Read More: Minnesota Vikings

The NFL is in the thick of the free agent season, with deals and meeting flying fast and furious ever since free agency opened on Tuesday. The Minnesota Vikings have been relatively quiet in their dealings thus far as they work on shoring up the team they will field in the fall of 2012. On Friday, the team made an interesting acquisition.

According to Tom Pelissero of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, the Vikings have signed defensive back Nick Taylor to a three-year contract. If you’ve never heard of Nick Taylor, that’s understandable. Taylor is a former point guard at Florida International University, but impressed at FIU’s pro day on Wednesday. He played on an arena league football team in 2011.

The move is certain to raise some eyebrows, but it will be exciting nevertheless to see how this unproven commodity works out for the Vikes.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation’s NFL hub.

The Minnesota Vikings have the daunting task of completely overhauling their roster ahead of them this offseason. Although free agency and the 2012 NFL Draft will certainly help them achieve that, there is still one other talent pool that they can tap into before the beginning of the 2012 season: undrafted free agents.

On Monday, the Vikings began the process of scouting some potential undrafted free agents when GM Rick Spielman and several other team officials attended the University of Minnesota Pro Day.

Among a sea of 27 local NFL hopefuls were eight former Golden Gophers, including running back Duane Bennett, offensive lineman Chris Bunders, defensive tackles Anthony Jacobs and Brandon Kirksey, tight end Eric Lair, wide receiver Da’Jon McKnight, cornerback Kim Royston and linebacker Gary Tinsley.

Joining the Vikings’ staff among the spectators were scouts/coaches for the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks.

Even though most of the participants had exceptional workouts, a few Gophers really made their presence felt.

One of the biggest standouts was Jacobs, who impressed scouts with a 4.7 40 time, 10.1 inch broad jump and a 35.5 inch vertical jump. For a player of his size (6’2”, 291 pounds), those numbers really say a lot about the type of athlete that Jacobs is.

Bennett also made scouts take notice when he put up 28 reps during the bench press, equaling the highest mark by a running back at the recent 2012 NFL Scouting Combine.

“I was banking anywhere 25 or greater,” Bennett said. “But when I knocked out the first 15, I was kind of like ‘Oh, wow. I’m really going up there.’ I kind of caught myself off guard.”

The other standout of the day was Lair, who posted consecutive 40 times in the 4.5 range and turned in a 36.5 inch vertical jump. Despite admittedly begin nervous, Lair turned in a terrific workout and was pleased with the results.

“Today went fantastic,” Lair said. “Better than I thought it would be. I did well in my position drills, even though I didn’t catch many balls over the break. But yeah, I did better than I thought I would.”

When all was said and done, a number of prospects had increased their draft stock and given themselves reason to believe that they might hear their names called on draft day. Until then, all they can do is stay in shape and prepare mentally for what their futures hold.

“All these kids are going to be late-round, free-agent type guys,” Spielman said. “Hopefully, there will be some guys that we’ll definitely invite or maybe sign in college free agency.”

Although it’s unlikely that many former Gophers will get drafted in late April, the Vikings will give a number of them an opportunity to tryout during their rookie camp the weekend after the draft.

“I think that’s huge as far as the relationship with all the state of Minnesota and all the states that are our neighbors,” Spielman said. “If they have some players that we can help out or take a look at, we should definitely do that and we do do that.”

As evidenced by the Vikings’ signing of former Gophers cornerback Marcus Sherels back in 2010, those rookie tryouts can be just the stepping stone a budding NFL talent needs.

For those 27 potential NFL prospects, the waiting game begins.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

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For those wondering why an agreement on a new Minnesota Vikings stadium is taking so long, the devil — as always — is in the details.

While there are multiple issues still being negotiated, one is the exact location of a new stadium. For weeks, the football team, the city of Minneapolis and Ted Mondale, Gov. Mark Dayton’s chief stadium negotiator, have been trying to determine whether a new stadium can be built adjacent to, and just east of, the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis.

