Handful of former Minnesota Vikings hoping to shine in The Spring League
By Adam Patrick
A few former Minnesota Vikings players are still trying to get back into the NFL by participating in a four-team football league this spring.
When one door closes, another opens. This will be true for a more than 100 players hoping to draw the attention of NFL scouts when they participate in The Spring League in April.
The Spring League consists of four teams and each squad will play two games. Some of the league’s former participants that later landed jobs in the NFL includes Fred Jackson, Ahmad Bradshaw, Kellen Winslow II, and Greg Hardy.
Rosters for this year’s teams were revealed on Wednesday and a few former members of the Minnesota Vikings were among those announced.
Of the players participating in The Spring League in April are former Vikings quarterback Mitch Leidner, running back Ben Tate, wide receiver Greg Childs, tight end Chase Ford, and punter Taylor Symmank.
Minnesota Vikings
Leidner and Symmank were part of Minnesota’s final cuts before the regular season in 2017.
Ford spent four seasons with the Vikings from 2012 to 2015. In 20 games, the tight end caught 34 passes for 391 yards and one touchdown.
Tate had a brief stint with Minnesota back in 2014. In three games with the Vikings, the running back only managed to carry the ball 13 times for 38 yards.
Childs is actually was actually selected by Minnesota in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. However, he was never able to appear in any games for the Vikings due to tearing up both of his knees during his very first training camp.
Minnesota later released Childs in 2014.
Still only 27-years-old, the 6-foot-3, 219 pound receiver is hoping to show pro scouts at The Spring League that he worth taking a shot on this year.
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Games for the league are scheduled to take place on April 7 and April 12 and will be broadcast live on the new Turner Sports video streaming service that is expected to launch soon.