SB Nation Minnesota - NFL Free Agency: Erin Henderson Will Return To Minnesota Vikingshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48959/mn-fave.png2012-03-23T15:43:57-05:00http://minnesota.sbnation.com/rss/stream/26622642012-03-23T15:43:57-05:002012-03-23T15:43:57-05:00Vikings Free Agency 2012: Minnesota Re-Signs LB Erin Henderson
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a> re-signed linebacker <span>Erin Henderson</span> to a one-year deal, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/blogs/144015236.html">Chris Miller of The Minneapolis Star Tribune</a>.</p>
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<p>Our own Sid Hartman called minutes ago to report the transaction. The contract is worth $2 million. Henderson started last season alongside his brother, middle linebacker <span>E.J. Henderson</span>, and <span>Chad Greenway</span>.</p>
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<p>Henderson, 25, has played all four of his NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. In his first season as a starter last year, Henderson recorded 70 tackles, 1.5 sacks and forced two fumbles. He started 11 games and played in 15 games last season.</p>
<p>In his four years with the Vikings, Henderson has 96 tackles, three forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks. He is 6-foot-3, 244 pounds and played his college ball at Maryland.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Minnesota Vikings, check out <a href="http://www.dailynorseman.com/">The Daily Norseman</a>. For more on the NFL Free Agency period in general, check out the SB Nation <a href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-vikings/2012/section/2012-nfl-free-agency">NFL Free Agency stream</a>.</i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-vikings/2012/3/23/2898126/vikings-free-agency-2012-minnesota-re-signs-lb-erin-hendersonTommy King2012-03-18T08:00:25-05:002012-03-18T08:00:25-05:00Minnesota Vikings' Erin Henderson Is Unhappy ... And So Am I
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<p>The Minnesota Vikings appear to be in danger of losing one of their best young players to NFL free agency in linebacker Erin Henderson. Nobody is quite sure of the reason why, either.</p> <p>If you didn't see it over the course of the past couple of days, <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Minnesota Vikings</a>' linebacker <span>Erin Henderson</span> took to his Twitter account <a href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-vikings/2012/3/16/2879129/vikings-free-agency-2012-erin-henderson-contract/in/2563753" target="_blank">to voice his "displeasure"</a> over the way free agency has gone for him since Tuesday afternoon. According to what he said over the course of a series of tweets, he apparently hasn't received so much as an offer from the Vikings at this point in time, despite overtures from the Vikings that they'd like to keep him in the fold. Apparently the Vikings are "waiting for the market to be set" for linebackers in free agency before making any sort of offer to Henderson.</p>
<p>If that's the case, let me be the first to say that's fairly ridiculous.</p>
<p>Granted, linebackers have not gotten a lot of attention to this point in the free agency process. Names such as <span>Curtis Lofton</span> (formerly of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons" class="sbn-auto-link">Atlanta Falcons</a>), former Seattle Seahawk <span>David Hawthorne</span>, and Detroit's <span>Stephen Tulloch</span> are still out there, among others, and not getting a lot of attention from teams across the league. To put it another way, it's sort of like a junior-high dance: all of the NFL teams are on one side of the gymnasium, all of the linebackers are on the other ... and everyone's waiting to see who makes the first move.</p>
<p>In this case, however, the Vikings would do well to set the market rather than waiting for the market to be set for them. In his first year as a starter in 2011 after spending the first three years of his Minnesota career on special teams, Henderson performed quite well and showed the potential to handle an expanded role if he were to be back in Minnesota again in 2012. He's still fairly young (he won't turn 26 until July), and has been praised by football experts across the Internet as <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.profootballfocus.com%2Fblog%2F2012%2F03%2F07%2Ferin-henderson-value-waiting%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fminnesota.sbnation.com%2Fminnesota-vikings%2F2012%2F3%2F18%2F2881279%2Fnfl-free-agents-2012-erin-henderson-minnesota-vikings" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">one of the best linebackers available</a> in free agency this off-season.</p>
<p>And here's the kicker ... from all appearances, <i>he actually wants to play in Minnesota</i> and be a part of the rebuilding process.</p>