Building a stadium there would allow the Vikings to continue playing at least some games at the Metrodome during construction, and would mean fewer games at the University of Minnesota’s smaller TCF Bank Stadium. The more games at the university, the higher the stadium project’s overall cost would be.

In addition, the farther east the new stadium would be moved, the bigger a new plaza on the new stadium’s west side could be.

The new plaza, which would sit partially where the Metrodome stands, is now seen as a key ingredient to the project by both the city and the Vikings. The plaza has received “considerable interest and debate,” said Vikings spokesman Lester Bagley.

But pushing the new stadium to the east also would mean dealing with 11th Avenue S., a city street that runs just beyond a parking lot on the east side of the Metrodome.

Bagley said stadium negotiators have toyed with the idea of building the stadium over 11th Avenue S., and having the street run under the stadium. Doing that, however, would mean having to raise the elevation of the new stadium by 30 feet, which would create the added problem of having to line up the stadium’s elevation with the new plaza.

Then there is the National Football League’s concern about security, dating to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Having a public street running under a NFL stadium, with upward of 70,000 fans watching a game, would create obvious security issues. So the street, said Bagley, would have to be closed on game days.

“There’s all these complicated questions,” said Bagley, the Vikings’ vice president for stadium development and public affairs. “It’s not a matter of drawing a circle on a map and plopping it down, saying, ‘Hey, it’s here.’ “

It is a dilemma, said Bagley, that cannot be pushed aside to be solved later. Knowing exactly where the new stadium will be located is vital to knowing how much the project will cost — and a final price tag is needed for a stadium agreement to be complete.

“You have to have a site plan, and you have to know everything that’s in the site because that determines the cost,” he said. “From the project cost, you then go to the financing, [who] pays for what — state, city, team.”

For now, Bagley said negotiators are trying to settle on a “hybrid” solution — building the new stadium so that it goes up to, but not across, 11th Avenue S.

“That’s one of those issues that is being buttoned up right now,” he said.

• WHO: Chicago Bears (7-8) at Minnesota Vikings (3-12).

• WHEN: Sunday, noon, Fox.

• OPENING LINE: Bears by 1.

• RECORD VS. SPREAD: Chicago 7-8; Minnesota 6-8-1.

• SERIES RECORD: Vikings lead 52-47-2. Last meeting, Bears beat
Vikings 39-10, Oct. 16.

• NFL RANKINGS: Bears’ offense, overall (20), rushing (8), passing
(26); Bears’ defense, overall (18), rushing (6), passing (28);
Vikings’ offense, overall (18), rushing (4), passing (28); Vikings’
defense, overall (25), rushing (12), passing (29).

• FACTS & FIGURES: Bears have won four straight in series,
their longest since six in a row from 1983-86 and longest overall
in this rivalry since Vikings won four straight over 1997 and 1998
seasons. … Bears have only won at Metrodome once since 2002,
19-16 in 2006. These teams didn’t play at site, now known as Mall
of America Field, last season because of roof collapse that forced
game outside to TCF Bank Stadium on University of Minnesota campus.
… Home team has won 16 of last 19 meetings. … Bears averaging
35.5 points in Past four games against Vikings. … In 10 games
against Vikings, WR/KR/PR Devin Hester has nine of his 30 career
TDs, five receiving and four returning. He scored twice in last
meeting. … RB Kahlil Bell, filling in for injured Matt Forte
(sprained right knee), had career-high 121 yards rushing last week.
Vikings have given up 302 yards rushing in Past two games. …
Bears have lost five straight since starting 7-3. … Vikings QB
Christian Ponder expected to play after being knocked out of last
game with concussion; RB Adrian Peterson is having surgery to
repair tears in ACL and MCL in left knee. … Vikings trying to
avoid matching worst finish in their 51-year history, 3-13 in 1984.
… Jared Allen has 18 1/2 sacks, four off NFL single-season record
and 2 1/2 short of team single-season record. … TE Jim
Kleinsasser will play in his last game, ending 13-year career. He
has played in more games than any TE in Vikings history.

