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The Vikings have already agreed to $81 million in contracts in signing free agents this offseason, including $30 million guaranteed.
But owner Zygi Wilf has given the go-ahead to spend the money to sign Kansas City defensive end Jared Allen, who as the Chiefs' franchise player is guaranteed $8.8 million for this season.
It likely will take a multiyear contract averaging at least $10 million a season, plus at least $25 million in guaranteed money, to sign Allen, who had an NFL-high 15 1/2 sacks last year and singlehandedly could make the Vikings defense one of the best in the league.
The other issue is what the Chiefs will demand in exchange for Allen. Wilf won't object if the Vikings give up first- and third-round picks in the upcoming draft in exchange for the 26-year-old, who has had some off-the-field problems, with two drunken driving arrests in 2006 that led to a two-game suspension.
"This is a complicated situation," Wilf said. "But if we can work it out, we will spend the money."
Wilf got involved immediately when he was told that Allen was available.
Wilf flew to the Twin Cities on Thursday in his private jet to pick up coach Brad Childress, defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and defensive line coach Karl Dunbar. They all flew to California to pick up Allen and his girlfriend. When they landed in Minneapolis, there was a limousine ready to take Allen to Winter Park.
"We spent 6 1/2 hours in the air on Thursday," Childress said.
On Thursday night, Childress, offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson and others had dinner with Allen.
Ken Harris, Allen's agent, said Friday that all that had been accomplished on this trip was that Allen wanted to meet Vikings coaches and view the facility.
But don't believe that. Between today and Monday, look for the Vikings to do all they can to sign Allen so he doesn't make a trip to Tampa.
Yes, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, there isn't any question Wilf will do anything to win, and he deserves a little more respect when it comes to talking about what can be done to provide a new stadium for the Vikings.
Sauer a factor
Goalie Jose Theodore got a lot of credit for Colorado's first-round playoff series victory, but talk to some Wild people and they say that defenseman Kurt Sauer of Sartell, Minn., played a major role in holding Marian Gaborik without a goal in the six-game series, which ended with Saturday night's 2-1 Avalanche victory in Denver.
Sauer, 27, played with North Iowa of the United States Hockey League in 1998-99, then spent the next three seasons with Spokane of the Western Hockey League. He joined the NHL with Anaheim in 2002, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals with the Ducks in 2003, the year they swept the Wild in the Western Conference finals.
In February 2004, he was traded to Colorado along with a fourth-round draft pick for defenseman Martin Skoula -- who is now with the Wild.
Not only has Sauer played well, but Colorado won the last three games of the series with ex-Gophers star defenseman Jordan Leopold in the lineup. Former Gophers and Wild forward Wyatt Smith also has been recalled by Colorado to be around if needed this postseason.
Likes Blackburn
Jack Morris, the former Twins great who should be in the Hall of Fame, has been high on Nick Blackburn since he first watched him pitch.
"He is a control pitcher," Morris said after Blackburn earned his first major league victory, pitching 7 2/3 shutout innings against Cleveland as the Twins won 3-0 on Saturday at the Metrodome. "He has a good curve, a slider and he seldom throws the ball [directly] over the plate, working on the outside of both sides."
Blackburn, who gave up eight hits Saturday but induced four double-play grounders, is 1-1 with an impressive 2.49 ERA in his four starts this season.
The Twins played their second Saturday afternoon home game of 2008, drawing an announced 34,210. This game was in the afternoon because of Fox television, but the plan is to play a lot of Saturday afternoon games at the new ballpark.
Jottings
The Twins will have three of the top 31 picks in baseball's amateur draft, scheduled for June 5. ... Former Twins Paul Molitor, Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew and Dave Winfield have been invited along with other Baseball Hall of Famers to participate in special festivities surrounding the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium on July 15.
The Twins already have sold 83 percent of the 55 private suites and 60 percent of the 3,400 club seats at the new ballpark. ... The Twins' advance sales have sold more than 110,000 tickets for the four-game series against the Red Sox May 9-12 and more than 120,000 tickets for the four-game series against the Yankees May 30-June 2.
Minneapolis is among the 10 cities that have applied to play host to an NCAA men's Final Four between 2012 and 2016. "We told the NCAA basketball committee that we hope to either have the Metrodome or a new covered football stadium during that period," said Bill Lester, who manages the Metrodome.
On another subject, Lester said he has sent the Twins a lease for 2008 and '09, but the Twins also want one for 2010 in case their new stadium isn't completed by then. So there is some disagreement between the Twins and the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, but the team will continue to play in the Metrodome until the new ballpark is built.
The Gophers got a verbal commitment for 2009 in Victor Keise of North Broward Prep in Coral Springs, Fla., who visited here Saturday. The Gophers held their junior day Saturday with 25 top prospects, including David Barrent, a 6-7, 300-pound lineman from West Des Moines who was born in Minnesota before his family moved to Iowa. Also on hand were three players who will be freshmen this fall: Johnny Johnson and Brandon Green of Chicago and Xzavian Brandon of Duluth, Ga. Johnson and Green said they picked Minnesota because they thought they could play and contribute right away. Brandon was also a teammate of Ralph Sampson III in basketball at Atlanta Northview and said the Gophers got a great player in Sampson, who should be a starter right away.
The University of Wisconsin has refused to release former Cretin-Derham Hall football player Kim Royston's scholarship to any school that appears on a future Badgers schedule, including all Big Ten schools, not just Minnesota.
Sid Hartman can be heard weekdays on WCCO AM-830 at 6:40, 7:40 and 8:40 a.m. and on his Podcast twice a week at www.startribune.com/sidcast. shartman@startribune.com.
