• Article by: Kevin Seifert
• Star Tribune
• April 3, 2007 - 12:46 AM

Vikings players will encounter a tweaked training camp schedule when they arrive this summer in Mankato, coach Brad Childress said.

Speaking last week at the NFL's annual meetings in Phoenix, Childress said he is exploring ways to give players a few additional breaks -- both mental and physical. Some veterans considered last summer's training camp among the most grueling they had experienced.

"We're looking at [tweaks]," Childress said, "in terms of practice, overall schedule, the numbers of practices, and then maybe a rest, or a breath or a weightlifting day. Sometimes you get as much from that, unloading mentally."

One possibility is to include more night practices, Childress said, as a way to give players most of a day off the field. Those events could come in the form of a home-and-home practice series with Kansas City, which will train in River Falls, Wis.

Preseason schedule set

The Vikings will have one nationally televised preseason game, an Aug. 17 matchup at the N.Y. Jets (Fox, 7 p.m.).

The exact dates of their entire schedule are not yet determined.

They will open the preseason at the Metrodome against St. Louis, either Aug. 10 or 11. Their third game will come Aug. 24 or 25 at Seattle, and they will conclude Aug. 30 at the Metrodome against Dallas.

Etc.

• Free-agent receiver Aaron Moorehead was scheduled to arrive Monday night in the Twin Cities for a visit that will conclude today.

• The Vikings also will play host today to free-agent safety Mike Doss, the NFL announced. Doss also is scheduled to visit Philadelphia this week.

Kevin Seifert • kseifert@startribune.com