With the draft, minicamps and the majority of free agency out of the way, many NFL teams are moving to Organized Team Activities starting next week; four former members of the Minnesota Vikings defense find themselves still looking for work.
According to 1500 ESPN, former Vikings, DT Kevin Williams, LBs Desmond Bishop, Marvin Mitchell and Erin Henderson are all still looking for work after the Vikings parted ways with them.
Williams has had a few visits with teams, but has said he is holding out for the right deal, or will opt for retirement.
He played for the Vikings for 12 NFL seasons. He has missed just five games his entire NFL career, three to injury, but he hasn’t found the final contract he was looking for.
Earlier this month, Williams said he’s not afraid to go home if the deal isn’t right for him.
“If it’s not worth the risk of going back out there, I can’t say I’ll do it,” said Williams. “I don’t see [taking a low-value deal] at this point, but you never know.”
After suffering his second season-ending injury in as many years, Bishop might be labeled as injury prone. He tore his ACL in his first start for the Vikings in Week 5, after an injury-riddled final season in Green Bay. But Bishop recorded 100-plus tackles in both 2010 and 2011 as an inside linebacker in Green Bay’s 3-4 scheme.
The problem with Bishop is that he has played in just four NFL games since 2011.
Pro Football Talk named both to their All Unemployed Team.
#NFL PFT's 2014 All-Unemployed Team – The following is a list of the best available veteran players at each positi… http://t.co/Oj5XXFiXry
— Pro Football Wire (@ProFootballWire) May 15, 2014
Henderson started 2013 as the Vikings starting middle linebacker. He was having a decent season, but off-the-field problems derailed his career in Minnesota. Henderson got a DWI on Nov. 19. Just over a month later, on New Year’s Day, Henderson got another one.
The Vikings released Henderson in February.
Mitchell started a career-high 10 games for the Vikings, but he played in just 310 snaps.
Through seven NFL seasons Mitchell has appeared in 98 games, in a few different stops. He was one of three linebackers who worked out for New England last week.
