Vikings Won't Talk Extension With Harrison Smith Until Offseason

After the Minnesota Vikings picked up the fifth-year option on the contract of safety Harrison Smith, getting him signed to a long-term extension seemed like a no-brainer.

But although it's incredibly likely that the Vikings will sign Smith to said extension, they're not going to use their brains to consider it until this coming offseason.

Per numerous sources (including Fox Sports), the team is not going to start looking into extending Smith's contract until 2016. This is standard procedure for the Vikings, who generally don't give players contract extensions before the final year of the contract. With Smith under wraps for another season, there's no rush for the team to get anything done.

Smith was the 29th overall pick by the Vikings in the 2012 NFL Draft. Through his first three seasons, Smith has gathered ten interceptions (with three returned for scores). He has really made a name for himself as one of the best all-around safeties in the National Football League, though he doesn't seem to get a whole lot of recognition outside of Minnesota.

The team will also have to make a similar decision on offensive tackle Matt Kalil, though that decision is obviously a much murkier one than it is for Smith. While Smith has already earned his extension, Kalil is coming off of back-to-back rough seasons and really needs to prove himself. The team picked up his fifth-year option as well, but it's not guaranteed (unless he gets injured so terribly that he can't play in 2016). With that being the case, the team could dump him with no significant penalty this offseason if he doesn't significantly step up his level of play.