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CB Antoine Winfield (All B1G, All-American, Thorpe Award, Pro Bowl, All Pro)

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Vikings Cornerback Antoine Winfield
Sunday, September 13, 2009

The last time Akron native and Ohio State product Antoine Winfield faced the Browns, he had nine tackles, one interception and three passes broken up in a 24-12 Vikings victory over the Browns in 2005.

So what will he do for his encore in his first game at Cleveland Browns Stadium in his 11-year career?

Anything's possible judging from the way Winfield's been playing. In one game last year against New Orleans, Winfield had eight tackles, four for a loss, a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a blocked field goal for a touchdown. By the end of the season, he was voted to his first-ever Pro Bowl.

All from a guy who's the smallest player on the team at 5-9, 180.

"It doesn't amaze me because he just has heart," said Browns receiver Braylon Edwards, who will go against him. "He has the will to be a good player and he goes out there day in and day out and he works hard. It shows in his work ethic and it shows in his dedication to the game. He's very serious and he is indeed a good player. He's been doing it at a high level for a while now."

Winfield, 32, has posted some impressive numbers, especially since joining the Vikings in 2004:

In the past five seasons, he's had 15 regular-season and playoff interceptions and seven fumble recoveries.

In the past three seasons, he's scored four touchdowns: 2 INTs, 1 fumble recovery and one blocked field goal.

He's tied for second in Vikings history with four TDs by return.

He tied for ninth in the NFL last year with four forced fumbles.

He helped the Vikings to a No. 6 overall defensive ranking in 2008 and a No. 1 ranking in rush defense the past three seasons, a feat not accomplished since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

"He's a great player," said fellow former Buckeye and Browns Brian Robiskie. "Watching him, the biggest thing that stands out is the energy he plays with. You look at corners, and not a lot of them want to come up and get involved with the running game, but he's one of the few that gets very involved. He goes hard every play."
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Vikings Cornerback Antoine Winfield - Cleveland.com
 
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Vikings, Bills lock up top corners

The Vikings recently came to terms with an established veteran player (no, not that veteran). Antoine Winfield, while small in stature, packs a punch. When I worked at the Packers, I vividly remember our offensive coordinators and players such as Donald Driver and Greg Jennings telling me that the offense game-planned around Winfield. Plays were designed with him in mind.

I remember when Winfield was a free agent in 2004 and was being wooed by the Jets at their facility when he was sneaked onto a private plane that brought him to Minnesota to sign a six-year, $40-million contract with the Vikings. Free agency can be like the Wild West, and the Jets were furious with Winfield?s agent and the Vikings.

The Vikings have now torn up that contract and replaced it with a five-year extension (four new years) worth a total of $35 million.

As Winfield was due to make $6M in 2009, the amount of ?new money? in the contract is $29M over four years, an APY (average per year) of $7.25M.

Antoine-Winfield.jpg

AP
Antoine Winfield's 2004 contract with the Vikings was recently torn up and replaced with a five-year extension (four new years) worth $35 million.

There?s $16M guaranteed in salary rather than bonus, a tactic increasingly employed by teams with favorable cap situations to not mortgage any future cap costs from prorated bonus amortization. It?s a solid and prudent way to manage contracts that several teams are now using for veteran extensions and large free-agent contracts.

In Buffalo, the team Winfield left for the Vikings five years ago, the Bills brought Terrence McGee under contract in the last year of his deal. McGee has been the Bills? top corner since the departure of Nate Clements to the 49ers in free agency.

McGee signed a five-year deal -- four new years -- worth a total of $27M. Since McGee was scheduled to make $3M this season and that amount is not changed with the new deal, the ?new money? in the deal is $24M, and APY of $6M. There?s $9M in guaranteed dollars in the form of a $3M signing bonus and a $6M roster bonus in March 2010.

Winfield and McGee were in the final years of their contracts and would have been 2010 UFAs (Unrestricted Free Agents), even though the requirement for free agency will be six years rather than four without a salary cap. Although they didn?t receive the level of last year?s extensions that the Giants? Corey Webster ($43M, with $20M guaranteed) or the Panthers? Chris Gamble ($50M, with $23M guaranteed) did, the deals got done, and the uncertainty of 2010 is moot for the top corners in Minnesota and Buffalo.
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Big deal for a small corner | National Football Post
 
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From PFT. I'll just summarize it instead of quoting random pieces.

Vikings are "very nervous" about his injury and it is indeed a toe.

It also kind of infers that the nervousness might be because of how bad Karl Paymah is.
 
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Winfield has sprained foot
Last update: October 19, 2009

Vikings coach Brad Childress said Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield has a sprained right foot.

Winfield, who suffered the injury in the second quarter of a 33-31 victory against the Ravens, had an MRI on Monday morning. Childress said it?s too early to tell whether Winfield will be able to play against the Steelers on Sunday.

?People heal so differently it?s hard to know,? Childress said. ?I would have thought [right tackle Phil] Loadholt?s injury would have held him out longer than it held him out. Guys have different recuperative skills and I?m not going to rule him in or rule him out at this point.?
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Winfield has sprained foot | StarTribune.com
 
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Vikings weighing options to play without Winfield
By JUDD ZULGAD and CHIP SCOGGINS, Star Tribune staff writers
Last update: October 22, 2009

Although coach Brad Childress won't tip his hand about whether Antoine Winfield will play Sunday against Pittsburgh, all signs point to the Pro Bowl cornerback being out for at least one game because of a sprained right foot.

Winfield, who was injured in the second quarter last Sunday against Baltimore, missed a second consecutive day of practice Thursday and continues to wear a walking boot. He could be given three weeks to recuperate if he is held out this Sunday and Nov. 1 at Green Bay. The Vikings have their bye the following Sunday.

Childress, however, said Winfield is "as tough as they come" and would make the trip to Pittsburgh this weekend. "If there's anybody that has a chance [to play and not practice] because of the notes he takes and how he looks at teams, it's him," Childress said. "But at some point you have to warm up and move around."
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Vikings weighing options to play without Winfield | StarTribune.com
 
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Updated: October 25, 2009
Sources: Winfield likely out 4-6 weeks
ESPN.com news services

Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield will miss Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and is expected to miss four to six weeks with a foot injury, NFL sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

The team is encouraged, however, that Winfield's injury is not a lisfranc injury, which could have sidelined the cornerback longer. A lisfranc injury is a fracture and dislocation of the midfoot.
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Sources: Minnesota Vikings' Antoine Winfield likely out 4-6 weeks - ESPN
 
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