Vikings Defensive Line–Not As Big As It Seems?

Not to sound to Perez Hilton-ish, but we were at the local giant retail store tonight, getting a few last things before the trip to Vegas, when we thought we saw a familiar face–and gut.  As I approached checkout, I noticed the Vikings logo on his shirt, and figured “Damn, it is Pat Williams.”

Funny thing, though–the reason that I wasn’t sure if it was him initially was that he appeared much smaller than I expected.  Don’t get me wrong–he’s a big guy–but he didn’t appear nearly as large as announcers always like to claim that he is.  I’d say much closer (if not below) the 317 listed on his profile.  He also didn’t have the neck that he has in his official picture.

So, the question should be raised–if Williams is going to come to camp in better shape, will that affect his ability to so effectively clog holes and devour running backs?  Could it add another dimension to his game, by allowing him to rush the passer more effectively?  Or is he just not up to his playing weight yet?  Is it possible that I’m just a horrible judge of the size of the guy?  I was distracted trying to find a tin of mints for the trip…

By the way, the guy who checked me out said that he’s seen Williams 3-4 times in the last month–and a friend has served him at a local resteraunt (one that is known for it’s salad bar, of all things), and that he’s a really nice guy.  Not that I’ve heard otherwise, but with all the bad you hear about NFL players, it’s nice to hear something good once in a while.  Oh, and for anyone who might be interested, he was buying Mountain Dew and energy drinks.  And driving a really sweet car (which isn’t surprising).