- By The AP.

This Sunday’s tilt against the Chicago Bears at the Metrodome will mark the final game for long-time Minnesota Vikings’ tight end Jim Kleinsasser. Kleinsasser, who was the team’s second-round pick in the 1999 NFL Draft out of the University of North Dakota, has spent all 13 of his NFL seasons in a Minnesota uniform, and recently set the record for most games played by a Vikings’ tight end.

As a way to honor him this Sunday, the Vikings have distributed this little beauty. It’s a cut-out beard, designed to look like Kleinsasser’s, that the team wants folks to print out, cut out, and wear to this Sunday’s game. Not only that, but if you take a picture of yourself wearing the beard and upload it to the Vikings’ official FaceBook page, you can win prizes. (Prizes have not been specified.)

So, if you’ll be at the Metrodome this Sunday for the season finale, show your respect for one of the more unheralded players in Vikings’ history.

Fear the beard!

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Out for the game – and now much longer – with a serious knee injury,
Adrian Peterson
was on his way back from the X-ray room in the depths of the stadium when he looked at a television monitor.

“I see Toby break up the sideline,” Peterson said. “So, `Go, Toby, go.”‘

What else could happen to the
Minnesota Vikings
in one of the worst seasons in franchise history? How about losing Peterson to a direct hit on the left knee and
Christian Ponder
to a possible concussion on back-to-back plays to start the second half? It just didn’t seem fair.

And the news only got worse as Saturday went on. The Vikings said an MRI showed that Peterson tore the anterior cruciate ligament
in his left knee, and coach Leslie Frazier will provide a further update at his news conference Monday.

But here’s a twist: They won the game.
Toby Gerhart
and
Joe Webb
answered the call, leading Saturday’s 33-26 victory over the
Washington Redskins
that snapped a six-game losing streak and helped make up for the fact that their best player was standing on crutches in the
locker room.

“I can enjoy my Christmas now,” Frazier said.

Gerhart scampered for a 67-yard run – the play Peterson saw on TV – to start Minnesota’s next series after the Peterson-Ponder
injuries and finished with 109 yards on 11 carries. Webb again made a case to be a starting quarterback by throwing for two
touchdowns and running for another as the Vikings (3-12) kept alive their hopes to not finish with the worst record in team
history. A win next week against Chicago would put them ahead of the dubious 1984 Minnesota team that went 3-13.

Asked if it’s time to give the option-running Webb a look at the No. 1 job, Frazier didn’t hesitate.

“Some of the things he does, and what it does to the rest of our team, you can’t ignore,” Frazier said. “So it’s something
we’re going to have a real hard look at as we go forward. He definitely lifts our team.”

He might get the start next week, at least, because of Ponder’s injury, but Webb surely was an inspiring presence Saturday,
completing 4 of 5 passes for 84 yards and rushing five times for 34 yards. His 9-yard touchdown run came on the option, and
he put a perfect 17-yard scoring pass into the arms of rookie tight end
Kyle Rudolph
, a touchdown appropriate for Christmas Eve, to give the Vikings a 23-20 lead late in the third quarter.

“When they bring in a weapon like that,” Redskins linebacker
Perry Riley
said of Webb, “not a secret weapon – we’d seen him on tape and we had a feeling – but it’s hard to prepare fully on a short
week for two quarterbacks. … It’s hard to change it mid-stream like that.”

Webb’s 8-yard pass to
Percy Harvin
broke a 23-all tie early in the fourth quarter, and rookie
Mistral Raymond
‘s first career interception set up
Ryan Longwell
‘s 23-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 10-point lead with 4:05 to play. Minnesota had gone nine games without a pick
before Raymond’s big play.

