Four teams interested in safety Taylor Mays

Reports began surfacing on Sunday of the Minnesota Vikings' interest in Bengals safety Taylor Mays. According to Matt Vensel with the Star Tribune, the interest is mutual.

Another player the Vikings have reached out to is Taylor Mays, who played for head coach Mike Zimmer for three years in Cincinnati. And a league source said Mays is interested in coming here.

It’s unclear whether the Vikings see Mays as a potential starter or a reserve. But the safety position next to Harrison Smith, which is unsettled for a second straight offseason, is an obvious priority for the Vikings. Robert Blanton was tabbed as the Week 1 starter in 2014. He had his moments throughout the season but was ultimately replaced by Andrew Sendejo in December.

The obvious connection is Mike Zimmer, who was the defensive coordinator during Mays' first three seasons in Cincinnati. As Vensel points out, Mays' contributions on defense simmered when Zimmer left to become the next head coach for the Minnesota Vikings.

According to Pro Football Talk, the Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams and Washington Redskins are also interested while the Bengals "have a strong interest in keeping Mays around." Oakland makes sense -- largely because they love our trash. Former Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden is now the head coach in Washington, so there's familiarity.