Team studies its options over Tapeh

Although all parties were extremely vague on the subject Wednesday, it's clear the Vikings are exploring their options when it comes to fullback Thomas Tapeh, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the two sides part ways.

On Wednesday, coach Brad Childress again brought up how, unbeknownst to the team, Tapeh had an offseason procedure performed on his knee shortly before he signed as a free agent. Childress initially said this Monday; two days later he elaborated without being prompted.

"We went through our regular process here in picking up Thomas that we look at with everyone we bring in," Childress said during his opening comments. "The tape work, the film work and the physical that he had, all of those things are incorporated. Doctors put hands on him and he had an X-ray. We just didn't feel like everything, all of the questions that we asked, that we got conveyed all of the information that we needed. We're working on that internally right now.''

Just what that means isn't clear, and Childress and Tapeh did little to help answer those questions. Tapeh, the former Gophers and St. Paul Johnson athlete, was on the field in uniform for the beginning of Wednesday's practice during the brief time the media was allowed to watch.

Afterward, he said he had met with Childress in the morning but declined to give any details.

"We're taking care of that internally," said Tapeh, who spent his first four seasons with Philadelphia. "I sat down with [Childress] and we said we're going to do this in-house. That's what we're doing."

When Childress was asked if the Vikings' working things out internally meant something could come of the situation, he said: "They're just going through all of the rules and regulations that they go through internally and administratively. ... I don't know what the end play is, but I know that there is a dialogue between our people within the building. I have talked to Thomas and his agent, et cetera."

That made it sound like a legal matter and could be an indication the Vikings are trying to recoup some of the guaranteed money they gave Tapeh. The Vikings signed him to a five-year, $6 million contract at the beginning of free agency. The deal included $1.25 million in guarantees, including a $700,000 roster bonus, a $500,000 signing bonus and $50,000 workout bonus.

Tapeh, 28, hasn't been in uniform since Week 2. Fullback Naufahu Tahi has passed Tapeh on the depth chart, and Jeff Dugan also played in front of him two games ago in New Orleans.

When asked what he thought his future was with the Vikings, Tapeh said, "I can't tell you what it is."