No Compensatory Picks For Vikings

The Vikings found out Monday that they would receive no compensatory picks in the 2008 draft. A total of 15 teams will be awarded 32 picks at the end of the month.

The Vikings got shut out at the owner’s meetings Monday when it came to dispensing out the league’s compensatory picks, despite not being relatively active in the 2007 free agent period. Of the 32 compensatory draft picks announced by the league, none will be coming to the Vikings.

A total of 15 teams were awarded compensatory picks, led by four each for the Ravens and Bengals – all of which will come at the end of the fifth round. The Bears, Colts, Eagles and Redskins got three each, with Washington getting the highest compensatory pick – the 33rd pick in the third round.

The Ravens were credited with losing four compensatory free agents, including LB Adalius Thomas while not signing any. The Bengals were credited with losing five compensatory free agents last year.

The Vikings currently have nine picks slated for the 2008 draft, with extra selections in the third and sixth rounds for previous trades.

TUESDAY NOTES
* Tickets for the 2008 Vikings draft party will go on sale today at all Vikings Locker Room stores or Ticketmaster locations. Tickets are $15 and the party will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 26. A special section called the Red Zone will have tickets for $70 that will include a private autograph section and free food and beverage coupons.
* The NFL set an attendance record for the sixth straight season with a total paid attendance of 22,256,502 fans – the second straight year the league drew more than 22 million fans.
* Vikings Vice President of Sales and Marketing Steve LaCroix has been named as a member of the NFL’s Internet Working Group.
* The announcement that the Vikings will play on the season-opening Monday night doubleheader will be the second time in the three-year history of the MNF doubleheaders that the Vikings will be involved. In 2006, the Vikings also had the early game, traveling to the play the Redskins.
* Some media sources are reporting that Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, currently testing his dignity on ABC-TV’s “Dancing with the Stars,” will announce his retirement from football on tonight’s show – increasing the odds that the Dolphins will select DE Chris Long with the first pick in this year’s draft. (Update: And now that Pro Football Talk has revealed it was an April Fool's joke, we say, "Well, done." Taking a real possibility and turning it loose caught us.)
* It appears as though the ballyhooed topic of player hair length won’t get voted on at this year’s owners meetings.