiple levels, but this year the tight end is becoming a major offensive focus for some teams. John Carlson of the Seattle Seahawks was able to use that and cash in at the perfect time, signing a five year contract with the Minnesota Vikings for $25 million per Adam Schefter — even though he didn’t play in 2011 due to injury.
The Vikings, if Carlson is healthy, will enjoy a nice two tight end attack similar to the Pats. Kyle Rudolph is already on the roster and Carlson will give the offense a new look. That said, the commitment is a bit much for a player who was injured last season. However, as many as eight teams were reportedly interested in him.
Carlson’s previous visit was with the Kansas City Chiefs, so it’s assumed that one side or the other saw something they didn’t like. It was the first visit for the Chiefs in free agency, so the team will apparently move on to another tight end target.