The Vikings announced signing of Bishop to a one-year contract

The Minnesota Vikings emerged from the first phase of free agency and then the draft, still missing a starting linebacker.

Then the Green Bay Packers let Desmond Bishop go, and the solution seemed so obvious.

The Vikings announced Thursday the signing of Bishop to a one-year contract, three days after he agreed to terms on his deal. He's the latest to leave Green Bay for Minnesota, joining prominent players like wide receiver Greg Jennings, safety Darren Sharper, kicker Ryan Longwell and of course quarterback Brett Favre to recently switch states in the post-prime stage of their careers.

This back-and-forth has further spiced up the rivalry, particularly between the ardent followers of each team, with Vikings fans gloating about all the success Favre, Sharper and Longwell enjoyed in Minnesota and Packers backers criticizing the Vikings for pursuing so many of Green Bay's aging castoffs.

Even lesser-known guys like Robert Ferguson, Javon Walker and Mike Montgomery have put on purple after discarding their green-and-gold jerseys over the past decade. The Vikings also offered contracts to William Henderson and James Jones and in 2005 tried to sign restricted free agent Aaron Kampman, the best pass-rusher the Packers had at the time. Green Bay kept all of them.

Bishop became available when the Packers released him just two weeks ago. He thrived during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, playing one of the inside linebacker spots in Green Bay's 3-4 defense. In 2011, he had career highs in tackles (142) and sacks (five). But Bishop tore his right hamstring during an exhibition game and couldn't play at all in 2012.

The injury required more than six months of rehabilitation before he was able to run full speed again.

Now?

``One-hundred percent and ready to go,'' Bishop said.

The seventh-year veteran, however, said he's not worried about being rusty this season.

``After watching a guy by the name of Adrian Peterson come back from his torn ACL and how well he did, I have an extreme amount of confidence that I can do the same,'' Bishop said on a conference call with Minnesota reporters. He added: ``It's still a process. You have to still build on your strength and your endurance and all those kind of little things and you can never max out on that stuff, so I'm still to this day working on trying to get as strong as I can and I feel really good.''

Bishop said his motivation to join Minnesota was based on helping a 2012 playoff team try to go even further this season, not revenge on his ex-employer. After brushing off the significance of playing against Green Bay, the team that drafted him in the sixth round in 2007, Bishop eventually acknowledged the excitement of returning to Lambeau Field to face all those former teammates of his.

And to try to stop one of the NFL's most potent offenses.

``I'm just a very competitive person, and Aaron Rodgers is considered the best in my eyes at quarterback, so it'll be a good opportunity,'' Bishop said.

In addition to Bishop's health, the other yet-to-be-answered question is which position he'll actually play. The Vikings use a 4-3 alignment, so the middle linebacker spot isn't exactly the same as playing on the inside in the 3-4 scheme. Chad Greenway is the starter at the strong side, and Erin Henderson was the starter at the weak side spot the last two years. Henderson could stay there, with Bishop taking the middle, or they could flip-flop.

``I'm not really worried about that. Wherever they put me. Whatever the coaching staff sees me fit, that's where I'll play,'' Bishop said, adding: ``I've pretty much played all three positions at one time in my football career.''

To make room for Bishop on the 90-man roster they'll take to training camp, the Vikings released linebacker Stanford Keglar.

The Vikings also publicized Thursday their practice schedule for camp, which the Vikings report to on July 25. They'll have 15 days of open-to-the-public workouts at Minnesota State University in Mankato, with a walk-through in the morning and a full practice in the afternoon. The last day of on-field work there is Aug. 14.

-- This article from: thescore.com

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Cruz still has his head on straight and fully intends on being a top contributor to the teams offense

Despite signing star wide receiver Victor Cruz last week, the New York Giants still need to sign Victor Cruz. It sounds confusing, but without a long-term deal in place, the Giants are in danger of allowing their salsa dancing sensation to hit unrestricted free agency next offseason, when a team with more salary cap flexibility could swoop in and sign Cruz to an offer the Giants are unable to match. The team has already offered a deal upwards of $8 million per year, but even that has not enticed No. 80 to put ink to paper and secure his financial security for the rest of his life.

Regardless, even through his extremely public contract dispute with the Giants, Ralph Vacchiano writes that Cruz has stayed in football shape by mirroring Big Blue's offseason workout program with New York Islanders director of sports performance Sean Donellan.

One way or another, Cruz is going to play for the Giants in 2013. He did not attend the team's voluntary offseason workout program, nor did he make it to mandatory mini-camp. Neither of those absences came as a surprise, but it's still imperative to know that Cruz has maintained an elite level of fitness during the offseason so when he finally does report, his production remains at a Pro Bowl level.

Although Cruz has significantly increased his media presence since he hit stardom, Donellan says that the star wideout has not lost focus on what got him to where he is today.

Victor Cruz and the Giants should have come to a long-term contract agreement months ago. It's a shame this soap opera is likely going to drag into training camp, but it's refreshing to hear somebody say that Cruz still has his head on straight and fully intends on being a top contributor to the teams offense next season.

A little less than two weeks ago, the New York Giants were going to make a run at former Pro Bowl fullback Vonta Leach as they had inquired about his services following his release from the Baltimore Ravens back on June 11.

With about $3.3 million left in cap space and the team still needing money to sign their last two draft picks, plus Victor Cruz, it looks like the Giants will not be pursuing Leach after all. And, at least at the moment, the likely front runners to win the veterans services will be the Miami Dolphins.

Following his release from Baltimore after failing to restructure his contract in 2013, teams like the Giants and Dolphins all showed interest, but as it was earlier reported, it always seemed like a long shot that the Giants would ultimately be the ones to land him because of their salary cap situation and Leach's unlikeliness to accept a veteran minimum deal to come to New York.

The Giants interest in Leach made sense because of Henry Hynoski suffering a knee injury in the Giants' OTA's and is not expected back until at least September, but that is if everything goes right with his rehab and no major setbacks happen. In the meantime, the team had shifted tight end Bear Pascoe over to the fullback spot, something he has done before in the past when needed.

With the Dolphins looking to close a deal with Leach by the end of this weekend, the Giants focus will likely turn to middle linebacker Desmond Bishop, who was released by the Green Bay Packers on Monday and the team has interest in him on their defense.

Back in 2007, the Giants had signed Leach to an offer sheet, but it got matched by the Houston Texans. In 2011, the Giants and Leach were interested again, but the Ravens signed him to a three-year deal. From the looks of things, the third time won't be the charm between both sides.

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