Birk to schedule surgery after Vikings turn down offer

ESPN.com ^ | 8/25/05 | AP

[mainepatsfan]

Birk to schedule surgery after Vikings turn down offer Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Vikings center Matt Birk plans to schedule surgery on his injured left hip, which could keep him out for three months, after the Vikings declined to guarantee his contract for 2006, the player's agent said Thursday.

Birk had been cleared to play with painkilling injections but asked the Vikings to guarantee his nearly $4 million salary for 2006 in exchange for him taking a risk and playing with the pain.

But the Vikings declined to do so, agent Joe Linta said.

"They've turned down all our proposals," Linta told The Associated Press. "For Matt, it's probably the best thing. I just feel like the Vikings are making a big mistake. The risk is so minimal for them."

Linta said he was essentially asking the Vikings to increase the injury protection clause in Birk's contract for 2006. NFL guidelines call for players to receive $250,000 if they cannot play because of a previous injury. Linta wanted the Vikings to increase that amount to equal his base salary, which will be about $4 million.

When reached earlier in the day, Vikings vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski declined comment, saying a decision had yet to be made.

[mainepatsfan]

Does anyone know who the Vikes will use to replace him?

[mainepatsfan]

NFL PING

[Gondring]

Linta said he was essentially asking the Vikings to increase the injury protection clause in Birk's contract for 2006. NFL guidelines call for players to receive $250,000 if they cannot play because of a previous injury. Linta wanted the Vikings to increase that amount to equal his base salary, which will be about $4 million.

"Hi, boss... I'm MORE of a risk, so will you boost my contract protection by a factor of 16?"

Sheesh...

[Gondring]

Does anyone know who the Vikes will use to replace him?

Cory Withrow?

[End Times Sentinel]

Good for you Matt Birk!  IF you don't like the way this guy goes about his business on the playing field, then you just don't like football.

 

I guess Cory Withrow is the man.  He's nothing special.  An undersized guy who can longsnap in a pinch.  He's a willing special teamer, taking part in the wedge, but they're going to see a major drop off in the O line play without Birk calling the assignments.

 

If Minnesota thinks they're going to get by with Mike Rosenthal at RT and Adam Goldberg at LG, they've got another thing coming.  That MNF game in week 2 (?) against the Iggles last year, the tide completely turned when Goldberg came in to start at RT.  Probably a really nice kid, but he just can't play at this point.  It wasn't a lack of lateral mobility, it was a lack of anchor.

Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[Gondring]

Not commenting against Birk's play, but just in the way it was so offhandedly commented what he wanted.

I sure wouldn't want to be Culpepper these days!

[ConservativeStatement]

A story I read a day or two ago said Tice was shuffling his interior line to compensate for Birk's absence. The article didn't specify names.

[laceybrookesdad]

$4 million a year for a center? Unreal! Hope the Dikes have one of those uninspiring 6-10 seasons.

[spycatcher]

The Curse of Birk

[ken5050]

If they guaranted his contract next year, and he couldn't play ..they'd be in salary cap trouble, no?

[Gondring]

A story I read a day or two ago said Tice was shuffling his interior line to compensate for Birk's absence. The article didn't specify names.

The story excerpted above says:

Tice chose backup Cory Withrow the starter at center, moved Chris Liwienski from right guard to left guard, inserted rookie Marcus Johnson as the starter at right guard and moved Adam Goldberg from starting left guard to the primary backup at both guard spots and center.

Once viewed as a makeshift unit until Birk's return, now it appears that will be the offensive line for the majority of the season.

[mainepatsfan]

It would be a problem.

[ConservativeStatement]

Four-time Pro Bowl center Matt Birk said he will have surgery on his injured left hip, which likely will keep him out for the season. That moved backup Cory Withrow to starter at center, and Tice moved starting right guard Adam Goldberg to the primary backup at center and both guard spots, Chris Liwienski from right guard to left guard and inserted rookie Marcus Johnson as the starter at right guard.


From the Chargers-Minnesota game summary. Link:
http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20050826_SD@MIN