Minnesota Vikings expressing interest in Bengals S Taylor Mays

The Minnesota Vikings have reached out to (and are calling) Cincinnati Bengals safety Taylor Mays, according Matt Vensel with the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The story was confirmed by ESPN beat writer Ben Goessling. Mays, who played three seasons under former defensive coordinator and current Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, will become an unrestricted free agent this Tuesday.

A former second-round pick in the 2010 NFL draft, Mays quickly went from starting safety for the San Francisco 49ers to trade bait -- with claims that he was a liability against the pass. Mays has played 50 games for the Bengals, including an eight-game stretch in 2013 where he played a linebacker/safety hybrid, filling in for the injured Emmanuel Lamur. Mays would ironically suffer the same injury at the midseason point that year. Aside from that, he's primarily been a special teams player.

The connection isn't entirely surprising, as Zimmer has shown interest in many of his former players over the years -- whether it was bringing Terence Newman to Cincinnati, or attempting to bring Michael Johnson to Minnesota last year.