Before the Buccaneers released defensive end Michael Johnson, we got word that the Bengals would be interested in a reunion with their former player.
They may need to outbid the guy who ran the defense when Johnson was in Cincinnati to make that reunion happen. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Johnson’s first visit since Wednesday’s release will be with the Vikings, who are coached by former Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
The Vikings re-signed their own free agent defensive end Everson Griffen last year and were rewarded with 12 sacks from a player moving into a full-time role for the first time. Brian Robison should also be back, but the Vikings don’t have a clear third man for a rotation and Zimmer would probably like the idea of adding one that rushed the passer well for him in Cincinnati.
With $7 million already in his pocket without any offset, Johnson can probably afford to prioritize fit in an effort to boost his stock back up after the flop in Tampa. We’ll see if that leads to another stint with Zimmer.