Vikings place franchise tag on Chad Greenway

The Minnesota Vikings had their choice of high-profile players they could place the franchise tag on and they’ve made a decision.

The team has announced that it will tag linebacker Chad Greenway, locking up him for at least the 2011 season.

The Vikings believe Greenway has been performing at a Pro Bowl level. Clearly, they would like to work out a long-term contract with him.

This means that wide receiver Sidney Rice, who had a breakout season in 2009 playing with Brett Favre, will be a free agent. The Vikings would like to bring Rice back but it remains to be seen if they can lure him to return with an unsettled quarterback situation.

Rice delayed hip surgery before this last season and that wiped out most of the year for him. The question is how much will teams be willing to pay Rice on the open market after only one season of top performance?

Details on Chalk Talk, an NFP Seminar at the Combine

Follow me on Twitter: BradBiggs

Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune