The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

After being wined and dined by the New York Jets, free agent cornerback Antoine Winfield opted instead to play for the Minnesota Vikings.

He gets a six-year deal worth $34.8 million, including a $10.8 million signing bonus, ESPN's John Clayton reports. He will make $12.5 million overall in his first season, including the signing bonus, and $18 million over the first three years.

The five-year veteran, ESPN.com confirmed early Thursday evening, had reached agreement in principle with the Jets on a six-year deal worth $30 million and including a $10 million signing bonus. The contract would pay Winfield $18 million in the first three years of the deal.

But late in the evening, as the two sides were finalizing the deal, Winfield backed away for what sources described as personal reasons. And the Jets, who had been expected to introduce the newest addition to a rebuilding defense at a Friday news conference, lost out.

There is plenty of blame to go around with the Winfield situation, and the player and his agent, Richard Katz, surely must accept some of it. Maybe even most of it.

Word is that Winfield's wife was uncomfortable about living on Long Island and convinced her husband to at least check out Minnesota and Houston, two teams also anxious to sign him. Winfield ended up signing with the Vikings on Friday.

That's not necessarily all the Jets' fault, but it certainly doesn't reflect well on the franchise. Especially after the team's miserable performance last offseason, when they goofed at every turn:

You remember the failed negotiations with restricted free-agent wide receiver Laveranues Coles, who signed an offer sheet with the Washington Redskins and never looked back. Bradway got a first-round choice in return, but he could have had a third-rounder, too, had he put a higher contract tender on Coles.

Bradway wanted to keep kick returner Chad Morton but lost him to the Redskins, too. It happened because the Jets screwed up the paperwork by failing to attach the Redskins' qualifying offer to their own matching offer, which included a clause that would have voided a portion of the contract.