Matt

Birk

He’s been battling through severe abdomen pain (sports hernia) for weeks now. He’s scheduled to undergo surgery after the season.

It’s a quick recovery from hip surgery for Birk. He’ll try full-contact work next week and looks likely to be ready for week one, barring any setbacks. The Vikings running game should improve this year if Birk and Jim Kleinsasser stay healthy.

Birk participated in individual drills Sunday, but was held out of team drills.

''It’s not a slam dunk now that he’s going to play against Tampa,’' coach Mike Tice said of the week one game. Birk is the anchor of an underrated O-line in Minnesota.

The Vikings lost two starting offensive lineman, also right tackle Nat Dorsey, in one series.

Birk has no plans to retire before his age-36 season, and he made it clear last month that his preference is to stay in Baltimore. “We want to have him back if he wants to come back,” coach John Harbaugh said at the Combine.

The Vikings running game should continue to improve after the bye week.

Birk “feels great,” and is hopeful of re-signing with the Ravens before the start of free agency. The two sides have reportedly already begun negotiating. Birk told PFT Live in January that he would only play the Ravens if he decided to return in 2012. Five months shy of his 37th birthday, Pro Football Focus rated Birk as the league’s ninth best center in 2011. He should be able to work something out with the Ravens in relatively short order.

McKinnie worked his way into playing shape last season, but was a liability in run blocking and finished as a below-average left tackle in Pro Football Focus’ 2011 rankings. The Ravens have until March 18 to decide whether to pay McKinnie’s $500,000 roster bonus.

Birk’s agent said he took some calls from other teams since free agency started, but he’s trying to work out a deal with Baltimore first. It sounds like the Ravens want to keep Birk rather than getting a younger option in free agency.