Geoff Schwartz breathed heavily after his post-practice conditioning work this week.

That's no surprise, considering how long it's been since the 25-year-old offensive lineman put his 6-foot-6, 331-pound body through the sort of workouts he's getting at the Minnesota Vikings' organized team activity practices.

"Just trying to get back in shape basically," Schwartz said. "I didn't run for so long that that's my biggest enemy right now."

It took more than seven months, from the hip surgery in August that landed Schwartz on injured reserve in Carolina until around the time he signed a one-year deal worth up to $1.5 million with the Vikings on March 21.

"Even then, when you start running again, it's kind of light stuff," Schwartz said. "It took until maybe the middle of April to finally start doing full-speed, offensive line-type drills."

Now Schwartz is in competition for a starting job at right guard with Brandon Fusco, a sixth-round pick (172nd overall) in last year's draft who has been taking the bulk of first-team reps in OTAs.

The Panthers drafted Schwartz as a tackle out of the University of Oregon in the seventh round (241st overall) in 2008 and didn't move him to right guard until the bye week in 2010. The website ProFootballFocus.com charted Schwartz playing 705 snaps there and ranked him 15th among all guards.

If Schwartz has an advantage come training camp, it's not only experience -- Fusco played just 25 snaps on offense as a rookie -- but the fact he started 19 games over the 2009 and '10 seasons in Carolina, where now-Vikings offensive line coach Jeff Davidson was the coordinator.

"It's very similar to when Jeff was doing it (in Carolina) as the O.C.," Schwartz said of the Vikings' blocking schemes. "I really like the concepts and it's stuff I do well."