Minnesota Vikings Sign Linebacker Casey Matthews

Well, here's one that I don't think anybody saw coming, largely because I don't think anyone ever connected him with the Vikings.

On Tuesday, along with the signing of safety Taylor Mays, the Minnesota Vikings inked former Philadelphia Eagles' linebacker Casey Matthews to a contract. Terms of the deal were not immediately made available.

Matthews was the Eagles' fourth-round pick (#116 overall) in the 2011 NFL Draft out of the University of Oregon. And, yes, he's the younger brother of Packers' linebacker Clay Matthews. He actually opened the 2011 season as the Eagles' starter at middle linebacker, but was moved to weak-side linebacker after the first couple of games. After making five starts in his first three seasons, he started 11 games for the Eagles this past season, collecting 53 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.

I'm not sure exactly what the plan for Matthews is for the Vikings, whether he's going to have a shot to compete for a starting spot or he's just being brought in for depth/special teams purposes. But, for a young and maturing team like the Vikings, competition is always healthy.