Fate of Bryant McKinnie, Vikings Lie With Roger Goodell

Because Vikings tackle Bryant McKinnie can't seem to steer clear of the back seat of police cars, there's a chance NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will fine or suspend him (or both) at some point in the near future.

Last Friday, McKinnie met with Goodell, presumably to discuss McKinnie's off-field, po-po-related run-ins, the last of which took place two months ago.

Judd Zulgad, on the Star Tribune's Vikings Blog, writes that:

McKinnie's attorney, Larry Kerr, has asked that the state of Florida allow his client to enter a pre-trial diversion program; that could lead to the charges being dismissed. Right now, McKinnie has a court hearing scheduled for June 20 in Miami-Dade County Court.

The latest incident marks the fourth time McKinnie has been involved with law enforcement since being drafted in 2002: in one case, no charges were filed, another case the charges were dropped, and Al and Alma's resulted in a $2,000 fine, 48 hours of community service and an NFL game check.

If McKinnie is suspended, the Vikings will have to re-shuffle their line, and although he's been something of an underachiever in his seven-year career, no one's advocating for Artis Hicks to replace him at left tackle. Particularly Tarvaris Jackson and Purple Jesus.