Two years ago, receiver Greg Childs emerged from Arkansas as a promising fifth-round draft pick of the Vikings. In August of his rookie year, however, Childs tore the patellar tendons in each of his knees.
Earlier this year, the Vikings decided to move on from Childs, who never played for the team in a preseason or regular-season game.
Childs will be among 27 players who will participate this weekend in the Jaguars’ minicamp on a tryout basis. Also getting a look-see will be former Buccaneers defensive tackle Brian Price, the 35th overall pick in the 2010 draft. Price has been out of football for two seasons. Ditto for former Texans offensive lineman Antoine Caldwell, a third-round pick in 2009 who appeared in 39 games during four seasons with Houston. He hasn’t played since 2012.
The others (am I really going to type the names of 24 guys who never were and still aren’t NFL players?) are: Cincinnati defensive end Marques Aiken, Alabama State linebacker Leland Baker, Ohio running back Beau Blankenship, Youngstown State tackle Kyle Bryant, Coastal Carolina guard/tackle Jamey Cheatwood, East Carolina guard Jordan Davis, South Florida fullback Ryan Epps, Northern Illinois cornerback Sean Evans, West Virginia linebacker Dozie Ezemma, UNLV defensive end Mark Garrick, Nebraska defensive back Andrew Green, Winston Salem-State safety Jerome Junior, Central Florida safety Sean Maag, Troy defensive back Chris Pickett, Missouri cornerback Randy Ponder, Akron defensive end Albert Presley, Rice guard/center Nate Richards, Florida Atlanta defensive tackle Kayvon Sherrill, Clemson linebacker Spencer Shuey, Valdosta State cornerback Dominique Wheeler, Syracuse safety Jeremi Wilkes, Connective defensive end Tim Willman, and Nevada receiver Brandon Wimberly.
The minicamp opens Friday and lasts until Saturday. For most if not all of the guys listed above, that will be the extent of their time with the Jaguars.