The Vikings don't have to trim their roster from 80 to 75 players until 3 p.m. Tuesday but they got a start by making one move Monday.
Linebacker J Leman, who missed much of training camp and all three preseason games because of turf toe, was waived/injured. Once Leman clears waivers, and that almost certainly will happen, the Vikings can either reach an injury settlement with him or place him on season-ending injured reserve.
Leman, who attended Illinois, was with the Vikings in training camp in 2008 before being waived. He went to training camp with Carolina last season and had brief stints on the Philadelphia and San Diego practice squads before rejoining the Vikings practice squad on Dec. 9.
Leman spent a week on the practice squad before moving to 53-man roster on Dec. 15. He was inactive for the final three regular-season games and both playoff games.
On another note, Vikings coach Brad Childress said after the game Saturday that he is considering playing his starters in Thursday's preseason finale against Denver. But Childress indicated that might not happen considering it's a short week and the season starts a week later. The Vikings practiced in shoulder pads on Monday.
"A lot of times we get just as much out of these guys in shoulder pads and had some extended work," he said. "[The short week] is tough on their bodies and I'm aware of that." Asked how he'll determine whether starters play, Childress said: "By how we practice today and [Tuesday.]"
