Vikings get Steve Hutchinson

The Seattle Seahawks decided not to match the Vikings offer sheet for Steve Hutchinson. And for this, I am very pleased.

The deal is 7 years and $49 million, but the Vikings are "only" guaranteeing Hutchinson $10 million. However, because of a clause put into the contract, if the Seahawks were to match the offer, they would have had to guarantee him all of the $49 million because Walter Jones is their highest paid lineman. They didn't, and then they used the money saved to sign Julian Peterson.

This deal makes Hutchinson the highest paid OG in the history of the NFL if I am not mistaken, but seeing as how he is probably the best Guard in the NFL right now, and the Vikings have money to burn, I'm very happy with this. The Line was one of the Vikings big problems last year, as it showed as the QB's took lots of hits and the running game was inconsistent at best. If Matt Birk can come from his injury, with Birk, Mount McKinnie, and Hutchinson, the Vikings have the makings of a very solid offensive line.

Now my hope that DeAngelo Williams falls to #17 in the Draft and the Vikings snatch him up. Then it would make for a very good offseason, even with the loss of Culpepper.