Cornerback

The Vikings have signed Cedric Griffin to an extension.

In the Pioneer Press blog post, Brad Childress is quoted as saying Griffin's "best football is in front of him."

It better be. For much of Griffin's three-year NFL career, the University of Texas alum has been known more for giving up eight-yard cushions to opposing receivers than anything else. And opponents facing the Vikings defence have thrown Griffin's way without mercy – with good-to-great results most of the time. Ask any Viking fan who has watched the team closely since 2006 and they will tell you Griffin's a weak link on an otherwise strong unit.

However, I felt Griffin played much better late last season – starting with the win over Jacksonville. He was no longer a liability. I even started to trust him a bit.

He's always been able to tackle. What he hasn't been able to do is prevent passes from being completed on him so he doesn't have to be such a good tackler.

Griffin is the first player from the Vikings draft class of 2006 that was in the final year of his contract and has been extended. There's been no extension for Ray Edwards. No extension for Tarvaris Jackson. And no extension for Ryan Cook (2006 first round pick Chad Greenway's deal runs until 2010, I think).

Antoine Winfield is also in the final year of his contract. But my guess is because he's 30-something, he's going to get the Matt Birk "let's-wait-and-see-how-the-old-man-holds-up" treatment from Vikings management. What he won't get is the Darren Sharper "don't-let-the-door-hit-you-on-the-way-out" treatment.