-- WR Aundrae Allison, entering his second season, has been getting more reps because the Vikings want to reduce the workload of veteran Bobby Wade, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee during the offseason.

-- G Artis Hicks has gotten some work at left tackle of late but mainly is being used as the No. 2 left guard. Hicks will replace Bryant McKinnie at left tackle if McKinnie is suspended by the NFL for his most recent off-the-field incident. McKinnie was arrested after being involved in a fight outside a Miami nightclub in February.

-- SLB Ben Leber has been used with the second team at middle linebacker and could slide to that position if something happens to starter E.J. Henderson. Dontarrious Thomas had been the Vikings' primary backup at all three linebacker spots before signing as a free agent with San Francisco last March.

-- Leber and WLB Chad Greenway will continue to split time in the nickel package this season, according to defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. Greenway and E.J. Henderson stayed on the field during nickel situations early last season but that took a big chunk out of Leber's playing time. Eventually the two began to rotate.

-- RT Marcus Johnson has been getting some reps with the first unit and appears to be in a position to challenge Ryan Cook for the job. Cook started all 16 games at right tackle last season. Johnson was a second-round pick in 2005 and is the only remaining player from that draft class on the Vikings' roster.

-- TE Garrett Mills has been out since Monday's practice because of a sprained ankle. However, the coaching staff appears to be high on Mills and it would not be surprising to see him earn a regular role this season, playing at tight end and the H-back spot. Mills, claimed off waivers from the Patriots just before last season, was inactive for the first 15 games of last season but had two receptions in the regular-season finale at Denver.

EXPECTED BATTLE OF THE WEEK: Charles Gordon, Marcus McCauley and Benny Sapp for the nickel job. This might be the best competition going in training camp. Gordon, who finished last season playing in the nickel, has had a strong camp and picked off two passes in a recent joint practice with Kansas City. Sapp has had numerous interceptions but he also has been beaten badly at other times. Both Gordon and Sapp can play inside in the nickel, enabling Antoine Winfield to stay at left corner. McCauley, entering his second season, can only play the corner. While this means Winfield has to move inside, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Winfield prefers to play that spot because it puts him in the middle of the action. McCauley suffered a knee injury against Kansas City that could cost him practice time.

OTHER BATTLE FRONTS: Rookie quarterback John David Booty has gone out of his way to credit Brooks Bollinger for helping him adjust to the NFL, but the fact of the matter is these two remain in a battle for the No. 3 job. That competition appears to be about even at this point. ... The starting linebacker jobs are set with Chad Greenway, E.J. Henderson and Ben Leber returning. But the backup jobs certainly aren't finalized. Free-agent addition Derrick Pope will be a good bet to win a job, in part because he can play on special teams. Heath Farwell and Vinny Ciurciu also have established themselves as top-notch special-teams players. Behind them the battle will include Rufus Alexander, Erin Henderson, David Herron and J Leman.

ROOKIE REPORT: Second-round safety Tyrell Johnson continues to work with the second team at safety. Johnson had an interception in the Vikings' recent joint practice with Kansas City but also bit on a move by Chiefs running back Larry Johnson that left the youngster reaching for air. ... Fifth-round quarterback John David Booty is battling Brooks Bollinger for the No. 3 job. Booty hasn't shown great arm strength and was intercepted on back-to-back plays Wednesday during an individual passing drill. He did rebound to hit receiver Nate Jones on a nice 40-yard pass down the sideline against the Chiefs. ... Fifth-round defensive tackle Letroy Guion is fighting for a roster spot. Guion is raw and might be a guy they try to sneak through to the practice squad. ... Sixth-round center John Sullivan is backing up veteran Matt Birk and also serving as the right guard on the third team. That versatility is extremely valuable and could win him a spot on the game-day roster this season. ... Sixth-round wide receiver Jaymar Johnson remains in the mix for punt and kick returns. He made some impressive catches early in camp but wasn't as noticeable after the first few days. ... Free-agent linebacker Erin Henderson, brother of Vikings starting middle linebacker E.J. Henderson, is attempting to win a roster spot at one of the Vikings' deepest positions. Henderson's ability to play on special teams will be key.

INJURY REPORT: WR Bobby Wade has missed practice time because the Vikings want to be cautious with him. Wade had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee during the offseason. ... WR Bernard Berrian missed two practices because of tightness in his groin area but expects to be fine. ... TE Garrett Mills hasn't practiced since suffering a sprained ankle on Monday. ... DT Kenderick Allen returned after being sidelined for two days because of a leg injury. ... DE Ray Edwards (lower back) was activated off the physically-unable-to-perform list on Wednesday. He has been limited to mainly work in individual drills since his return. ... DT Pat Williams has begun doing work in 11-on-11 drills after sitting those out for the first few days of camp because of offseason elbow surgery. ... CB Marcus McCauley injured his right knee in a practice against the Chiefs on Thursday and is day-to-day.