MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings have taken another one of their priority free agents off the market before it opens, agreeing to terms on a five-year contract with defensive end Everson Griffen that features $20 million guaranteed and a maximum value of $42.5 million. A person with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed the details to The Associated Press on Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Vikings havent announced the deal. The NFL free-agent signing period starts Tuesday. The Vikings also agreed to terms on a one-year contract with middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley, according to another person with direct knowledge of that deal who spoke to the AP on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the Vikings havent confirmed the agreement. Brinkley played for the Arizona Cardinals last season. Two days ago, the Vikings reached a two-year deal with quarterback Matt Cassel worth as much as $10 million. The 26-year-old Griffen, a fourth-round draft pick from USC in 2010, has an opening to become a full-time player with the departure of four-time All-Pro Jared Allen, who will officially become a free agent on Tuesday and wont be re-signed. Allen and Brian Robison have been the starting defensive ends for almost Griffens entire NFL career, though he has seen extensive action as a situational pass rusher and on special teams. Griffen is getting paid more for his potential at a critical position in this pass-driven league than for actual production. He had 5 1/2 sacks last season, down from eight in 2012. But he has the speed and athleticism to become a force if he can continue to develop, after making major strides in maturity in overcoming some off-the-field struggles including the sudden death of his mother in 2012. Brinkley rebounded from a serious knee injury in 2007 at South Carolina to be drafted in the fifth round by the Vikings in 2009. After missing the entire 2011 season following major hip surgery, Brinkley bounced back again to become a first-time NFL starter in 2012. He hit free agency the next year and signed with the Cardinals. Brinkley played in 15 games last season and started when Pro Bowl pick Darryl Washington served a suspension for violating the NFLs substance abuse policy, but the Cardinals cut him last month to create more space under their salary cap. So hes used to playing under this type of prove-it circumstance. "They let me know the jobs wide open and its not going to be handed to anybody," Brinkley said. "Everybody has an equal opportunity to earn that spot." As the depth chart currently stands, prior to the actual opening of the free agent market and of course the draft, Brinkley will be in competition with Audie Cole for the starting middle linebacker spot. In the "Tampa Two" defence the Vikings used to use, linebackers had deep drops in zone pass coverage and Brinkley was sometimes exploited. Brinkleys skill set ought to better fit the scheme under new coach Mike Zimmer. "Minnesota has always been home for me. It has a significant place in my heart. I was raised on the frozen tundra," Brinkley said in a phone interview with the AP, foreshadowing the wintry conditions the Vikings could experience late this year at the University of Minnesotas outdoor stadium while their replacement for the Metrodome is under construction. From former Cincinnati cornerback Johnathan Joseph, a fellow South Carolina alumnus, Brinkley received a favourable report of Zimmer, who was Josephs defensive co-ordinator with the Bengals. "Hes a defensive guy. Hes a straight shooter. Hes going to tell you how it is. He does magical things with his defensive guys," Brinkley said. Dermontti Dawson Jersey .C. -- Tony Stewart will not race Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, the third Sprint Cup race hes skipped since his car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. Hines Ward Jersey . A spokeswoman for the NLRB says its "a very incremental move" and does not necessarily indicate the board is close to a finding in the case. NFL owners filed an unfair labour charge against the players union in February, arguing that the union was not negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement in good faith. http://www.cheapsteelersjerseysauthentic...e-bettis-jersey. a€“ All signs point to the Maple Leafs having their top offseason acquisition in the lineup on opening night. Mike Wagner Jersey .40 metres at the Drake Relays. Drouin, from Corunna, Ont., bested his own record of 2.38 metres set in Aug. Kevin Greene Jersey . According the CSNBayArea.com, the 31-year-old suffered an ACL injury in his right knee on Friday when he collided with Anaheims Emerson Etem during a pre-season game.Paris, France - Fourth-seeded Simona Halep, former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and sixth-seeded former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic all reached the third round at the French Open on Thursday. Recent French Open runner-up Sara Errani of Italy also advanced on Day 5, as did former champ Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. The Romanian Halep humbled Brit Heather Watson 6-2, 6-4, while the fifth- seeded left-handed Czech star Kvitova handled New Zealands Marina Erakovic 6-4, 6-4 and the veteran Serbian star Jankovic eased past Japans Kurumi Nara 7-5, 6-0. Up next for Halep will be Spaniard Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor, while Kvitova will face the former top-five star Kuznetsova and Jankovic will take on Romanian Sorana Cirstea. "There are still a lot of great players in the draw, every round is going to be tough," said Jankovic. "The opponents get more and more difficult." The 10th-seeded 2012 Roland Garros finalist Errani eased past German Dinah Pfizenmaier 6-2, 6-4, while the 27th-seeded Kuznetsova, who captured the 2009 title and was the French Open runner-up in 2006, defeated rising Italian Camila Giorgi 7-6 (7-5), 6-3. American Sloane Stepphens, seeded 15th, dropped only four games in a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Slovenian Polona Hercog.dddddddddddd In other action involving seeds on the famed red clay, Israeli Julia Glushko took out No. 21 Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; No. 22 Russian Ekaterina Makarova tackled American Coco Vandeweghe 6-4, 6-3; No. 23 Czech Lucie Safarova got past Aussie Casey Dellacqua 6-1, 5-7, 6-3; Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens knocked out No. 24 Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 5-7, 6-4, 3-0, retired; a No. 26 Cirstea brushed aside Brazilian Teliana Pereira 6-2, 7-5; and No. 28 German Andrea Petkovic topped Swiss Stefanie Voegele 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. Also on Thursday, Frances Kristina Mladenovic snuck past American Alison Riske 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-3; Spaniard Silvia Soler-Espinosa dropped Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 6-4; Frances Pauline Parmentier overcame Kazakhstans Yaroslava Shvedova 1-6, 6-3, 6-3; Argentine Paula Ormaechea came back to best Romanian Monica Niculescu 2-6, 7-5, 6-2; and Spaniard Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor held off Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova 6-2, 2-6, 6-2. Soler-Espinosa was a runner-up in her first-ever WTA final last week in Strasbourg, France. 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