Vikings: Henderson lands back in the middle

E.J. Henderson has always considered himself a true middle linebacker and thus in many ways feels right at home being back at that spot after a two-year stay on the weak side. But that doesn't mean everything has been familiar for Henderson during the first two days of the Vikings' organized team activities at Winter Park.

"It feels good to be back where I started," Henderson said Wednesday, "but at the same time it's an adjustment to the Tampa-2."

Henderson -- who by his recollection played middle linebacker in organized football from the time he was in fifth grade until then-Vikings coach Mike Tice moved him to the outside in 2005 -- has never before been employed at one of the key positions in the Tampa-2 scheme.

Until this week much of his preparation had consisted of film study that included watching former teammate Napoleon Harris and ex-Tampa Bay standout Shelton Quarles. "Everybody knows the middle linebacker has to have deep drops and run up the seams with receivers," said Henderson, who won the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker as a senior at Maryland. "In the Tampa-2, you have to drop far down the field no matter what. ... I think it will be a recognition thing. Once I start getting used to it, I think I'll be all right."

That's certainly what Vikings coach Brad Childress and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier believe. They decided Henderson was the most logical candidate to replace Harris, who signed a six-year, $24 million free-agent deal with Kansas City in March.

"When I first talked with [Henderson] about it after maybe two weeks on the job, right away he kind of embraced the idea," Frazier said. "It was something he had done in college, and he looked forward to the opportunity to be able to play inside."

But Henderson also realized he had made significant progress playing weak-side linebacker. Last season, he had a team-leading 109 tackles and established career highs in sacks (three), interceptions (his first two in the NFL), tackles for losses (eight) and quarterback hurries (19).

That helped earn Henderson a five-year contract extension late in the season that is worth more than $25 million and included $10 million in guarantees. "I thought I had the system down pretty good [at weak-side linebacker] and could have improved this year to recognize different things that I probably got beat on last year," he said. "But a lot of my success came from playing behind the Ticket [defensive tackle Kevin Williams]. Being able to run downhill. Last year that was a highlight position. If you don't shine in that position, you might never shine."

With Henderson in the middle, Chad Greenway is playing on the weak side and Ben Leber remains on the strong side. Henderson, a second-round pick by the Vikings in 2003, spent his first two seasons in the middle and started 14 regular-season games and two playoff contests in 2004.

Although he led the Vikings with 125 tackles, Henderson struggled with mental mistakes, and his quiet demeanor wasn't a good fit for a position that is required to make pre-snap calls to the defense. Childress does not expect either of those issues to be a problem in 2007.

"I'm very comfortable with where E.J. is at," he said. "He understands that at [middle] linebacker, he's going to be the guy that is calling the defenses and directing the show and he can do that. He's quiet by nature but he needs to be vocal because he needs to communicate. He has no problem doing that."

Leber also expects a smooth transition with Henderson in the middle.

"Had E.J. been a guy that we just picked up in the offseason, sure, that would be some adjustment," he said. "But everybody is used to seeing his face and hearing his voice in the huddle. He made some calls out there last year, so it's not like we're not used to hearing him and respecting his voice. I'm excited to see how everything pans out."

Judd Zulgad • jzulgad@startribune.com