The Redskins pulled within a touchdown on
Graham Gano
‘s 47-yard field goal with 1:25 remaining. They got the ball back after a punt, but
Rex Grossman
‘s final long fling to the end zone fell incomplete to give Washington (5-10) a sixth straight home loss, its longest such
skid since 1994.

Peterson said he knew “it was something bad” the moment he was hit by safety
DeJon Gomes
at the end of a 3-yard gain on the first offensive play of the second half. The X-rays were negative, but Peterson had an
MRI late Saturday after the team returned to Minnesota.

“It’s such a special person that you want to be right before you prognosticate on what might be,” Frazier said before the
exam.

The torn ACL, the worst-case scenario, will likely sideline Peterson for some nine months and make it difficult for him to
return for the start of next season.

“Anytime you take a blow to the knee like that, you’re concerned about the ACL, MCL,” Peterson said before the diagnosis.
“I’m trying to stay as positive as I can.”

On the play after Peterson was hurt, Ponder suffered a head injury when sacked by
Adam Carriker
and
London Fletcher
. Ponder remained in the game for one more play – a third-down incomplete pass – before heading to the locker room.

Frazier said Ponder had “concussion-like symptoms.” The coach said he’s uncertain whether the quarterback will play in next
week’s season finale against the Bears.

“We’ll have to weigh it when we get back,” Frazier said, “and I’ll follow the doctor’s lead.”

With the way Webb is playing, Ponder might get the week off anyway.

Notes: Grossman had two more giveaways – a lost fumble and interception – to put his total at 24 for the season. He was already
tied for the most turnovers in the NFL entering the game. … Washington’s
Evan Royster
, getting the start with fellow rookie
Roy Helu
out with an injury, ran for 132 yards on 19 carries. … Minnesota’s
Jared Allen
had one sack to raise his total to 18 1/2. … The Vikings were also short-handed along the offensive line, with guard
Steve Hutchinson
inactive with a concussion and guard
Anthony Herrera
sidelined for part of the game with a lower back injury.

—

© 2011 STATS LLC

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Cardinals at Vikings photos | Box score | TELL US: How would you fix team?

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MINNEAPOLIS – It seemed laughable on Sunday when Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb gathered teammates outside the locker room before the game against the Cardinals and told them, “Ain’t no reason we shouldn’t blow these guys out.”

The Vikings, after all, were 0-4 and had McNabb at quarterback.

Turns out, McNabb was far more accurate with his mouth than his arm.

The Vikings led 28-0 after the first quarter and 34-10 after four. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Cardinals (1-4), who haven’t won a game outside Glendale since the 2010 season opener – a string of 10 games.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt usually is cool after the game, but his temper was unseasonably warm Sunday, like the weather here.

“We don’t catch the first play of the game,” Whisenhunt said. “And that’s the story of our team, not only (Sunday), but this season. Opportunities are there for plays and we don’t make them. We got a wide-open touchdown at the end of the first half; we can’t connect on it. We can’t make tackles on defense. You can sit here and say all day, ‘There’s things that are open and opportunities to make plays,’ but at some point you’re not getting it done. And that’s very frustrating.”

Whisenhunt opened his postgame remarks by saying, “We’re going to look at what we’re doing and who we’re doing it with.”

By the end of his news conference, he had cooled off and said he thinks he has good enough players to pull out of this steep dive.

They weren’t able to do it on Sunday.

Receiver Larry Fitzgerald dropped a pass on the first play of the game. The Cardinals dropped two interceptions early and didn’t stop Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. They committed two turnovers in the first quarter and were hampered again by drops, batted passes, overthrown balls and bad blocking.

Special teams weren’t exempt. A poor punt led to a long return that set up another score.

“The plays are there to be had; it’s human error,” Fitzgerald said. “These are the same plays that took us to the Super Bowl. These are the same plays that we’ve had success (with) here. We just executed better. Now, the execution is not where it needs to be.”

Fitzgerald included himself in that, pointing to his drop to open the game.

