Three years after trading up in the third round to select Pat Elflein as their center of the future, the Vikings finally said goodbye to the player who disappointed them at all three interior line positions.
"We just felt like we had some better options," coach Mike Zimmer said Saturday.
The Vikings released Elflein one day after activating him from injured reserve, where he had been since tearing a ligament in his thumb before the second game of the season.
Elflein's best season was his rookie campaign, when he started 16 games, including both playoff games as they reached the NFC Championship Game.