Pro Bowl center Matt Birk is entering the denouement of his eight-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings and even though the team just drafted Notre Dame center John Sullivan as his possible replacement, Birk is not feeling threatened, reports the Twin Cities Pioneer Press. In fact, Birk said he’s happy to help Sullivan or any other young player coming up the ranks, noting that he was the recipient of friendly guidance when he was a young player coming out of Harvard in 1998. Playing nice is all well and good, but perhaps Birk should be feeling just a little bit threatened. Earlier this month Vikings coach Brad Childress voiced his intention to evaluate the veteran’s play before making a decision about his future with the team. Scout.com reported this week that, like Birk, Sullivan “is considered a very smart player and his transition to the NFL should be a smooth one.” How are the Vikings looking going into the ’08-’09 season? Well, according to The Record, the Vikings have been having a productive off-season, and have successfully addressed their “big three issues”— pass, rush, and coverage; the wide receiver position; and the quarterback position.