FanHouse Matt Birk

There had been signs of frustration from Minnesota Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield in recent weeks. As the Pro Bowler became frustrated over unsuccessful efforts to extend his contract, there were veiled threats of a departure in free agency.

That would have left Winfield in the same boat as now-former Vikings like Matt Birk and Darren Sharper, very good veteran players who allowed their contracts to expire, only to find little to no interest from management in a return. Birk is now with Baltimore, while Sharper signed in New Orleans. Winfield, however, was able to avoid walking down that path, as he agreed to a new deal Thursday.

Whether or not the Minnesota Vikings sign Brett Favre, the core of the football team is not going to change much.

Right now, they're built around running back Adrian Peterson and their strong, energetic defense. A huge piece of that defense is stalwart cornerback Antoine Winfield. About to enter the final year of his contract, Winfield has been working out on his own this offseason as he waits for the Vikings to work out a new deal for him. Still without a contract beyond this coming season, Winfield is speaking out on his frustration.

Now that Matt Birk has chosen the Ravens, Minnesota has to move on to Plan B. But the good news is that this is a very good year to be trying to replace a center.

The Vikings had been planning for the possibility of losing Birk since before the 2008 season. They already have 2008 sixth-round pick John Sullivan as a potential replacement and theoretically guard Anthony Herrera could also slide over and play center, but if the Vikings want to bring in some competition, the 2009 draft class is one of the best classes for centers in years.

In the Sporting News Top 99 draft prospects (released today at Sporting News Today), four centers are listed among the Top 99 prospects and ESPN has three centers in the top 65 on its board. If the Vikings aren't completely comfortable with Sullivan, they could snag another center in the draft and use it to not only give Sullivan competition, but in the case of a prospect like Max Unger or Eric Wood, it could also give them some improved depth at guard, and in Unger's case, tackle as well.

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that Ray Lewis will remain with the Ravens, possibly for the rest of his career.

The Ravens and Lewis agreed to a multi-year deal that won't be formally set for a couple of weeks, but General Manager Ozzie Newsome said he's happy to see the 10-time Pro Bowler sticking with the purple and black.

[Newsome] wouldn't disclose the length of the deal but said "Ray Lewis can retire as a Raven."

By tomorrow afternoon, the Ravens will either have their replacement for Jason Brown or the Vikings will have brought back the elder statesman of their offensive line. Matt Birk says that his first jump into free agency won't take long, as he'll make a decision by Thursday on whether to sign with the Ravens or return to Minnesota.

The Ravens need Birk more than the Vikings do. Minnesota has been planning for Birk's potential loss, as they are grooming John Sullivan to replace Birk, although there is little doubt that Birk, a six-time Pro Bowler, will be a better center in 2009 than Sullivan.

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

In an NFC that is heading into the offseason without a clear favorite, the Minnesota Vikings have almost all the pieces to be the presumptive favorite. They have an outstanding defensive line, an improved secondary and the best running back in the business. They also have a very good offensive line and thanks to Bernard Berrian, the receiver corps no longer is a joke.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Above you'll find my questions at the Super Bowl week press conferences of Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, Walter Payton Man of the Year Award finalist Matt Birk, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bruce Smith.

TAMPA, Fla. -- So there I was this morning at the Walter Payton Man of the Year press conference, where Vikings center Matt Birk, Eagles safety Brian Dawkins and Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner were being honored for their stellar play on the field and good works in the community.

Warner couldn't attend because he had practice, but the media had been told that Kurt's wife, Brenda Warner, would be there in his place. Before the event began, I spotted Birk and Dawkins off to the side of the auditorium, chatting with an attractive, young blonde, but I couldn't find Brenda anywhere. And then they introduced Birk, Dawkins and Brenda Warner -- and the attractive, young blonde went up on stage with the two football players.