On a day when the Minnesota Vikings continued a roster purge to address the team's salary cap squeeze, the club also found time to secure the future services of an emerging young player, agreeing on Wednesday to a seven-year contract with offensive lineman Chris Liwienski.

The contract is worth about $11.2 million and includes a $2.1 million signing bonus. There are "escalator" clauses which could increase the value.

As expected, the Vikings released veterans Ed McDaniel and Orlando Thomas to make salary cap room. The team also released defensive ends Stalin Colinet and Michael Boireau, wide receiver/punt returner Troy Walters and linebacker Fearon Wright.

Wide receiver Cris Carter has filed the paperwork to void the remainder of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent.

Liwienski stepped into the starting lineup in 2001 after the training camp death of Korey Stringer and played well in his first full-time exposure to the position. A former practice squad player who was signed by the Vikings after being released by Detroit in 1998, Liwienski had primarily been a guard before last season.

There is a chance that Liwienski will return to guard at some point in the future, but the contract addresses that possibility, and it appears the three-year veteran is penciled in as the right tackle in 2002. Some scouts feel Liwienski, a strong in-line blocker, is better suited to guard.

No matter his position it is clear new Vikings coach Mike Tice, who also serves as the offensive line mentor, wanted Liwienski back. Without the new contract, Liwienski, 26, would have been eligible for restricted free agency on March 1.

The releases of McDaniel, a linebacker, and Thomas, a free safety, were expected. They would have accounted for about $6 million against the team's salary cap after losing starting jobs last season. McDaniel, a 10-year veteran, has 1,029 tackles, fifth among Vikings linebackers.

Thomas was with the team seven seasons but was slowed by injuries for the past three.

Colinet's release was a surprise. He immediately became a starter after being acquired in a trade from Cleveland in October and was due to make $750,000 next season.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.