It was the type of game in which the Cardinals needed great play from quarterback Kevin Kolb, but they didn’t get it. He completed 21 of 42 passes for 232 yards and was pressured most of the day. He had four passes deflected, including one for an interception. And he missed a handful of open receivers, including tight end Rob Housler for a touchdown late in the first half.

That would have made the score 28-10 and possibly changed the game’s complexion. The Vikings blew huge halftimes leads in the first three weeks, and the crowd of 62,479 at the Metrodome had already turned on McNabb, who completed 4 of 12 in the first half and 10 of 21 for the afternoon.

The Cardinals weren’t good enough to make that happen.

“It’s not one person making a lot of mistakes, it’s all of us making one or two mistakes,” Kolb said. “That’s where details come in. The head coach hit the nail on the head: We’ve got to get back to detail-oriented football.”

McNabb was erratic, but the Vikings could have played without a quarterback. Peterson ran for three touchdowns in the first quarter as the Vikings built a four-touchdown lead.

Peterson rushed for 122 yards on 29 carries, including touchdowns of 4, 24 and 14 yards.

“He’s probably the best back in the league,” said Cardinals end Calais Campbell. “Everyone knows that.”

The 28 points were the most allowed by the Cardinals in the first quarter in team history. According to pro-football-reference.com, since 1940 only 10 other teams have scored as many as 28 points in the first quarter while the opponent didn’t score.

Oddly, the game might have turned out differently had the Cardinals made plays available to them early. Rookie linebacker Sam Acho dropped a potential interception on the Vikings first possession, and cornerback A.J. Jefferson dropped another one on the second.

Kolb missed Housler for a touchdown and again down the seam. A touchdown pass to Early Doucet in the fourth quarter was nullified by a penalty on right tackle Jeremy Bridges.

And the list could go on and on.

“If it’s not one thing, it’s another,” Bridges said. “That’s just the way it seems right now. The ball’s not bouncing our way, but at the same time you’ve got to make that ball bounce your way.”

View From The Press Box

A week ago, it looked like playing in the NFC West might be the one thing the Cardinals had going for them. But the complexion of the division has changed. The 49ers beat the Buccaneers to go 4-1. The Seahawks beat the Giants on the road to go 2-3. The 49ers now have a three-game lead over the Cardinals. It’s early, but the Cardinals have shown no indication of being a contender. They’ve shown little toughness, and accountability seems lacking. And maybe they just have less talent than many thought. They sure haven’t done anything to contradict that line of thinking.

Report

Key player: Vikings running back Adrian Peterson rushed 29 times for 122 yards and scored three touchdowns. All three of the touchdowns came in the first quarter

Key moment: Down 7-0, the Cardinals committed a turnover that gave the Vikings the ball at the 24. The Cardinals needed to hold the Vikings to a field goal. Instead, Peterson broke off a run for a touchdown, giving his team a 14-0 lead with 9:02 remaining.

Injury report: Safety Kerry Rhodes (left foot). X-rays detected an injury that Rhodes described as “not good.” He will be evaluated today. Guard Daryn Colledge suffered a concussion and was replaced by D’Anthony Batiste.

Quote: “We stunk today. We can’t hang our heads. The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t going to feel sorry for us. The Ravens aren’t going to feel sorry for us. Anybody we’re playing, they could (not) care less. This is the NFL.” – Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald

Up next: Steelers (3-2) at Cardinals (1-4), 1:05 p.m., Oct. 23, University of Phoenix Stadium.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP)—Marcus Sherels(notes) will be the punt returner to start
the season for the Minnesota Vikings.

Coach Leslie Frazier said Wednesday that Sherels will get the first chance,
with wide receiver Greg Camarillo(notes) also available. The Vikings open the season
Sunday at San Diego.

Sherels went undrafted out of the University of Minnesota, landed on the
practice squad last year and took advantage of injuries to take a spot on the
active roster at the end of the season. The native of Rochester, Minn., played
well enough in camp at cornerback to stick around this year.

