McKinnie Gets Court Date

Vikings offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie will have his first day in court March 17 as he responds to charges that include a felony aggravated battery claim.

Vikings offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie is scheduled back in court March 17 in Miami-Dade (Fla.) County Court to answer to charges of aggravated battery, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence. The battery charge is a felony that could have some serious repercussions, making it only part of the problem McKinnie will be facing.

Having been in trouble with the law over the Vikings rookie party boat scandal, McKinnie is now subject to potential fines or suspensions by the league for this violation. The league has taken a hard line toward players whose off-the-field conduct has been a problem, and McKinnie has put himself in place to receive a suspension of anywhere from one to four games.

According to the police report, the brawl began when a security guard at the Club Space nightclub slapped a camera phone out of McKinnie’s hand. McKinnie then allegedly picked up a pole and struck the man in the back of the head.

In the Vikings' new culture of accountability, it will be interesting how Brad Childress handles this situation. He has come down hard on players in the past, the most recent being the release of safety Dwight Smith. McKinnie is the only player remaining with the team of the four that were charged in the Lake Minnetonka boat incident.

TUESDAY NOTES
* According to reports, the Vikings will receive a sixth-round pick from the Jaguars in exchange for Troy Williamson. In his three-year career with the Vikings, Williamson caught just 79 passes for 1,067 yards and three touchdowns.
* The Bears are doing their best to put off their quarterback woes for at least one year. A week after signing Rex Grossman to a one-year contract extension, the team did the same with Kyle Orton Monday.
* With the start of free agency just days away, word out of Patriots camp is that the team is still quite far away from reaching a contract deal with Randy Moss, who can become an unrestricted free agent at midnight Eastern Time Friday morning. If you can believe it, there are rumors that the Cowboys will make a run at either Moss or try to work a trade for Javon Walker of the Broncos.