Vikings nose tackle Letroy Guion left Saturday afternoon's practice grimacing in pain after injuring his right elbow. But a magnetic resonance imaging test on the arm came back negative and Guion should have nothing more than soreness to deal with when the team returns to the practice field Monday in Mankato.
After a pair of camp practices last week, the Vikings are now clear by league rules to put the pads on, a big step they will make Monday afternoon. The team had Sunday off, will have a walk-through at Blakeslee Stadium at 10:30 Monday morning and then will begin practice at 2:30 p.m., the first outing in pads since before last season's playoff loss in Green Bay.
Guion still is slated as the starter at nose tackle, but he is locked in a spirited competition with Fred Evans to retain that role. No matter who starts, both players are likely to share reps throughout the season.
Dan Wiederer
With Pitta out for year, Ravens sign Shiancoe
Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta is lost for the season after undergoing hip surgery, a major blow to the team's bid to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
To help replace Pitta, the Ravens on Sunday signed veteran tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, a former Vikings player.
Pitta was hurt Saturday, the third day of training camp, when he collided with safety James Ihedigbo in the back of the end zone while going for a pass from Joe Flacco.
He underwent surgery on Saturday night.
"Dennis out for the year," coach John Harbaugh said Sunday. "It's the type of thing that he's not going to be able to come back from this year. There's enough damage in there."
Pitta was one of the centerpieces of the Ravens offense during their run to a Super Bowl championship last season, and he was expected to take on an even bigger role this season after Baltimore traded top wide receiver Anquan Boldin during the spring.
Shiancoe, a 33-year-old free agent, played in only four games last season with New England. But he played in all 16 games in each of the previous nine seasons — the first four with the New York Giants and the next five with the Vikings.
