Vikings pick up emergency center from Giants

The Minnesota Vikings, who are running out of time before the regular season begins for rehabilitating center Pat Elflein to return, acquired center Brett Jones in a trade with the New York Giants for a draft pick.

The deal, which is contingent on Jones passing a physical exam, was announced Sunday. The

NFL notebook

Vikings didn’t disclose the selection, but NFL Media reported it’s a seventh-round choice in 2019.

The trade was made hours after coach Mike Zimmer said Elflein would not be ready to practice with the team this week, with the second-year starter still working his way back from offseason surgeries on his ankle and shoulder.

“He’s going to practice when he’s ready to go,” Zimmer said. “I don’t know when that’s going to be.”

Colts

Indianapolis traded linebacker Antonio Morrison to the Packers for cornerback Lenzy Pipkins giving each veteran a chance to impress their new coaches in preseason finales.

Patriots

Receiver Eric Decker is retiring after an eight-year career with the Denver Broncos, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans. Decker had been in training camp with the Patriots this summer. “This has been a passion inside of me since I was a little boy but now it is time for me to hang up my helmet and start a new chapter in my life.”

Broncos

Adam “Pac-Man” Jones is reuniting with Vance Joseph, who was his secondary coach in Cincinnati during the veteran cornerback’s best seasons in the NFL. Jones has been out of the NFL since March when Cincinnati declined to pick up his $5.5 million contract option.