15 worst Minnesota Vikings free agent signings of all-time

Given what is now known about the New Orleans Saints’ bounty-gate scandal that took place during the 2009 NFL season, it’s pretty interesting that a former member of that defense ended up signing with the Vikings in 2011.

Remi Ayodele spent 2009 and 2010 as the Saints’ starting nose tackle before becoming a free agent in 2011. Minnesota was interested in the defensive lineman and the Vikings were eventually able to convince him to sign a three-year, $9 million deal.

In Leslie Frazier’s first full season as the Vikings’ head coach, Ayodele was tasked with replacing Pat Williams in the middle of the team’s defensive line. To no one’s surprise, Williams’ spot was apparently too big for the former New Orleans nose tackle to fill.

Ayodele appeared in all 16 games for Minnesota in 2011 (starting 13 of them), but he was only on the field for 23.6 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. His play didn’t do much to help a Vikings defense that ended up being one of the worst in the NFL that year.

During the 2012 offseason, Minnesota decided just to cut titseir losses and released Ayodele with two years remaining on his contract.