Greenway ready to bulk up

Chad Greenway played the 2007 season about 10 pounds lighter than his preferred weight, hoping to reduce strain on his surgically repaired left knee. After making it through the year uninjured, the Vikings linebacker will spend this offseason building back to his original size.

"I just wanted to play lighter on my knee," Greenway said on Monday after finishing a workout at Winter Park. "Now that I'm a year away from that, it should be a lot better."

Greenway's official weight has been 242 pounds since the Vikings made him their first-round draft choice in 2006. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the 2006 preseason, and heeded suggestions that he play between 230 and 235 pounds in 2007.

Now, he's headed in the other direction -- quicker than planned. "Too many cheeseburgers," Greenway said.

Ray Edwards hasn't been paying much attention to what has been written about the Vikings' lack of depth at defensive end or their pursuit of free agents who play that spot.

"I really don't get into that," he said. "Whoever they bring in, they bring in. I'm going to play with the guys that we have here. That's the bottom line."

Starting left end Kenechi Udeze is expected to miss the 2008 season after being diagnosed with leukemia, and right end Erasmus James is rehabbing from a third operation on his right knee in a 13-month period. James was working out at Winter Park on Monday, but it's uncertain when he will get back on the field.

Edwards started 11 of 12 games last season and tied for the team lead with five sacks. However, he was suspended for the final four games for violating the NFL's steroid policy.

Edwards will have the opportunity to play a key role on the right side; it sounds as if Brian Robison, a fourth-round pick in 2007, could be at left end.

"I'm definitely looking to step up and make a big impact on my team," Edwards said. "Getting better with [tackles] Kevin and Pat Williams and probably Brian on the other side. Just coming together and forming a great team."

During his suspension, Edwards began to focus on boxing as a way to train.

"It's just something that I felt would have kept my endurance up in case we made it to the playoffs," he said. "Boxing definitely is a great endurance sport, so that helped me out a lot."

Receiver Bernard Berrian, who left the Chicago Bears to sign a six-year, $42 million free-agent contract with the Vikings that includes $16 million in guarantees, has twice spent time catching passes from quarterback Tarvaris Jackson since the offseason conditioning program started last week.

"He's definitely got a strong arm," Berrian said. "From the times we were out there he was pretty accurate with it. I think the times that we were off, it's just getting used to each other. Besides that, he was definitely right on the money with it."

• Free agent cornerback Benny Sapp visited Winter Park. Sapp, who spent the past four seasons with Kansas City, has generated interest from Cleveland and Detroit, too.

• Linebacker Heath Farwell, a restricted free agent, is participating in the offseason program even though he technically could still sign an offer sheet with another team. Farwell said he plans to sign his 1-year tender (worth $1.4 million) with the Vikings, however.

• Former Notre Dame defensive lineman Trevor Laws, an Apple Valley native, will be at Winter Park for a visit on April 9-10, according to Scout.com. The Boston Globe reports the Vikings are attempting to set up a visit with Boston College offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus.