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Erin Henderson on Vikings role: 'I'm playing the Mike'

Ask Erin Henderson, and he'll tell you he knows exactly where he'll be lining up for the Minnesota Vikings on Sundays this fall.

"I'm playing the Mike," Henderson said Tuesday from Minnesota Vikings minicamp, according to KSTP-AM.

Mike, as in middle linebacker. Henderson is considered the favorite to take over the role formerly handled by Jasper Brinkley, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals in free agency.

That soon could change. NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported that former Green Bay Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop will work out and take a physical with the Vikings over the next two days. Ostensibly, he's a better fit in the middle than Henderson, who struggles in pass coverage and is best-suited in a weakside role.

"It's cool," Henderson said of Bishop's visit. "I hope it goes well for him (and) the Vikings like what they see. Welcome him with open arms, welcome him to the team. Not really sure what it's about. I'm just employee No. 50, baby. I just come out here and do what they ask me to do on the field.

"You definitely need as many good players as you can have," he added. "You never know what's going to happen throughout the season. All the ebbs and flows and ups and downs (of) 16 games. People get beat up, people get injured, get hurt. So it's always good to have people that can come in and play."

Bishop makes a lot of sense for the Vikings. Assuming they like what they see, it would be wise to take an aggressive stance to keep the veteran in their building.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.