Ryan Longwell

The Vikings released kicker Ryan Longwell Monday after 3 seasons with the Vikings and 16 NFL seasons mostly with the Green Bay Packers. Longwell made 22 of 28 field goals for the Vikings in 2011. He was given a 3-year $1.75 Million extension last summer. Longwell said good bye to fans on twitter and head coach Leslie Frazier thanked Longwell for his work and wished him well.

The Vikings have lost free agent receiver Sidney Rice to the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle agreed to sign Rice to a 5-year $41 Million contract with $18 Million guaranteed. Rice was also aggressively pursued by the Vikings. Rice played just 6 games in 2010 with 17 receptions for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns. He missed much of the season recovering from a hip injury.