The Vikings plan to increase John Carlson's snap count in Week 2 and going forward. Carlson missed much of camp with a knee injury and played only 18 snaps in Week 1. "We want to get him more involved this week," coach Leslie Frazier said. "That will be the goal and we'll see how the game goes, but we feel like he is past the injury point." Carlson's return could remove some of the blocking load from Kyle Rudolph. The Vikings fancy Carlson as an in-line tight end.

John Carlson (knee) is practicing fully this week. Carlson missed the entire preseason, but is ready to roll for Week 1. At least for the time being, he's off the fantasy radar behind ascendant second-year pro Kyle Rudolph.

Vikings TE John Carlson (knee) remains on track to play in Week 1. Carlson missed the majority of the preseason due to a sprained MCL in his right knee. He's still getting comfortable both physically and with the playbook, so we wouldn't expect a major Week 1 role. Kyle Rudolph projects as the every-down tight end in Minnesota.

John Carlson (knee) still has not resumed practicing. Carlson is 3 1/2 weeks into a 2-4 week timetable. At this point, he's just trying to get himself ready for Week 1 as a complement to rising stud Kyle Rudolph. "We have a plan in place and we look forward to putting it into action," said OC Bill Musgrave But it's still speculative at this point until [Carlson] gets out there."

John Carlson was spotted jogging Monday for the first time since sustaining his knee injury on July 31.

John Carlson (sprained MCL) is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. Carlson was watching practice Wednesday with his right knee heavily bandaged and braced. It's a nice boost for Kyle Rudolph, but Carlson's timetable puts him back well before Week 1. The Vikings open up against the Jaguars on September 9.

Vikings TE John Carlson is expected to be sidelined a few weeks after sustaining a sprained MCL in Tuesday's practice. Carlson will be sent for an MRI to determine the severity, but the Vikings don't believe it's a full tear. Kyle Rudolph had already emerged as Christian Ponder's favorite target early in camp. Carlson's absence may serve to exaggerate that reliance on Rudolph, generating momentum heading into the season. Rudolph is knocking on the door to TE1 territory while Carlson is undraftable in fantasy leagues.

Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave had high praise for TE John Carlson's ability in the red zone. Carlson is expected to serve as the in-line tight end as the Vikings pair him with Kyle Rudolph. He did have 12 touchdowns during his first two NFL seasons. "In the red zone, he has a sense for zone and an ability to slide into an opening and then make a tough, contested catch," Musgrave said. Still, we don't see Carlson getting enough targets between the 20s to be a fantasy asset.

Vikings signed TE John Carlson, formerly of the Seahawks, to a five-year, $25 million deal. The deal reportedly includes $11 million guaranteed. It's a shocking contract for a player who missed all of 2011 with a shoulder injury, especially since the Vikings had seemed to discover a full-time player in Kyle Rudolph. Minnesota was likely forced to overpay for a player it wanted after Carlson reportedly received interest from "at least" eight teams. The deal dampens Rudolph's outlook in dynasty leagues, and doesn't revive Carlson's as much as landing somewhere like the Giants would have. The Vikes can be expected to run a host of two-TE sets in 2012.

ESPN.com's Bill Williamson reports free agent TE John Carlson is expected to sign with the Vikings.