<p>As a 3-13 football team, it's going to be hard for the Vikings to attract talented players to play here, never mind talented <i>young</i> players. If Erin Henderson wants to stay in Minnesota and the price is right -- as Henderson himself says, he's "<a href="https://twitter.com/#!/50ErinHenderson/status/180794213628260352" target="_blank">not asking for big money</a>" -- then the Vikings need to stop playing around and get something done with one of their best young players. Hopefully, before too much longer here, the team will announce that they have finalized a deal with Henderson the Younger that will keep him here for the long term.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to<a href="http://dailynorseman.com/"> Daily Norseman</a>. You can also get all of your professional football news over at <a href="http://sbnation.com/nfl">SB Nation's NFL hub</a>.</i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-vikings/2012/3/18/2881279/nfl-free-agents-2012-erin-henderson-minnesota-vikingsChristopher Gates2012-03-16T20:12:01-05:002012-03-16T20:12:01-05:00Vikings Free Agency 2012: LB Erin Henderson Vents About Lack Of Contract
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<p>The <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Minnesota Vikings</a> are currently figuring out how to approach the free agent market and weigh the available players against the players they want to bring back from the 2011 season. That's not including the moves they'll be looking to make in the 2012 NFL Draft. One of the players they have not yet locked up for next season is starting weakside linebacker <span>Erin Henderson</span>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Erin_Henderson_vents_on_contract_Im_not_even_asking_for_big_money031612" target="_blank">Tom Pelissero of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reports</a> that Henderson took to Twitter on Friday to vent about his current status with the Vikes.</p>
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<p>"In a nutshell...market value and franchise value aren't always going to match," Henderson wrote. "If someone can play 3 positions ... their value has to go up.</p>
<p>"I've watched every single 1 of my games from last (year) 10 (times) over. I know what I'm worth. Not to mention they (have not) even give me an offer. I don't come to (your) job and tell (you) what you (should and shouldn't) make. So how can (you) say what I'm worth?"</p>
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<p>It remains to be seen whether the two sides will be able to come to an agreement, or if Henderson will be wearing different colors when the 2012 season kicks off.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to<a href="http://dailynorseman.com/"> Daily Norseman</a>. You can also get all of your professional football news over at <a href="http://sbnation.com/nfl">SB Nation's NFL hub</a>.</i></p>
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https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-vikings/2012/3/16/2879129/vikings-free-agency-2012-erin-henderson-contractBill Hanstock2012-03-07T08:31:22-06:002012-03-07T08:31:22-06:00Vikings Free Agency 2012: Minnesota Wants To Keep Erin Henderson Around, But No Deal Is Imminent
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<p>Free Agency for the NFL opens on March 13, and the <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Minnesota Vikings</a> might need to let weak side linebacker <span>Erin Henderson</span> stick his toe in to see what he can get before he signs a new deal with the Vikings.</p>
<p>Henderson was picked up as an undrafted free agent back in 2008 by the Vikings, getting his first year of solid playing time in 2011 when he recorded 91 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and one and a half sacks on a mostly weak Vikings defense. He made only $1.2 million on a restricted tender last season and will be looking to get paid significantly more for the production that he provided.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/If_Vikings_get_their_way_Erin_Henderson_wont_hit_freeagent_market030612">ESPN Twin Cities reported Tuesday</a> that the Vikings had made it clear that re-signing Henderson was very important to their offseason plans, but no deal had yet materialized as of Tuesday evening. The two sides have been working on a deal to keep Henderson in Minnesota for at least two or three more years.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Minnesota Vikings, check out <a href="http://www.dailynorseman.com">The Daily Norseman</a>. For more on the NFL in general, go to the <a href="http://sbnation.com/nfl">SB Nation NFL hub</a> or the dedicated <a href="http://sbnation.com/2012-nfl-free-agency">NFL Free Agency hub</a>.</i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-vikings/2012/3/7/2851458/minnesota-vikings-free-agency-2012-erin-hendersonChris White