Vikings: McCauley's contract leaves two unsigned

MANKATO - The Vikings reached an agreement on a four-year contract with third-round pick Marcus McCauley on Wednesday, but the team's top two draft choices were absent as players reported to Gage Center on the Minnesota State Mankato campus.

Negotiations continued into the evening as the Vikings tried to sign first-round running back Adrian Peterson and second-round receiver Sidney Rice. The Vikings don't practice until 9 a.m. Friday, so some wiggle room remains.

Part of the problem with getting Peterson's contract done had been that no other top-10 picks had come to terms. But that changed late Wednesday when ESPN reported Atlanta and defensive end Jamaal Anderson had reached agreement on a five-year deal that could be worth as much as $31 million and includes $15.361 million in guarantees. Anderson was taken one pick after Peterson, the seventh overall selection. Anderson's contract is reportedly a 13.4 percent jump up from what the eighth pick in last year's draft received.

Veterans agreed it will be important for Peterson and Rice to be in Mankato on Friday morning. "It's a big factor to get those guys in because it will be their first training camp and it is going to be a lot to learn," safety Darren Sharper said. "The speed of the game and the speed of learning, the defense, offense and special teams will increase, and there will be more competition."

Said left guard Steve Hutchinson: "Training camp for the young guys is huge. There is a lot of stuff that is going to be thrown at them, and to play catch up, it's hard."

McCauley, a cornerback from Fresno State, won't have to worry about falling behind. He arrived with several other rookies after agreeing to a contact that included a $786,000 signing bonus. McCauley is expected to compete for a role in the nickel defense. "I felt good about it getting done all along," he said. "I didn't think it was an issue."

In condition

Veteran receiver Bobby Wade was among a group of Vikings players who went through the team's conditioning test Wednesday. On a hot and humid day, the players had to run 16 half-gassers (goal line to the 50-yard line and back). Wade, who has been in Arizona working out, called it "a drive in the park."

Wade's group also included receiver Martin Nance, running backs Mewelde Moore and Chester Taylor and cornerbacks Patrick Body and Dovonte Edwards. "It was an optional thing that if you got here early and wanted to do it, you'd do it on the hour," Wade said. "They started from 10 this morning. Ten, 11, 12 all the way until 4 o'clock."

The players who did not go through the test Wednesday will do so today.

Etc.

• Linebacker E.J. Henderson has been excused by the Vikings until tonight so he can tend to a family matter.

• A correction to an item in the training camp preview that appeared in Wednesday's paper: The introduction of the Vikings will take place Friday in Blakeslee Field following the afternoon practice, which is scheduled to end at 5 p.m.

• The Vikings could make a decision as early as today about whether to put defensive end Erasmus James on the physically unable to perform list to open training camp. James is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Staff writer Kevin Seifert contributed to this notebook.

Judd Zulgad • jzulgad@startribune.com