--RG Steve Hutchinson has taken over as the Vikings player rep to the NFL Players Association. That job had been held by safety Darren Sharper, who signed as a free agent with New Orleans.
--NFL teams were allowed to begin their offseason workouts on March 16, but coach Brad Childress has decided the Vikings won't start until April 6. Childress feels the extra rest will benefit his players.
--The Vikings are waiting to see if Cincinnati makes an offer to restricted free agent fullback Naufahu Tahi. Tahi visited the Bengals but does not have an offer. The Vikings gave Tahi the low-tender offer.
--WR Torry Holt, who was recently released by St. Louis, isn't expected to be on the Vikings' radar, despite the fact Minnesota made a strong run at free-agent wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "You always want to make sure you get back to training camp and you're legitimately excited. You don't feel like, 'Where did the offseason go?' For teams extended into the postseason, and I include us, and then I include the Pro Bowl and that takes you into February, somewhere you've got to recharge or all of a sudden you're standing around there in A) OTAs or B) training camp and you're going, 'Weren't we just doing that?'" -- Vikings coach Brad Childress on why he has elected to start the team's offseason program on April 6 instead of March 16.
