MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings on Friday released Scott Crichton, the once-promising defensive end they took with their first of two third-round picks in 2014.
Crichton left Oregon State a year early, motivated in part by a desire to support his family after his father lost a leg as the result of an infection in Western Samoa. Crichton was never able to show a thorough enough command of the Vikings' defense to earn regular playing time, however, and after he started only one game in his first two NFL seasons, he was placed on injured reserve before the 2016 season.