The Minnesota Vikings and former coach Brad Childress have denied allegations that the team had a bounty system in 2008-09 that was similar to the one allegedly run by the New Orleans Saints.

Former Vikings offensive lineman Artis Hicks made the claims in a new book about Brett Favre by author Jeff Pearlman.

"It was part of the culture," Hicks said, according to an excerpt. "I had coaches start a pot and all the veterans put in an extra $100, $200, and if you hurt someone special, you get the money."

Team team's response: "There is no truth to it."

Childress, who now works as co-offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, said, "I had a great opportunity to coach a lot of great people there, including Artis Hicks, at the Minnesota Vikings. I have too much respect for the Wilf family [and] professional football to have anything to do with a bounty system. I'm going to let it stand at that."

If the Minnesota Vikings advance to the NFC Championship Game this season, they will receive an extra draft pick from the Philadelphia Eagles as part of the Sam Bradford trade.

The extra pick would be a seventh rounder.

The announced deal had the Eagles receiving the Vikings' first-round draft pick in 2017, as well as a conditional fourth-rounder in 2018 in exchange for Bradford. It also stipulated that if the Vikings reach the NFC Championship Game this season, the conditional fourth-round pick in 2018 would become a third-round pick.

The Minnesota Vikings have signed Jake Long after placing Andre Smith on injured reserve.

Long, 31, has appeared in just 11 games over the past two seasons with seven total starts.

Despite suffering a pair of ACL tears, Long has been in the mix all offseason long.