Vikings Make Legal and Roster Moves

The Vikings were busy in court and in the front office Tuesday. Two Vikings had misdemeanor charges dismissed and another pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. In the front office, the Vikings added three players to their practice squad and released two.

The Vikings’ legal blotter was busy Tuesday, as charges in one case were dropped and charges in another were reduced.

Offensive linemen Bryant McKinnie and Marcus Johnson had charges of disorderly conduct and obstructing the legal process dropped. The two were arrested Sept. 26 after being associated with a fight at Bobby and Steve’s Auto World in Minneapolis, about a half mile from the Metrodome.

Defensive lineman Kevin Williams pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in an early-morning incident stemming from an argument with his wife in August at their Minnetonka home. Williams was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000, court costs and will be on probation for one year.

He was originally charged with two counts of domestic assault and two counts of disorderly conduct.

The Vikings also made a series of moves on their practice squad Tuesday, releasing defensive ends Earl Cochran and Eric Coleman and signing wide receiver Jason Anderson of Wake Forest and defensive ends Elton Patterson of Central Florida and Eric Taylor of Memphis.

The Vikings had an additional practice-squad spot available when they promoted Heath Farwell to the 53-man roster last week after releasing wide receiver Keenan Howry.

Anderson spent the spring with the Tennessee Titans and training camp with the New England Patriots.

Patterson played in eight games with the Cincinnati Bengals last year after being a seventh-round draft pick in 2003.

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Taylor in seventh round of the 2004 draft, spending last year and the first part of this season on their practice squad.