MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Vikings tackle Phil Loadholt is now nearly six months removed from surgery on his torn left Achilles. He was able to start running last week, just after his 30th birthday, and Loadholt believes he'll be ready to work out with the team when Vikings players return to Minnesota for the start of offseason workouts in April.
Whether Loadholt is cleared for full participation in those workouts remains to be seen. So does whether he'll be on the roster without a restructured contract, given that he is scheduled to count $7.75 million against the Vikings' salary cap in 2016, after playing just 11 games the last two seasons.