The Vikings have opened up a spot on their 90-man roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve released safety Taylor Mays, who won’t have to pass through waivers before returning to the free agent market.
Mays, 27, signed with the Vikings back in March, so the team is parting ways with him less than three months after adding him. Having played under Mike Zimmer in Cincinnati, Mays looked like a good bet to earn a 53-man roster and compete for playing time in Minnesota, but instead, he’ll be on the lookout for a new home as training camps approach.
In five NFL seasons with the 49ers and Bengals, Mays has made 84 tackles, recorded one sack, and recovered a pair of fumbles. While his numbers aren’t exceptional, Mays is a solid contributor on special teams, and drew interest from multiple teams when he hit the market this offseason. Washington had been eyeing Mays, and the Bengals also had interest in re-signing him, so we’ll see if those clubs renew their interest now that he’s available again.
The Vikings included a $25K signing bonus in their deal with Mays, so they’ll carry that amount in dead money on their 2015 cap.