Antoine Winfield calls himself a ‘role player’

The Vikings are being careful with Antoine Winfield's workload in training camp. The team plans to continue holding him back in the regular season as well. Winfield will no longer be an every-down player. He even referred to himself as a "role player" in talking to reporters Friday. Minnesota signed free-agent CB Chris Carr and addressed the position in the draft, but the team is far from strong there. We'll see what coaches are willing to do in season. Obviously, though, Winfield's body has had trouble holding up over the past few years. Even though he calls the injuries "freak accidents," Winfield acknowledges that he's 14 years into the league. The plan to limit his playing time leaves IDP owners to wonder about his value. Winfield remains an intriguing bench option with obvious upside if he gets on the field enough to contribute consistently. He'll be nearly useless if we have to guess at his playing time from week to week.