Frazier said the team hasn’t decided who will return kickoffs. Receiver
Percy Harvin(notes) was a Pro Bowl pick two seasons ago as a rookie, but the Vikings
have been hesitant to risk his health. Running back Lorenzo Booker(notes) is the other
option.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – Marcus Sherels is listed at 5-foot-10 on the Minnesota Vikings roster. He’s probably closer to 5-8. On his tiptoes.

He didn’t start playing cornerback until halfway through his college career and played on one of the worst defenses in the nation as a senior at the University of Minnesota.

So his resume didn’t exactly scream “NFL prospect” when he showed up for a tryout with the Minnesota Vikings, alongside dozens of other hopefuls and wannabes about a year and a half ago.

But every time Sherels seems ready to be counted out, he finds a way to make it impossible for the Vikings to let him go.

In a defensive backfield full of question marks, Sherels has been making enough plays this preseason to make the coaches forget about his mistakes and give him serious consideration for a spot on the 53-man roster.

“He seems to be one of those guys,” defensive backs coach Joe Woods said of Sherels’ knack for being around the ball. “Every couple of years I’ll get a guy like that and right now he’s that guy.”

With so many players to evaluate in such a short period of time, one little mistake can be the difference between making the team and getting cut. Sherels dug himself a hole on Saturday night in Seattle when he lost a fumble on a punt return in the first half, earning him an earful from special teams coordinator Mike Priefer.

“The great thing about him, he came off the sideline and I was talking to him, he was looking me in the eye,” Priefer said. “He didn’t put his head down and feel sorry for himself. He knew he made a mistake and I was giving him a friendly reminder of what he needed to do, not to do that again.”

It didn’t take Sherels long to get back into everyone’s good graces. On the very next series, he intercepted a pass and raced 64 yards for a touchdown in the 20-7 victory, a play that stands as the Vikings only touchdown in two preseason games so far.

“You have to come prepared like you’re going to be on the 53, day-in and day-out,” Sherels said.

That he is even in position to think about making the roster of an NFL team is an accomplishment in itself. Sherels came to the Golden Gophers from Rochester, Minn., as a receiver and spent his first two seasons at the position. The coaching staff then asked him to make the drastic move of switching to defense.

“I was a little skeptical at first,” Sherels said. “But it was a natural adjustment. I figured out that I like cornerback a lot better than receiver.”

The Gophers were one of the worst teams in the country during Sherels’ final two years in maroon and gold, so it was no surprise that an undersized cornerback who had only been playing the position for two years went undrafted in 2010.

Like his brother Mike, who played linebacker for the Gophers, Marcus got an offer to tryout with the Vikings. He did enough to impress the coaches that he earned a roster spot for training camp before spending most of last season on the practice squad.

With a year of practice, and watching fellow small guy Antoine Winfield excel in a big man’s game, Sherels has been even more impressive this year with his ball skills, timing and knowledge of the defense.

“He doesn’t talk at all. I’ve probably heard him talk openly in a meeting a hand full of times,” Woods said. “But he’s always into it. We give those guys tests, just in terms of our information, coverage-wise, offensive ID. He scores higher than everybody. He just studies it.”

Coach Leslie Frazier said Sherels showed up for training camp with an extra 10 pounds of muscle to help him battle the receivers that dwarf him across the line of scrimmage. The quiet kid has also been carrying himself with a little more swagger.

“A combination of the two has probably contributed to the way he’s playing,” Frazier said. “He’s performing well for us and looking forward to see how he does in these next two ball games, but he’s really done a good job.”

With Cedric Griffin and Chris Cook both coming off of knee injuries and Asher Allen missing a lot of time in the preseason with a toe injury, the opportunity is there for Sherels. His ability to return punts — and hold on to the ball — may be the difference in him making the team or not.

“It was disappointing what happened to him last week but I still have a lot of faith in what he can accomplish for us,” Priefer said. “Hopefully, he’ll do well with his opportunities.”

