Winfield speaks

Vikings CB Antoine Winfield is mum no more, speaking to reporters after his first practice at today's mandatory mini-camp.
Winfield reiterated what his agent Richard Katz told the Pioneer Press Thursday, that his skipping voluntary workouts had nothing to do with his contract.
"Let me clear up one thing," Winfield said. "I’ve been reading on the Internet -- I don’t know which one of you wrote it -- but something about my contract, in some way, this is a quiet protest by me holding out. Disgruntled about my contract. That’s so far from the truth. I haven’t went upstairs and asked for any money, any extensions, so that’s not it. It’s just me not being here, doing this thing on my own, and I’m just getting ready to play ball."
So why wasn't he here?
Well, Winfield didn't spell that out. He did, however, have what he termed a positive 15- to 20-minute conversation with head coach Brad Childress Thursday.
"Both of us said some things, got it off our chests," he said. "But we’re going to keep that between us."
In regards to an ESPN report a while back that he wanted to be traded, Winfield said, "I’m not going to comment on that."
Winfield also said he will definitely be at training camp and be ready for the season opener.
"When training camp starts, I’ll definitely be here," he said. "I don’t plan on holding out, or anything like that. I don’t want to be a distraction to what Mr. (Zygi) Wilf is trying to accomplish around here."
What about next week's Organized Team Activities?
"We’ll see," he said before laughing.
Childress didn't have much to say about Winfield, just saying he was glad to have "all hands on deck."
"He is a professional, and he is a good football player," Childress said. "And as much as we would love to have everybody here, but people have to do what they have to do. and while I don’t care for that, I can’t require him to be here. I know this. He came back. He’s in good condition. His body weight is right where it needs to be. He’s not a guy, laying on the couch, eating Bon Bons."Childress declined to characterize the conversation. Then, when asked if everything is behind them, he said, "That’s really more with Antoine.
"I expect him to be here this afternoon and for the rest of the mandatory part of this. And then it’s his call if he wants to come to the voluntary part of it next week."