Vikes-Clairborne Official

[Gunzlingr]

Vikings | Claiborne Official - posted at KFFL (http://nfl.kffl.com)
8:25 PT: Vikings.com reports the Minnesota Vikings have officially agreed to terms with free agent LB Chris Claiborne (Lions) on an undisclosed contract. Earlier reports had it as a two-year, $5 million contract.

[The_Philster]

The Minnesota Vikings paid up and now they expect veteran linebacker Chris Claiborne, who late Monday night agreed to terms on a new two-year contract as an unrestricted free agent, to lighten up.

As the latest addition to a Minnesota defense that ranked 26th in the league in 2002, Claiborne has been penciled in as the starting strongside linebacker by the Vikings defensive staff. But now that the Vikings have paid up, with a deal that is worth $5 million and includes a $750,000 signing bonus, they also expect the former Detroit Lions starter to shape up.

"There is a big difference between a player and a playmaker," explained one Vikings coach. "We feel like (Claiborne) can be a playmaker and we will put him in position to make a difference for us. But if he's as (overweight) as he was last year, then he'll just be a player."...more (http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1529184.html)