Williams' loss a pain in the neck for Vikings

MANKATO - The Vikings will be without one of their big-name free-agent signings for an extended period.

Safety Madieu Williams could miss as many as six weeks because of a neck injury, according to multiple sources. That means he would be out for at least the first three games of the regular season.

It's a setback for a pass defense that finished last in the NFL in 2007 and was counting on having a top-notch cover safety in Williams for all 16 games.

Williams did not play in Friday's preseason opener against Seattle because of what the team termed neck spasms.

It is not clear when Williams injured his neck or the extent of the damage, but he was held out of contact as early as Aug. 4.

Rookie Tyrell Johnson, the Vikings' top pick (second round) in last April's draft, started in place of Williams on Friday and figures to move into that role.

Williams declined to go into specifics about his situation Monday.

"I'm not allowed to discuss the condition of my injuries," said Williams, who observed the morning practice from the sidelines but was not seen on the field in the afternoon. "I think that's something that you've got to talk to Coach [Brad] Childress about, or the trainers."

Childress, citing the fact he doesn't have to talk about injuries in the preseason, declined to do so Monday.

Williams' loss is the latest bad news for a defense that lost backup right end Jayme Mitchell and linebacker Heath Farwell to torn anterior cruciate ligaments on Friday.

The Vikings signed Williams to a $33 million, six-year contract with nearly $13 million in guarantees last March. He was brought in to start opposite veteran Darren Sharper and replace Dwight Smith, who was released after last season. Smith was jettisoned in part because the Vikings wanted a safety who would bolster their pass coverage. Williams also played cornerback at times during his first four NFL seasons with Cincinnati.

Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier served in the same role with the Bengals in Williams' rookie season and played a major role in getting Williams to Minnesota. "It just makes us so much better from a coverage standpoint," Frazier said after the Vikings signed Williams. "He'll be a tremendous asset. This is the type of safety you look for in the draft, a guy who can hit but still has coverage ability as well."

Williams missed time because of injuries on two occasions while with the Bengals.

He sat out the final three games of last season after hurting his quadriceps and was eventually put on injured reserve. He missed 12 games in 2005 because of a shoulder injury. Williams played in all 16 games in 2004 and 2006 and had nine interceptions in 49 games with Cincinnati.

Before it became clear how long Williams would be out, Sharper tried to be optimistic about the situation.

"You would like to get those reps and get that chemistry going, but he's a veteran player," Sharper said of not being able to work with Williams. "I'm hoping he won't be on the shelf that long."

This presents an excellent opportunity for Johnson, who played college football at Arkansas State. Johnson, though, first must get back on the field himself. He missed both practices Monday because of sore abdominal muscles and is day-to-day.

Frazier has been impressed by Johnson's progress.

"He's really picked up things real fast," Frazier said. "He has been playing faster than when we were in [Organized Team Activities] when we were going through installation. He's come back in training camp and just taken it up another notch.

"The next thing for him is just continue to get reps in ballgames because he is doing well in practice. Just to be able to get the speed of the game down. That was great exposure for him the other night [against Seattle]."