Losing Tony Richardson will likely hurt the Vikings a little bit but Thomas Tapeh was signed to replace him and he is a solid player.  Tapeh played in 16 games (8 starts) for the Eagles last season and he carried the ball 5 times for 18 yards (3.6 ypc).  He also caught 8 passes for 50 yards (6.3 avg) last season.  Look for Tapeh to get a few carries and catch a few passes this season as a reward for his blocking.  Tapeh has now played in 39 games (16 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 22 times for 69 yards (3.1 ypc).  He also has caught 26 passes for 150 yards (5.8 avg) with 1 TD grab in his NFL career.

6’4″, 258 pound fullback Jeff Dugan is a solid blocker and he’s a decent receiver.  Dugan played in 16 games (3 starts) last season for the Vikings and he carried the ball 2 times for 7 yards (3.5 ypc).  He also caught 7 passes for 57 yards (8.1 avg) last year.  Dugan will be a solid backup for the Vikings again this season.  Dugan has now played in 38 games (12 starts) for the Vikings this season and he has carried the ball 2 times for 7 yards (3.5 ypc).  He has also caught 15 passes for 97 yards (6.5 avg) with 1 TD grab in his career.

Naufahu Tahi is the #3 fullback on the Vikings but he could move up the depth chart if he plays well in training camp and the pre season.  Tahi is 6’0″, 254 pounds and he’s a decent blocker.  Tahi played in 10 games (0 starts) for the Vikings and he carried the ball 6 times for 15 yards (2.5 ypc).  He also caught 1 pass for 7 yards last year.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  C+