Vikings' Joe Berger puts retirement on hold; David Morgan asserting himself

Joe Berger, the oldest and longest-tenured Vikings offensive lineman, was given no deadline to tell the team whether he planned to continue his career in 2017. So he took his time deciding whether to retire or play a 13th NFL season.

"It took me most of the offseason to really pin it down," the 35-year-old said at this week's three-day minicamp. "I was training and staying in shape anyway. So at some point you have to make the decision to get in the car and drive out here."

Berger said he "thought about it heavy," conferring with his wife and considering his four children. But ultimately, it came down to the Vikings wanting him back, Berger being relatively healthy and the game and the grind still being fun for him.

"Since those three things were true," he said, "I figured I might as well keep going."

Berger, in his seventh season in Minnesota, has lined up exclusively at right guard during spring practices open to the media as the Vikings pit two youngsters, Nick Easton and third-round draft pick Pat Elflein, in a position battle at center. Berger said the plan appears for him to stay at guard but noted that could change.

Berger started the final three games of last season at right guard, with Easton at center, after Berger suffered a concussion during the Thanksgiving loss to the Lions in Detroit. Before that, he had been the team's starting center since Week 1 of the 2015 season, after John Sullivan twice had back surgery.

Asked if last year's concussion made him hesitant to resume his career in 2017, Berger, who also considered retirement after the 2015 season, gave a surprising answer.

This offseason, the Vikings allowed blocking tight end Rhett Ellison to leave in free agency, banking on 2016 sixth-round pick David Morgan to assume his role.

This, of course, is the time of year for hyperbole, but it sure sounds as if the Vikings feel that Morgan, who appeared in a dozen games as a rookie but got only 63 snaps on offense, is about to take a sizable step forward in his second season.

"The biggest compliment you can give him is defensive players say that he is one of the best blockers we have had around here in a long time," coach Mike Zimmer said. "He is a guy that does a lot of dirty work, does not say a lot, has good hands and catches the ball well in the pass game. He is just a tough guy who will compete."

Kevin McDermott, Vikings long snapper and Nashville native, has been a Predators fan since their inaugural season in 1998. He wore a game-worn Mike Dunham jersey while watching every game of their run to the Stanley Cup Final this spring. So naturally, when the Final came to Nashville, he made sure to be there.

"The second they scored an empty-netter in Game 6 [of the Western Conference finals], I booked flights and bought our tickets on StubHub," he said. "We had a great time."

"They were just passing them around outside," McDermott said. "To get it into the stadium would have taken some serious dedication. … To sneak it in, you have to Saran Wrap it to your body under your jersey. And I was not about to do that."

• Backup guard T.J. Clemmings missed practice Wednesday because of an undisclosed injury after suiting up for Tuesday's session. Also sitting out were running back Latavius Murray, safety Antone Exum, defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and linebacker Shaan Washington.