The Facts: The Minnesota Vikings hosted Carlson for a free agent meeting on Wednesday, and they didn't let him get out of town. Adam Caplan of TheSidelineView.com reports that Carlson has agreed to terms with the Vikings on a five-year, $25 million contract. The deal reportedly contains $11 million in guaranteed money.
Diehards Line:Per Caplan, the Chiefs wanted to sign Carlson "badly" on Tuesday (other teams were interested, too), but the Vikings swooped in and blew him away with Wednesday's offer. It's a lot of money for a tight end who underwhelmed before 2011, and then missed all of last season with a shoulder injury. ... The Chiefs were hoping to pair Carlson with Tony Moeaki, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. The Vikings, who are expected to lose veteran Visanthe Shiancoe, are likely to rely on Kyle Rudolph and Carlson as their top two tight ends.