The Tyrell Johnson era has come to an end in Minnesota. ESPN 1500's Judd Zulgad passed along the following information via Twitter:
Tyrell Johnson leaves the Vikings to sign with Dolphins. That is one player who did not work out as the Vikings had hoped.
— Judd Zulgad (@1500ESPNJudd) April 5, 2012
"Did not work out as the Vikings hoped" is sort of an understatement. Most Vikings fans won't mourn the loss of Johnson too much. After being drafted out of Arkansas State in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft (43rd overall), Johnson's tenure was average at it best and gravely disappointing at its worst. He played in 49 games during his four-year career with Minnesota, starting 27 contests. He has recorded a meager two interceptions so far in his NFL career, and zero since the 2009 season.
Johnson was supposed to be the perfect blend of size, speed, and smarts when he came out of college, but it never materialized on the field with the Vikings. He has been banged up fairly often throughout his career and missed the final five games of the 2011 season due to injury. Letting Johnson go further signifies the major overhaul that the Vikings are performing on their beleaguered secondary this offseason.