T-Rich Done for the Season

The injuries mounting on fullback Tony Richardson are likely going to have him placed on injured reserve -- perhaps as early as today.

Tony Richardson is one of the NFL's true tough guys and, if there was a chance that he could play through injuries, he would. He already came back from a broken thumb without missing playing time, but a forearm is a different story.

"It’s really a battering ram position, but even more difficult when you have a broken thumb and a broken forearm," head coach Brad Childress said. "That happened relatively early for him (against the Packers) and he’s truly a warrior making it through there, so it’s possible we'll make a move at that position here in the next few days."

Saying Wednesday that Richardson's broken forearm is a "six-week injury" with seven weeks left in the regular season, Childress said Richardson will likely be put on injured reserve.

VU has been told that the move may come as early as today and that the Vikings may look for a veteran fullback like Alan Ricard as a replacement.

Initial roster juggling had Jeff Dugan and Richard Owens as the likely replacements at fullback, which seems a little strange since neither has played fullback full-time in the NFL, while Jim Kleinsasser spent more than two years playing fullback when he came into the league and was converted from the tight end spot.

"He could," Childress said when asked about Kleinsasser as a fullback. "Certainly all those guys last year at different times lined up as what we call weak and strong backs, so that’s not a position that is foreign to them."

THURSDAY NOTES
* Erasmus James was scheduled to have surgery on his torn ACL Wednesday in Colorado, almost two months after sustaining the injury. He was placed on injured reserve Sept. 19.
* Jason Glenn is scheduled to have surgery on his torn ACL today, four days after suffering his injury. His surgery is to be performed be renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews in Alabama.
* The Vikings signed CB Patrick Body to the practice squad Wednesday.
* Marcus Robinson and Napoleon Harris practiced Wednesday for the first time since Robinson was sidelined with a lower back injury and Harris was sat down with a dislocated wrist. Both are expected to be available for Sunday's game, but there was no immediate word if one or both would start.
* In Dolphins injury news, RB Ronnie Brown, who is battling a groin injury, sat out Wednesday's practice and worked out on the side. Both QB Daunte Culpepper and DT Keith Traylor were ruled out for Sunday's game.
* Brad Childress is said to be "still mulling" the possibility of making changes on the offensive line. The most likely change would be to replace Marcus Johnson with Mike Rosenthal, but Artis Hicks is also a consideration for heading to the bench.