The Vikings signed one fan favorite, Chris Walsh, on Monday and may have rejected another as a color analyst on radio broadcasts of games.

As expected, the Vikings signed wide receiver Chris Walsh, but still haven’t inked a contract with offensive lineman Corbin Lacina.

Walsh started the 2000 season as the Vikings’ fourth receiver, but was used situationally as a third receiver after Matthew Hatchette’s production began to slide. By the end of 2000, Walsh had his best season in the NFL, catching 18 passes for 191 yards.

But Walsh’s biggest value to the Vikings, especially with Jake Reed on board again this season, is with the special teams covering kickoffs and punts. Walsh has 119 career special teams tackles and is only two away from the team record held by Walker Lee Ashley.

While Walsh’s contract is officially two years, the first year pays him near the veteran minimum, $477,000, and the second year escalates to $750,000. Therefore, without a big signing bonus to weigh against next year’s cap, Walsh and the Vikings could find themselves in a similar situation next offseason since his cap number would allow the Vikings to cut him without much penalty against the 2002 cap next February.

But for the 2001 season, anyway, the Vikings have one of their mainstay leaders on special teams back in the fold. Walsh had taken the past couple months to look around the free agent market and garnered limited interest from a few teams, but in the end his familiarity with the Vikings won.

Walsh spent 12 days earlier this year in a Maricopa County jail in Arizona for driving under the influence of alcohol, and that could mean he will have to enroll in the NFL’s substance abuse program. The whole ordeal could cost Walsh more than it already has, as he could miss a handful of games (without pay) as a result.

TUESDAY NOTE
* Walsh is one of two fan favorites in Minnesota making news. The Vikings reportedly rejected an offer by KFAN AM-1130 radio to have former Vikings long snapper Mike Morris do color analysis of Vikings games this year. Head coach Dennis Green, whose weight has been the subject of Morris insults in the past when Morris was performing radio duties on KFAN, is rumored to have shot down the proposal by KFAN. Morris and Green have had a rocky relationship in the past, as Morris has been an ardent supporter of former All-Pro offensive lineman Randall McDaniel. McDaniel and Green often clashed at worst and avoided each other at best. Vikings officials are saying the decision to reject Morris as a color analyst was based on his lack of experience. Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton has already been hired as the play-by-play announcer, unseating veteran Dan Rowe.