<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Tackle to get rich, new dealVikings, Kevin Williams near 7-year extensionBY SEAN JENSENPioneer PressPro Bowl defensive tackle Kevin Williams is going to have a mighty nice Christmas, courtesy of the Vikings.Williams is nearing a seven-year contract extension with the Vikings that likely will make him the NFL's highest-paid defensive tackle and include guarantees in excess of $13 million, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.In the NFL, where contracts are not guaranteed, the money players are guaranteed is all that matters. The Vikings do not comment on contract negotiations until a deal is signed, and a message left at the office of agent Tom Condon of Creative Artists Agency was not returned.But discussions between the sides began more than a week ago and intensified in recent days. A deal is expected to be announced today.According to the NFL Players Association, Williams was scheduled to make $736,500 in 2007, the final year of the original five-year, $12.5 million contract he signed in 2003. The Vikings are leery of allowing Williams, considered one of the league's most dominant and well-rounded defensive linemen, to enter the 2007 season without a new deal.That's because Condon is well-known for punishing teams that do not proactively sign his high-profile clients. Most notably, in 2004, quarterback Peyton Manning secured a record $34.5 million signing bonus, $14 million more than the previous record. Because the Indianapolis Colts blinked, Condon used franchise tender rules that kept inflating Manning's base salaries. Given his importance to the team, Manning, a vested veteran, could have netted $40 million in base salaries for two seasons. And because that would have crippled the Colts' salary cap health, Manning got a whopping seven-year, $99 million contract in March 2004.If Williams were to head into the 2008 offseason without a contract, he certainly could have warranted the franchise tag from the Vikings, who drafted him ninth overall in the in the 2003 NFL draft.Since then, Williams, 26, has established himself as one of the league's elite defensive tackles, commanding double teams, and he has been equally effective as a run stopper and pass rusher. Williams has 31 career sacks.Despite constant double teams, Williams topped double digits in sacks in each of his first two seasons, including 11? in 2004. He struggled last season because of injuries, but he bounced back this year with five sacks and counting.The current benchmark for defensive tackles is a five-year, $30 million deal Corey Simon signed in October with the Colts. Simon, an unrestricted free agent, received $13 million in guaranteed money. Richard Seymour signed a four-year, $30 million contract with the New England Patriots in April. But Seymour, who is a key to the Patriots' 3-4 scheme, is considered a defensive end.Simon has not played this season because of an illness. Despite playing in two more NFL seasons than Williams, Simon has only one more sack than Williams.A constant target of opponents ? he has been illegally blocked several times this season ? Williams teams with veteran Pat Williams to make up arguably the best defensive tackle tandem in the NFL. Both are expected to play in the Pro Bowl in February, Kevin Williams for the second time in his career.The expected signing of Kevin Williams reinforces the appreciation coach Brad Childress has for linemen. Upon being hired, Childress stressed the importance of the men in the trenches, and he already boasts the highest-paid guard in the NFL (Steve Hutchinson) and the highest-paid offensive tackle (Bryant McKinnie).</div>
Ehh, He's at least top 5 in terms of his play. I wouldn't call him the best DT though so it might be a bit of an overpay, but the Vikings need him so it doesn't really matter.
