Thursday was the first official day of NFL free agency and it wasn’t all good news for the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings took a couple of big losses, as punter Jeff Locke and tight end Rhett Ellison reached deals with new teams.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports the Indianapolis Colts have agreed to a contract with Locke.
Locke had been with Minnesota for his entire four-year career, since he was drafted out of UCLA in the 5th round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Last year Locke booted 74 punts averaging 39 yards per kick.
https://twitter.com/GoesslingESPN/status/839995501852413952
Pro Football Talk notes that Locke, who also held for field goals and extra points for the Vikings, criticized himself for not spinning the ball on Blair Walsh’s 27-yard miss at the end of the playoff game against Seattle in the 2015 playoffs.
Ellison heading to New York
Tight end Rhett Ellison signed a four-year $18 million deal with the New York Giants.
Like Locke, Ellison has played his entire NFL career in Minnesota. The Vikings drafted Ellison in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
He finished last season with 9 catches for 57 yards and also ran for a touchdown, but he’s best known for his blocking.
https://twitter.com/NYGDaily/status/839954678276313088
The first day of free agency wasn’t all bad news for Minnesota. They did address some of their need on the offensive line with the signing of South Dakota native Riley Reiff to play tackle.
