Tuesday brought a report indicating Vikings interest in free agent linebacker Brian Urlacher as well as a report that the team was not currently interested in Urlacher because they wanted to look at the players they already have on the roster.
According to Vikings coach Leslie Frazier, the latter report is on the nose. Frazier appeared on the NFL Network Wednesday and confirmed that the Vikings were content to explore the players they have on the team. He stopped short of ruling out Urlacher should the team decide the in-house options aren’t to their satisfaction.
“Brian has been a great player in our league for a long, long time,” Frazier said. “He was a thorn in our side for many years. At this point we want to look at the guys on our roster, give them a chance to compete for the middle linebacker position then we’ll see where it takes us.”
Erin Henderson is going to be the first man with a shot to convince the Vikes that they have no need to add the longtime Bear to the team, with Audie Cole and rookie Michael Mauti also possibilities in Minnesota. The Broncos have also been mentioned as a potential suitor for Urlacher, but Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that the team isn’t interested in the soon-to-be 35-year-old either.