Ever since negotiations for a long-term contract broke off last year, Jared Allen's departure from the Chiefs carried a sense of inevitability.

It came true Tuesday night when the Chiefs agreed to trade their Pro Bowl defensive end to the Minnesota Vikings, a source said.

The Chiefs and Vikings had discussed a deal earlier in the day that would send Minnesota's first- and both of the Vikings' third-round picks to Kansas City. It's unclear whether the deal had changed by the time it had been agreed upon.

The teams had also discussed swapping picks in a later round.

Allen also agreed to terms on a contract with the Vikings and was en route to Minnesota on Tuesday to sign the deal. Terms of the contract were unavailable.

Allen was an unheralded fourth-round draft pick from tiny Idaho State when he joined the Chiefs in 2004. He quickly established himself as one of the Chiefs' best defensive players and last season emerged as a dominant player. He led the NFL in sacks with 15 ½ in just 14 games.

Allen and the Chiefs found themselves at odds last year over negotiations for a long-term contract. The Chiefs were fearful of giving Allen such a lucrative deal after he had been arrested twice in Johnson County for DUI. He served a two-game suspension last season for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

Allen believed the Chiefs reneged on promises to sign him to a long-term deal. In February, the Chiefs designated him as their franchise player.

But recently the Chiefs began fielding calls inquiring about a trade. Allen met with the Vikings in Minnesota over the weekend .

The move could change the Chiefs' draft strategy this weekend. Losing Allen could mean the Chiefs switch to defense with their No. 5 pick of the draft.

Seahawks cut Alexander -- The Seattle Seahawks released former MVP Shaun Alexander, just 26 months after he signed a $62 million contract.

Seahawks president Tim Ruskell said Tuesday the team released Alexander unconditionally hours after the running back passed a physical. It's been a rapid fall for the 30-year-old Alexander. When he signed that mammoth deal, he was coming off an MVP season in 2005 and a Super Bowl appearance. Now he's looking for work, coming off of two unimpressive and injury filled seasons.

"Yeah, it's sad, really," Ruskell said after announcing a move that had been expected in Seattle for six weeks, since the signings of free agent running backs Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett. "He's been such an upstanding guy through my whole tenure here. I don't think we have that Super Bowl run if it wasn't for Shaun."

The Seahawks were waiting for Alexander's broken left wrist to heal before releasing him. He played the final 15 games of the regular season plus January's playoffs wearing a cast on that. Tuesday morning doctors declared Seattle's 19th overall draft choice in 2000 as fully healthy to participate in minicamps this spring.

Alexander will try again in 2008. The three-time Pro Bowl runner, whose last two seasons have been his worst, said he is not retiring.

"I will be playing for another NFL team this fall, and doing everything I can to contribute," said Alexander, who ran for just 716 yards in 13 games last season -- his lowest total since he replaced Ricky Watters as Seattle's lead back in 2001.

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