Williamses' Trial Against NFL Set for June

The Vikings should know by the time training camp begins whether they'll be missing two of the keys to the defense when the season begins. A U.S. District Court judge set a June 15 trial date for Pat and Kevin Williams lawsuit against the NFL.

The Williamses are suing because they were facing four-game suspensions for testing positive for a diuretic. The diurectic is banned by the NFL because it can be used to mask steroid use. But in this case, the players are claiming that they didn't know that the Starcaps they were taking contained the banned diruretic, and the supplements they were taking were used to try to make weight.

The NFL doesn't even claim that they were using steroids, but to them, rules are rules. If the Williamses win, they will avoid a four-game suspension and possibly collect a hefty amount of damages (they are suing for $10 million in damages). If they lose, the Vikings playoff hopes will take a significant hit before the season even begins.

Whatever happens, the lawsuit has managed to put the NFL on the defensive. If the Williamses had not sued, they would have been slapped with the suspension last season which likely would have kept Minnesota out of the playoffs. Now, even if they are suspended Minnesota will have some time to prepare some backup plans. There is no way to really replace one of the best defensive tackles in the league (Kevin Williams) and one of the best run-stuffers (Pat Williams), but with time to prepare, it's a little easier to get the backups ready during the preseason.