To rest or not to rest

Pat Christman/The Free Press

On Tuesday, Vikings defensive coordinator Alan Williams talked about rotating defensive linemen a la a hockey line change in order to keep those big fellas fresh. On Wednesday, coach Leslie Frazier talked more about that philosophy. 


But that's news to Jared Allen.


"I'll do anything to win," last season¹s NFL sack leader said after the Wednesday afternoon's full-pad practice, "but I don't want to come off the field."


Frazier said that playing up to 90 percent of the defensive downs perhaps tired out the starters by the fourth quarter at times last season, and he doesn't want that to happen again.


"We thought that really hampered us at times a season ago," Frazier said. "We want to learn from that and try to — if we have the right kind of depth that we think we have — get a rotation going which should keep us fresher over the course of four quarters."


Said Allen: "If they want to rest me, rest me during the week because I get paid to play on Sunday."