Vikings' second attempt at landing QB seems to take
JUDD ZULGAD and CHIP SCOGGINS, Star Tribune

The Vikings appear to be on the verge of addressing one of their
biggest offseason needs by looking in a familiar direction. A year
after failing to obtain Sage Rosenfels from Houston, the Vikings are
close to adding the veteran quarterback in a trade that would send a
draft pick to the Texans.

The Houston Chronicle first reported the deal on its website Monday,
and an NFL source confirmed the trade was all but done later in the day.

Rosenfels has a year remaining on his contract, but the Vikings have
offered him a $9 million, three-year extension, according to
SportsRadio 610 in Houston. Vikings and Texans officials were at the
NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis on Monday, and spokesmen for both
teams said neither franchise would comment. A trade cannot be
finalized until 11 p.m. Thursday.

Rosenfels, who will turn 31 on March 6, would vie for the starting job
with Tarvaris Jackson. Vikings coach Brad Childress said Friday that
he wanted Jackson to have competition and indicated that veteran Gus
Frerotte could return and attempt to win the job.

However, a trade for Rosenfels likely would leave Frerotte as the odd
man out.

Frerotte went 8-3 after Jackson was benched last season, but he lost
his job after suffering a back injury. Frerotte, due a $250,000 roster
bonus in March, expressed frustration following the season over how
the situation played out and said he wasn't sure whether he would be back.

Coincidentally, Rosenfels served as Frerotte's backup with Miami in
2005. Vikings Vice President of Player Personnel Rick Spielman was a
Dolphins executive when they acquired Rosenfels from Washington for a
seventh-rounder in 2002.

The Vikings offered Houston a third-round pick for Rosenfels last
February, but the Texans asked for a second-rounder. The Chronicle
speculated Monday the Texans might receive a fourth-round choice in
this April's draft for Rosenfels.

Vikings executives appeared to have spent extensive time attempting to
address their quarterback situation at the combine, which ends today.
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the team met
with David Dunn, the agent for New England's Matt Cassel. The Vikings
have interest in Cassel, but he has received the Patriots' franchise
tag (guaranteeing him $14.65 million) and New England is believed to
be asking for a significant return in a trade.

Rosenfels is from Maquoketa, Iowa, and played at Iowa State. He has
made 12 starts and appeared in 32 games since being a fourth-round
choice by the Redskins in 2001, with 30 touchdown passes, 29
interceptions and an 81.2 passer rating.

He spent the past three seasons with Houston and went 2-3 in five
starts in an up-and-down 2008. He finished with 1,431 yards passing
(116-for-174, 66.7 percent) with six TDs, 10 interceptions and a 79.5
rating in six games, with five of those games coming after Houston
starter Matt Schaub injured his knee against the Vikings on Nov. 2.
Coming in against the Vikings after halftime, Rosenfels completed 21
of 29 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in
a 28-21 loss.

"I'd like to play better," Rosenfels said after the season. "I felt
like 95 percent of the time, I played really good football, and then 5
percent of the time, I played poor football. So it's a learning
experience for me. I've been playing a lot the last couple of years,
and that's been a lot of fun. It's been exciting."

Rosenfels, who went 4-1 as a starter in 2007, would have one advantage
coming to the Vikings. The Texans, like the Vikings, run a version of
the West Coast offense.

ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck, a former NFL quarterback, said he
believes Rosenfels would be an upgrade on Jackson. Hasselbeck said he
doesn't think Jackson "is a top-32 quarterback in the NFL," adding,
"I'm not so sure he's a top-42 quarterback in the NFL."

Asked about Rosenfels, Hasselbeck said: "I think they are a much
better football team with a quarterback that allows Brad Childress and
[offensive coordinator] Darrell Bevell to run that offense the way it
should be run instead of having so much come off of the run game.
Whether that be bootlegs or a type of play action or different types
of quick [passes]. They can be willing to take a chance with the way
they call a play and trust the quarterback enough that if they call a
bad play he is not going to make you look bad by making a foolish
decision."

Judd Zulgad • jzulgad@... Chip Scoggins •
ascoggins@...