Football
Associated Press 18y

Vikings' Williams gets transition tag

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings named
cornerback Brian Williams as their transition player on Thursday,
which prevents him from becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Cornerback
Minnesota Vikings

Profile

2005 SEASON STATISTICS
TotAstSoloFFSackInt
423210214

By league rules, the Vikings must tender Williams a one-year
qualifying offer at the average of the 10 highest-paid players at
his position or 120 percent of his 2005 salary _ whichever is
greater. The transition figure for a cornerback this season is
$4.774 million.

Williams will still be allowed to sign an offer sheet with
another team, which Minnesota would have a week to match.

The NFL's deadline for designating franchise or transition
players was Thursday.

Williams replaced an injured Fred Smoot, one of the Vikings' top
free-agent signings last year, and started the last eight games.
Williams played well enough to keep his spot when Smoot returned,
relegating Smoot to the nickel back role.

A fourth-round draft pick out of North Carolina State in 2002,
Williams has started 48 of a possible 66 games in his career. He
had 11 passes defended and four interceptions last season.

^ Back to Top ^