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Neal visits Vikes

Free-agent offensive guard Stephen Neal took a free-agent visit with the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday.

The Vikings could be looking to make a double-barreled splash at guard after having signed Seattle’s Steve Hutchinson, a transition player, to a monster offer sheet over the past weekend. Or Neal might be a backup plan should the Seahawks match the offer for Hutchinson.

The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Neal started in all 16 regular-season games in 2005, as well as both playoff contests. Suiting up at right guard, he played on a one-year, $1.43 million contract.

Neal was a championship wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield and didn’t play football in college.

Russ Hochstein, Ross Tucker, Gene Mruczkowski and Billy Yates are internal candidates to potentially replace Neal. The Patriots’ recent visit with free-agent Kevin Mawae, who agreed to terms with the Titans today, might also have been arranged with the idea of him playing guard.

EXTRA POINT: Kicker Adam Vinatieri is scheduled to visit the Green Bay Packers on Friday, according to the NFL Network.