Brad Childress made no secret of the fact the Vikings were looking to add depth to the offensive line following the final roster cutdown on Sept. 4. What the Vikings coach did not reveal -- and this comes as no surprise -- was who the Vikings were pursuing.

It turned out they did not look very far from home for assistance. One of the their top targets was offensive tackle Breno Giacomini, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Giacomini had been let go by the Green Bay Packers and the Vikings wanted him.

In fact, the Journal Sentinel reports that the Vikings made Giacomini an above minimum offer to join their practice squad. The Packers responded by agreeing to pay Giacomini an extra $2,300 per week, or $39,100 for the entire season, to join their practice squad. The minimum and norm for practice squad players to make if they stay the entire season is $88,400 or $5,200 a week.

After losing out on Giacomini, the Vikings turned their attention to rookie tackle Thomas Welch, who had been a seventh-round pick out of Vanderbilt by New England. The Journal Sentinel, citing a source with access to NFL Players Association records, reported that Welch is getting $6,000 a week from the Vikings.

Sapp returns to face Vikings

The Vikings traded cornerback Benny Sapp to the Miami Dolphins late in the preseason for wide receiver Greg Camarillo. That filled a need for the Vikings and came before rookie corner Chris Cook was lost for a few weeks because of a torn meniscus that happened in the third exhibition game and required surgery.

Sapp is being used primarily at nickel back by the Dolphins, the same spot he played the past two seasons for the Vikings when they were healthy at cornerback. On Sunday, Sapp will face his former team.

He told the Palm Beach Post that he will attempt to approach Sunday as just another game. "I don't have bad blood with those guys," Sapp said. "It's like any away game: Tune out the fans and believe in yourself. Have the confidence to go out and do what you've got to do."

As for facing Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, Sapp told his teammates: "Just play defense. Don't try to have an out-of-body experience and be an 'I' person. You've got to play within your scheme. ... Do what you're supposed to do and you should come out fine." /* */