10 Minnesota Vikings No One Is Talking About

With the signing of the stadium bill by Governor Mark Dayton, the focus for the Minnesota Vikings can once more turn to matters facing the roster heading into 2012.

The Vikings announced the opening of their 2012 training camp will be July 26th. For 22 days, until the team breaks camp on August 16th, plenty of fans will trek southwest of the Twin Cities to Mankato, where the Vikings have held camp for 46 years. 

Between now and then, it's the dog days of football.

Sure, there will be minicamps and OTAs held at the Vikings' complex in Eden Prairie, but it's not the same as the intense two-a-days, when positions will be won and lost, dreams will be made and starters determined.

For a team coming off of consecutive last-place finishes in the NFC North, there are plenty of questions that still need to be answered during the Vikings' exhibition season.

For many of the Vikings, there has been, and will continue to be, plenty of coverage. The rehabilitation of Adrian Peterson's left knee is typically among the top stories reported on almost daily.

The Vikings' roster currently has 88 players listed. With no other additions, that means there are at least 27 players who will not earn one of the 53 spots on the regular roster, or one of the eight practice squad slots. Of course, there will be plenty of additions and deletions as the summer progresses and players cut from other teams are brought on board.

Here's a look at 10 players on the Vikings' roster that aren't getting a lot of attention right now—some for good reasons, and others we'd like to forget about completely.

Punt Returner/Cornerback Marcus Sherels

Marcus Sherels, an undrafted free agent from the University of Minnesota and a Minnesota native, made the Vikings' practice squad in 2010. 

He was activated for the team's final game that season.

Active all season in 2011, he earned the starting punt returner role. He returned 33 punts for an average of 8.4 yards with a long of 53 yards. 

He also split duties with Percy Harvin and Lorenzo Booker returning kicks.  His 27.8-yard average was second to Harvin's 32.5. He had a 78-yard return against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8 last season.

Due to injuries and suspensions, Sherels was pressed into starting three games at cornerback for the Vikings. 

With 17 cornerbacks and safeties currently on the roster, his best bet to make the team in 2012 will be to earn a spot on special teams.  

Defensive Lineman Everson Griffen

According to Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com, Everson Griffen only played 25 percent of the team's defensive snaps. Yet he made the most of them, finishing fourth on the team with four sacks.

The problem is he's playing behind Jared Allen and Brian Robison.

The Vikings must be high on Griffen as they try to find him a position. Along with playing all four positions along the defensive line, he was given a chance to play linebacker.

Defensive Tackle Christian Ballard

Defensive tackle Christian Ballard, the Vikings' fourth-round draft pick from 2011, should be in the mix to replace Remi Ayodele on the defensive line.

Ayodele, whom the Vikings signed to a three-year deal before the 2011 season, was a bust, finishing the season with only four tackles in 15 games.

Ballard will most likely be competing with six-year veteran Fred Evans and fourth-year player Letroy Guion for playing time in 2012. 

Defensive Tackle Kevin Williams

With the retirement of tight end Jim Kleinsasser, Kevin Williams becomes the Vikings' longest-tenured player.

The ninth overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft started the season serving a two-game suspension for the StarCaps incident from 2008 and suffering from plantar fasciitis.

He finished third on the team with five sacks in 14 games.

In nine seasons, he has only missed four games and has started every game he's played.

When the season opens, he will be 32 years old—one year younger than when Pat Williams joined the Vikings in 2005.

The "Williams Wall" was together for six seasons, helping the Vikings' defense become one of the best teams against the run.

With most of the concern regarding who will play alongside him, there's no reason for Kevin Williams, a five-time First-Team All-Pro, not to be just as effective as Pat Williams for the next six years. 

Linebacker Solomon Elimimian

There's a good reason there hasn't been a whole lot of coverage for linebacker Solomon Elimimian.

The Vikings signed him to a free-agent contract after playing two years for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League.

In his first year, he was awarded the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie. He followed that up in his second year being named the league's hardest hitter in a player poll conducted by TSN.

While Elimimian will no doubt provide an upgrade for the Vikings' special teams, he may also get a shot to start alongside Chad Greenway and Erin Henderson on defense.

Linebacker Erin Henderson

Speaking of Erin Henderson, this will be a big year for the returning starting outside linebacker.

After signing only a one-year contract for a modest $2 million, the fifth-year veteran has a lot to prove.

In 15 games, the first-year starter was fifth on the team with 44 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

An undrafted free agent from the University of Maryland in 2008, he played alongside his older brother, E.J., last year. 

Even though there really is no competition for Henderson, he will need to improve his play in 2012 if he wants to get that next big contract.

Quarterback/Wide Receiver Joe Webb

There has been quite a bit of coverage over the Vikings' first-round selection of USC tackle Matt Kalil and the protection he will provide Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder.

No one has mentioned what it might mean for quarterback Joe Webb.

Of course, that could be because Webb, one of the most athletic players on the Minnesota roster, has plenty of speed and moves to avoid the rush.

His strength is also his weakness.

Webb would prefer to tuck the ball and run as opposed to sitting in the pocket and going through his reads.

He has one kickoff return along with one pass reception, and he has scored three touchdowns passing and four running. 

The Vikings will need to find a way to make the most of Webb's talent if he is not the starting quarterback.

Safety Jamarca Sanford

Even though Jamarca Sanford led the Vikings' defense in interceptions (only two of them), there's a good reason no one is talking about him—he was a part of the league's worst secondary against the pass. 

The Vikings allowed a league-high 34 touchdown passes in 2011. 

With six safeties on the Vikings' roster, including Notre Dame draft picks Harrison Smith and Robert Blanton, it will be tough for Sanford to retain his starting job.

Wide Receiver Michael Jenkins

Even though he only played in 11 games last season, starting seven of them, wide receiver Michael Jenkins finished second on the Vikings with three touchdown receptions.

This says plenty about the state of the Minnesota Vikings receiving corps.

The Vikings signed the former Atlanta first-round draft pick to a three-year contract in hopes of improving the wide receiver position in 2011—it didn't really help, as the Vikings had the 28th-ranked passing offense in the NFL.

With currently 11 wide receivers on the roster, Jenkins' best bet to make the team will probably be as the team's fourth receiver.

Wide Receiver Devin Aromashodu

On the positive side, wide receiver Devin Aromashodu was one of the top receivers for the Vikings with an 18-yard average per catch. Only Stephen Burton, who only had two receptions, had a higher average.

On the less-than-positive side, Aromashodu only caught 33 percent of the passes thrown to him, ranking him last among NFL receivers that played at least one-third of their teams' offensive plays.

A bargain at $700,000 for next year, along with Michael Jenkins he might be battling for one of the last two wide receiver spots on the Vikings' roster.

It's a good bet that one of the two Arkansas draftees, Jarius Wright or Greg Childs, will get a long look to be one of the starters opposite Percy Harvin.

BONUS SLIDE: Quarterback Brett Favre

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Thank goodness the talk about former Vikings quarterback Brett Favre has stopped completely.