Tags:
sports, vikings, football, gophers

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – Marcus Sherels is listed at five-foot-10 on the Minnesota Vikings roster. He’s probably closer to 5-8. On his tiptoes.

He didn’t start playing cornerback until halfway through his college career and played on one of the worst defences in the nation as a senior at the University of Minnesota.

So his resume didn’t exactly scream “NFL prospect” when he showed up for a tryout with the Minnesota Vikings, alongside dozens of other hopefuls and wannabes about a year and a half ago.

But every time Sherels seems ready to be counted out, he finds a way to make it impossible for the Vikings to let him go.

In a defensive backfield full of question marks, Sherels has been making enough plays this pre-season to make the coaches forget about his mistakes and give him serious consideration for a spot on the 53-man roster.

“He seems to be one of those guys,” defensive backs coach Joe Woods said of Sherels’ knack for being around the ball. “Every couple of years I’ll get a guy like that and right now he’s that guy.”

With so many players to evaluate in such a short period of time, one little mistake can be the difference between making the team and getting cut. Sherels dug himself a hole on Saturday night in Seattle when he lost a fumble on a punt return in the first half, earning him an earful from special teams co-ordinator Mike Priefer.

“The great thing about him, he came off the sideline and I was talking to him, he was looking me in the eye,” Priefer said. “He didn’t put his head down and feel sorry for himself. He knew he made a mistake and I was giving him a friendly reminder of what he needed to do, not to do that again.”

It didn’t take Sherels long to get back into everyone’s good graces. On the very next series, he intercepted a pass and raced 64 yards for a touchdown in the 20-7 victory, a play that stands as the Vikings only touchdown in two pre-season games so far.

“You have to come prepared like you’re going to be on the 53, day-in and day-out,” Sherels said.

That he is even in position to think about making the roster of an NFL team is an accomplishment in itself. Sherels came to the Golden Gophers from Rochester, Minn., as a receiver and spent his first two seasons at the position. The coaching staff then asked him to make the drastic move of switching to defence.

“I was a little skeptical at first,” Sherels said. “But it was a natural adjustment. I figured out that I like cornerback a lot better than receiver.”

The Gophers were one of the worst teams in the country during Sherels’ final two years in maroon and gold, so it was no surprise that an undersized cornerback who had only been playing the position for two years went undrafted in 2010.

Like his brother Mike, who played linebacker for the Gophers, Marcus got an offer to tryout with the Vikings. He did enough to impress the coaches that he earned a roster spot for training camp before spending most of last season on the practice squad.

With a year of practice, and watching fellow small guy Antoine Winfield excel in a big man’s game, Sherels has been even more impressive this year with his ball skills, timing and knowledge of the defence.

“He doesn’t talk at all. I’ve probably heard him talk openly in a meeting a hand full of times,” Woods said. “But he’s always into it. We give those guys tests, just in terms of our information, coverage-wise, offensive ID. He scores higher than everybody. He just studies it.”

Coach Leslie Frazier said Sherels showed up for training camp with an extra 10 pounds of muscle to help him battle the receivers that dwarf him across the line of scrimmage. The quiet kid has also been carrying himself with a little more swagger.

“A combination of the two has probably contributed to the way he’s playing,” Frazier said. “He’s performing well for us and looking forward to see how he does in these next two ball games, but he’s really done a good job.”

With Cedric Griffin and Chris Cook both coming off of knee injuries and Asher Allen missing a lot of time in the pre-season with a toe injury, the opportunity is there for Sherels. His ability to return punts — and hold on to the ball — may be the difference in him making the team or not.

“It was disappointing what happened to him last week but I still have a lot of faith in what he can accomplish for us,” Priefer said. “Hopefully, he’ll do well with his opportunities.”

NOTES: The Vikings waived WR Dominique Johnson and signed LB Kyle O’Donnell, a rookie from Liberty to help add depth at the position. LBs Kenny Onatolu, Heath Farwell and Jasper Brinkley have all missed time with injuries early in the pre-season.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Marcus Sherels is listed at 5-foot-10 on the Minnesota Vikings roster. He’s probably closer to 5-8. On his tiptoes.

