NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ruled that there had been no violation by the Vikings, who were accused by Green Bay of tampering with quarterback Brett Favre. Goodell's letter to the teams said that while Favre admitted talking to members of the Vikings' coaching staff, "None of those conversations suggest that Favre was soliciting a job or that other teams were soliciting his services.
-- DE Jared Allen, who was traded by Kansas City to the Vikings three months ago because his relationship with Chiefs President Carl Peterson had become so strained, did not make the trip to River Falls, Wis., last week for a joint practice against the Chiefs. Coach Brad Childress, who left several veterans behind, didn't want Allen getting caught up in a circus atmosphere. Allen, who arrived at camp with a full beard, also decided to shave it during his day off.
-- Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has been experimenting with wearing a head set in order to call plays into middle linebacker E.J. Henderson this season, but it's not certain Frazier will end up being the guy relaying the information. "I'm not so sure I'll be wearing that headset," he said. "We're still going through that experimental phase. So we'll test it out during the preseason and just see. It's a little bit different for me. It depends on who you are and how you like to do it. ... We'll just see what's the best way to do it." Frazier made it clear that regardless of who wears the head set he will be calling the plays.
-- Safety Darren Sharper will be designated as the backup player to wear a headset in case E.J. Henderson has to leave the game.
-- Quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers is wearing a neck brace after undergoing a spinal fusion this offseason. As a result, the Vikings will open the preseason with Rogers upstairs in the press box and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell on the sideline. Bevell had been calling plays from the press box, but the Vikings don't want to chance Rogers getting accidentally hit on the sideline.
-- LT Bryant McKinnie has been getting some valuable work when the first-team offense goes against the first-team defense. That's because Pro Bowl right end Jared Allen is now lining up against McKinnie. "It helps me more, because defensive ends come up with different techniques to try and get around offensive linemen, so we share information with each other," McKinnie said. "It will help in the long run."
-- The Vikings' full ownership contingent is expected to be in Mankato this week for a two-day ownership retreat that will address topics ranging from the stadium issue to football-related matters. The owners get together two or three times a year for these retreats.
-- The Vikings practiced in full pads for only the second time in 14 practices Saturday night. Compare that to coach Brad Childress' first season in 2006 when he scheduled full-pad practices on 12 consecutive days. "It's a beautiful thing," veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield said. "Probably the easiest camp that I've been through."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "When you're around this game for such a long time you go through it a lot of times. I actually went through it in high school, went through it in college a couple of different times, been through it a lot in the NFL. It will all take care of itself on the field. I don't believe in playing mind games with people or trying to keep them in the dark." - Brooks Bollinger, who is battling John David Booty for the No. 3 quarterback job, on why he has gone out of his way to try to help the rookie from Southern Cal.
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