In honor of Matt Birk — a six-time Pro bowler, a St. Paul native, the last playing link to the season of which we do not speak, and a player who will probably be missed more when he is gone than he was appreciated while he was here — we look at a timeline of the off-season wranglings and information that ultimately led to his signing with Baltimore today. The last item sums it up. The Vikings could have had him. They seemed for a while like they didn’t want him. They jumped back in, probably too late. Now he’s gone. He might not still be a Pro Bowl player, but he was a lineman from whom you knew what you were getting. His departure brings the number of remaining offensive lineman about whom we would say that down to one: Steve Hutchinson. Not a good day for the Purple. And really, not a very good trip through free agency, at least so far. In any event, the timeline, all culled from the fine work of our own Judd Zulgad and Chip Scoggins:

Jan. 5: Matt Birk wasn’t sure if Sunday’s game marked his last as a member of the Vikings, but the veteran center certainly seemed to have considered that possibility. The St. Paul native posed on the field with his parents and his wife for a picture after the Vikings’ 26-14 playoff loss to the Eagles, then made his way around the locker room to shake hands with teammates. “You never know,” said Birk, 32. “Certainly in my situation it’s a nice time to reflect. It’s always human nature to worry about what’s next and what’s my future hold. … The Vikings are not believed to have had any contract talks with Birk.

Jan. 9: The Vikings organization has not made a decision on whether it will attempt to re-sign free agent center Matt Birk, safety Darren Sharper and tight end Jim Kleinsasser, coach Brad Childress said. Childress said team officials will meet later this month to map out their plans. Childress said he believes both Birk and Sharper have “gas left in the tank,” but economics also will play a part in the decision-making process.

Jan. 23: It’s looking more and more as if veteran Matt Birk will be allowed to explore the free-agent market. Birk’s contract expired after the season and the Vikings have yet to have any dialogue regarding a new deal with their longtime center. Birk’s agent, Joe Linta, remained cautiously optimistic Thursday. “We know Coach Childress is in the process of evaluating Matt’s play, and we are very hopeful he will have a positive evaluation,” Linta said when asked about the situation.

Feb. 21: The Vikings’ failure to open contract negotiations with Matt Birk during the past season led many to deduce the six-time Pro Bowl center would be leaving the team after 11 years. But that might not be the case. Birk’s agent, Joe Linta, met with Vikings officials on Friday and said the team wants the St. Paul native to return.

Feb. 24: The agent for free-agent center Matt Birk and the Vikings are expected to continue contract talks this week after a productive meeting Friday. Agent Joe Linta met with Vikings officials at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. The two sides discussed terms, but no formal offer was presented. Linta seemed to be encouraged with how things went and said talks will continue. “We will try to bridge some gaps,” Linta said. “It seems like the Vikings would like Matt back at some level. We’ll keep working during this week.”

Mar. 1: Free-agent center Matt Birk is expected to begin visiting teams this week, but there still appears to be a real chance the Vikings could attempt to match any offer. Birk, who has spent his entire 11-year career with the Vikings, is an unrestricted free agent and is expected to make a few visits, although it’s unclear where he might be headed.

Today: Longtime Vikings center Matt Birk agreed to a contract with the Baltimore Ravens this afternoon. The three-year deal is worth $12 million with $6 million guaranteed. Birk, a St. Paul native, has been with the Vikings since the 1998 season and is a six-time Pro Bowl selection. Birk had an offer on the table from the Vikings and left for a visit with the Ravens on Tuesday. … Birk made $5.7 million in 2008 in the last season of a seven-year, $31 million extension he had signed in September 2001. Many thought the Vikings would have tried to lock up Birk last summer or even during the 2008 season but that did not happen.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 4th, 2009 at 4:43 pm and is filed under Main. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.