He didn’t start playing cornerback until halfway through his college career and played on one of the worst defenses in the nation as a senior at the University of Minnesota.

So his resume didn’t exactly scream “NFL prospect” when he showed up for a tryout with the Minnesota Vikings, alongside dozens of other hopefuls and wannabes about a year and a half ago.

But every time Sherels seems ready to be counted out, he finds a way to make it impossible for the Vikings to let him go.

In a defensive backfield full of question marks, Sherels has been making enough plays this preseason to make the coaches forget about his mistakes and give him serious consideration for a spot on the 53-man roster.

“He seems to be one of those guys,” defensive backs coach Joe Woods said of Sherels’ knack for being around the ball. “Every couple of years I’ll get a guy like that and right now he’s that guy.”

With so many players to evaluate in such a short period of time, one little mistake can be the difference between making the team and getting cut. Sherels dug himself a hole on Saturday night in Seattle when he lost a fumble on a punt return in the first half, earning him an earful from special teams coordinator Mike Priefer.

“The great thing about him, he came off the sideline and I was talking to him, he was looking me in the eye,” Priefer said. “He didn’t put his head down and feel sorry for himself. He knew he made a mistake and I was giving him a friendly reminder of what he needed to do, not to do that again.”

It didn’t take Sherels long to get back into everyone’s good graces. On the very next series, he intercepted a pass and raced 64 yards for a touchdown in the 20-7 victory, a play that stands as the Vikings only touchdown in two preseason games so far.

“You have to come prepared like you’re going to be on the 53, day-in and day-out,” Sherels said.

That he is even in position to think about making the roster of an NFL team is an accomplishment in itself. Sherels came to the Golden Gophers from Rochester, Minn., as a receiver and spent his first two seasons at the position. The coaching staff then asked him to make the drastic move of switching to defense.

“I was a little skeptical at first,” Sherels said. “But it was a natural adjustment. I figured out that I like cornerback a lot better than receiver.”

The Gophers were one of the worst teams in the country during Sherels’ final two years in maroon and gold, so it was no surprise that an undersized cornerback who had only been playing the position for two years went undrafted in 2010.

Like his brother Mike, who played linebacker for the Gophers, Marcus got an offer to tryout with the Vikings. He did enough to impress the coaches that he earned a roster spot for training camp before spending most of last season on the practice squad.

With a year of practice, and watching fellow small guy Antoine Winfield excel in a big man’s game, Sherels has been even more impressive this year with his ball skills, timing and knowledge of the defense.

“He doesn’t talk at all. I’ve probably heard him talk openly in a meeting a hand full of times,” Woods said. “But he’s always into it. We give those guys tests, just in terms of our information, coverage-wise, offensive ID. He scores higher than everybody. He just studies it.”

Coach Leslie Frazier said Sherels showed up for training camp with an extra 10 pounds of muscle to help him battle the receivers that dwarf him across the line of scrimmage. The quiet kid has also been carrying himself with a little more swagger.

“A combination of the two has probably contributed to the way he’s playing,” Frazier said. “He’s performing well for us and looking forward to see how he does in these next two ball games, but he’s really done a good job.”

With Cedric Griffin and Chris Cook both coming off of knee injuries and Asher Allen missing a lot of time in the preseason with a toe injury, the opportunity is there for Sherels. His ability to return punts — and hold on to the ball — may be the difference in him making the team or not.

“It was disappointing what happened to him last week but I still have a lot of faith in what he can accomplish for us,” Priefer said. “Hopefully, he’ll do well with his opportunities.”

NOTES: The Vikings waived WR Dominique Johnson and signed LB Kyle O’Donnell, a rookie from Liberty to help add depth at the position. LBs Kenny Onatolu, Heath Farwell and Jasper Brinkley have all missed time with injuries early in the preseason.

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