Linebacker Onatolu sidelined

The humidity finally broke at the Minnesota State practice fields Wednesday. Despite temperatures in the 90s, a cool breeze kept things much more comfortable for the players than the previous two days. The low humidity came just in time as head coach Leslie Frazier put the squad through a near 2 1/2-hour morning workout.  

Third-year linebacker Kenny Onatolu became the first casualty of training camp this week (Bryant McKinnie not withstanding) when he showed up to Wednesday's morning practice with a walking cast on his left leg. The extent of his injury is unknown and Onatolu had to watch the extended practice session from the sidelines.

Onatolu, a product of the University of Nebraska-Omaha, is not among the more familiar names of Vikings players but that could change. Head coach Leslie Frazier said earlier in the week that Onatolu was battling Erin Henderson for the starting linebacker spot held last year by Ben Leber.

Speaking of McKinnie, it didn't take long for the Vikings to re-issue his number. By Wednesday morning, new free-agent signee Charlie Johnson, an offensive lineman who played for Indianapolis the last five years, was wearing McKinnie's No. 74. Johnson's previous number (73) was given to Scott Kooistra, an eighth-year free-agent pickup out of North Carolina State.

Although the morning workout was held without full pads, the offense and defense went at each other in 11-on-11 drills with some pretty good contact.


The biggest hit of the workout didn't come from a defensive player, however. Moments after catching a pass on a sideline route, Percy Harvin crashed into the large purple pads surrounding the scissor lift used for filming practices and bounced back hard off his left shoulder. Harvin shook it off quickly, running a fly pattern down the right sideline and catching the ball on his very next turn in the receiver rotation.

The Vikings practiced twice Wednesday afternoon and will continue with two more practices Thursday. Quarterback Donovan McNabb and a host of other newcomers are expected to participate in their first Vikings' practice Thursday morning.