The Vikings made their play to keep Sidney Rice in Minnesota next season, placing a first-round tender on the talented wide receiver, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Wednesday. The tender means the Vikings would receive a first-round draft pick if another team offered Rice a contract that Minnesota declined to match. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, which is set to expire Thursday night, Rice is a restricted free agent because he has four years of NFL service. There remains the possibility that Rice will become an unrestricted free agent if a new agreement is reached that reverts to rules that were in place before 2010. The Vikings, like many teams, are operating under the free-agency guidelines currently in place. Source: NFL.com
