Brandon Fusco has come a long way since the Vikings found him at small-school Slippery Rock.

As the Vikings' starting right guard walked off the practice field this morning, he was asked by a reporter how much different things feel now than they did 2011, when he arrived as a rookie.

"Everything has slowed down in the game, mentally and physically," said Fusco, who was a sixth-round pick three years ago. "I know more of the game of football than I did when I got here."

Quietly, Fusco grew into a pretty reliable right guard in the NFL, particularly when it comes to run blocking. Pro Football Focus graded him out the sixth-best among NFL guards last season.

Quietly, Fusco has gone about his business again this summer, and that's fine with Mike Zimmer.

"I like him. Doesn't say much," he said. "Physical. He's improving every day. He wants to be good. I think it's important to him. The guard position in the NFL is not typically as good as some of the others, like tackles and things. But I think he's on course to be a very, very good player."

But will Fusco be a very, very good player here? He is entering the final year of his contract and says the Vikings haven't approached his agent about a new deal "not really yet." Last weekend, the Vikings signed fellow 2011 draft class member Kyle Rudolph to a new deal.

Fusco checks in with his agent once a week about it, but other than that, he has kept his focus on football.

"It is what it is," he said. "I'm going to go out there and play the same, work hard and that will all take care of itself. It's all with my agent. My job is to go out there on the field and do my job."

If Fusco does it like he did a year ago — or a little bit better — the Vikings will be OK at right guard.