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HOT TOPIC
Jermaine Wiggins won't say how much weight he has lost since the end of the season -- he continues to be listed at 260 pounds by the Vikings -- but the tight end appears to have shed significant weight from his 6-foot-2 frame.
That's not a bad move considering Wiggins is hoping to be a focal point in coach Brad Childress' West Coast offense. Wiggins has displayed good hands since joining the Vikings as a free agent in 2004, leading the team in receiving each of the past two seasons. (He had 71 catches in 2004 and 69 last season).
His conditioning, however, was another matter and a source of plenty of good-natured jokes in the locker room.
Although Childress likely found nothing funny about his top pass-catching tight end being soft in the middle, Wiggins claims the weight loss was his idea.
"It's just something that I did on my own," he said. "I feel like I want to get to that next level. I wanted to come in (to camp) in the best possible shape. I know this offense is going to get the ball to the tight end and have a chance to make plays. That has been my mindset. I want to help this team get to that next level, which is winning a championship."
A speedier Wiggins certainly has a good opportunity to become a main target for quarterback Brad Johnson as the Vikings make the transition from a vertical offense to one that will rely on plenty of short passes to move down the field.
"I think it's a key to any offense," Wiggins said when asked if his being quicker was a key to the offense.
One question Wiggins isn't going to answer is how much weight he has lost. "If I tell you everything I can't keep you guessing, right?"
PLAYER NOTES
--The Vikings' 14th and final Organized Team Activity was held last Thursday. A voluntary minicamp, the last organized activity before training camp begins, is being held this week.
--While former coach Mike Tice had all the Vikings players report to training camp on the same date, Brad Childress will run things differently. Rookies and selected veterans will report on July 27 to Mankato, Minn. The remainder of the veterans will be due in on July 30 and camp officially will open on Aug. 1. The only scheduled evening session will be Aug. 4 when the Kansas City Chiefs visit Mankato for a practice. The Vikings' last practice in Mankato will be Aug. 17 and the team will break camp the next day.
--Receiver Troy Williamson, who has been sidelined for much of the on-field activity this offseason after having surgery to remove an abscess from his left hip, was evaluated by a doctor late last week.
--Punter Chris Kluwe hasn't punted this offseason after undergoing surgery to repair the ACL in his right (punting) knee. That has enabled rookie free agent John Torp (Colorado) to get all the work. Still, coach Brad Childress doesn't seem overly worried about Kluwe. "I'm not concerned right now from the standpoint that his rehab has progressed," Childress said. "You have to kind of go with that protocol. He's been diligent about that. Obviously, he's a proven commodity kicking the football. There's not a lot of data on how guys come back from ACL's on kicking legs, so we'll just have to see."
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
The Vikings are setting themselves up to have plenty of training-camp competition at the receiver spot.
The team signed free agents Kevin Kasper and Josh Davis last week, giving them 15 receivers on their roster.
Kasper, a sixth-round draft pick of Denver in 2001 out of Iowa, has played in 38 career games and caught 24 passes in four NFL seasons. He has added value because he can return kicks. Kasper, 6-1, 197 pounds, did not play in the NFL last season and was recently released by the Seahawks after signing in January.
The 6-1, 190-pound Davis, a one-time standout at Marshall, spent the final seven weeks of last season on the practice squad with New Orleans. Davis finished his career as the Mid-American Conference's all-time leading receiver with 306 catches for 3,889 yards and 23 touchdowns.
The Vikings also signed free-agent defensive end Khreem Smith, who helped the Chicago Rush win the Arena Football League title this season. Smith led the team with eight sacks and 10 tackles for loss. He played college football at Oklahoma State and will be reunited with Vikings defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, who held the same job at Oklahoma State when Smith played there.
FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.
TRANSITION PLAYER: None.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
--CB Ralph Brown (not tendered June 1).
--PK Paul Edinger (not tendered June 1).
--RB Moe Williams (not tendered June 1).
--C Cory Withrow (not tendered June 1).
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
--RB Adimchinobi Echemandu: ERFA; $425,000/1 yr.
--OG Adam Goldberg: ERFA; terms unknown.
--S Willie Offord: Potential UFA; $1.195M/2 yrs, SB unknown.
--WR Koren Robinson: Potential UFA; $12.7M/3 yrs, SB unknown.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED
--FB Joey Goodspeed: FA, terms unknown.
--OG Artis Hicks: Trade Eagles.
--OG Steve Hutchinson: TFA Seahawks; $49M/7 yrs, $16M guaranteed; 2006 cap: $13M (Seahawks did not match offer).
--DT Ross Kolodziej: Not tendered as UFA by Cardinals; 1 yr, terms unknown.
--LB Ben Leber: UFA Chargers; $20M/5 yrs, $4M SB.
--PK Ryan Longwell: UFA Packers; $10M/5 yrs, $3M SB; 2006 cap: $1.31M
--QB Mike McMahon: FA Eagles; terms unknown.
--WR Billy McMullen: Trade Eagles.
--FB Tony Richardson: UFA Chiefs; $2.5M/2 yrs, $500,000 SB.
--DE DeQuincy Scott: UFA Chargers; 1 yr, terms unknown.
--RB Chester Taylor: UFA Ravens; $14.1M/4 yrs, $5.6M guaranteed.
--OG Jason Whittle: FA Giants; $695,000/1 yr.
--S Tank Williams: UFA Titans; $900,000/1 yr.
PLAYERS LOST
--RB Michael Bennett: UFA Saints; $5M/2 yrs, SB unknown.
--WR Nate Burleson: RFA Seahawks; Vikings did not match offer of $49M/7 yrs, $4M SB and receive 3rd-round pick as compensation.
--S Corey Chavous: UFA Rams; $16M/5 yrs, $4M SB/$1M RB.
--LB Sam Cowart: UFA Texans; $1.5M/1 yr, $710,000 SB.
--QB Daunte Culpepper: Traded Dolphins.
--OG Toniu Fonoti: UFA Buccaneers; 1 yr, terms unknown.
--C Melvin Fowler: UFA Bills; $7.2M/3 yrs, SB unknown.
--QB Shaun Hill: Not tendered as UFA/49ers; terms unknown.
--DE Lance Johnstone: UFA Raiders; 2 yrs, terms unknown.
--LB Keith Newman: UFA Dolphins; terms unknown.
--LB Raonall Smith: UFA Rams; $750,000/1 yr, $150,000 SB.
--CB Brian Williams: UFA Jaguars; $32M/6 yrs, $10M SB.
MEDICAL WATCH: No updates.
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