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Three-year veteran Joey Goodspeed, expected to provide the Minnesota Vikings backup experience at the fullback position and solid special teams play, has been lost to a knee injury.

Goodspeed

Goodspeed, 28, tore the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee during the Vikings' minicamp practice last Saturday, and likely will miss the entire 2006 season. The team has not made a roster move yet, but almost certainly will place Goodspeed on the injured reserve list.

The former Notre Dame standout was signed to a one-year, $500,000 contract this spring after not playing in the league in 2005. Goodspeed was projected as the backup to Tony Richardson, the former Kansas City standout fullback who signed with Minnesota as an unrestricted free agent.

Under former head coach Mike Tice, the Vikings did not have a true fullback on the roster, and instead used tight ends or H-backs to play the position, when necessary. But the West Coast-style offense that is being implemented by first-year coach Brad Childress relies heavily on the fullback, and Vikings officials were busy in the offseason addressing the position.

The situation appeared to be a good one for Goodspeed, an itinerant player with good size (6-feet-1, 247 pounds) and surprising quickness, before the knee injury.

Goodspeed actually began his NFL career in 2000, spending 10 weeks on the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad. He was in training camps in New Orleans, San Diego and St. Louis, and made the Chargers' roster in 2002 and the Rams' roster in 2003-2004. A smart, unselfish player, Goodspeed is regarded as a very good lead and isolation blocker and a guy who can play on any of the special teams units.

He has appeared in 36 games and started in 11 of them. Goodspeed has three carries for six yards and one touchdown and 11 receptions for 71 yards. His resume also includes 23 special teams tackles.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.