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According to St. Paul Pioneer Press columnist Bob Sansevere, Kelly Campbell went into training camp figuring he had a lock on the No. 3 receiver spot. Randy Moss and D'Wayne Bates would start, but he would be in games a lot, an awful lot, because of his speed and all those catches he made late last season.

Head coach Mike Tice likes Campbell. Tice likes the way he can get downfield in a hurry.

"We'll try to get something explosive for him,'' Tice said. "He has the ability to take it to the house.''

But at the moment -- and contrary to reports stating otherwise -- what Campbell doesn't have is the ability to overtake Nate Burleson on the depth chart.

"Right now, [Burleson] is a better player,'' Tice said.

Campbell had an eight-yard catch and a 15-yard run in the Vikings' win over the Packers. Burleson had no catches, no runs and no worries about Tice thinking any less of him.

"He didn't do anything wrong,'' Tice said. "He blocked extremely well. Executed his assignments. He just didn't get opportunities (to catch the ball).''

Sansevere went on to note that several times over the past few weeks, Tice has mentioned Burleson could be the steal of the draft. While also being a slap at rookie running back Onterrio Smith, who declared himself the S.O.D. (Steal of the Draft) after the Vikings picked him in the fourth round, it was a commentary on the kind of impact Tice believes Burleson can have.

Burleson has serious talent, the kind that could catapult him over Bates as the No. 2 receiver before long. Bates is 6-foot-2, 212 pounds. He runs decent routes and catches the ball, but there's nothing special about him. No flash. No flair. Burleson has flair. He's 6-1, 195 pounds and can make big plays and move the chains on third-and-long. If you blended Bates' size and route running skills with Campbell's speed, you would have a versatile receiver. You also pretty much would have Burleson.

For now, Bates is safe as the No. 2 receiver. Then again, the way the Vikings run their offense -- using a lot of formations with three wideouts -- the difference between the second and third receiver is less significant than on many teams.

"D'Wayne Bates is a playmaker. I feel I'm another piece of the puzzle,'' Burleson said. "I want to be another weapon. I know I won't be the weapon.''

Burleson knows his place, knows the Vikings have only one weapon of Moss destruction.

"I want to be a good receiver,'' Burleson said.

He already is. Last season at Nevada-Reno, he had 138 receptions for 1,629 yards. He led the nation with averages of 11.5 catches and 135.8 yards a game. The Vikings snatched him in the third round.

"When the season is over, I want people to say Nate Burleson was a good pick for the Vikings,'' Burleson said. "And not just because of receptions and yards.''

Also of interest. ...

The signing of fullback Charles Stackhouse and the release of undrafted rookie James Lynch was a message to young players, Tice said.

Last year, Tice stopped practice and chided his young players who were being beaten badly by the veterans.

"I cannot. ... Keep young men around who are not passionate about the opportunity we have given them," Tice said. "When I don't see the passion there, we'll bring in another guy. That's the way we're going to do it all season. We didn't make any promises to anyone."

Tice said Lynch could be brought back, perhaps to the practice squad.