EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Taylor Mays' brief reunion with Mike Zimmer ended on Tuesday morning after the Minnesota Vikings released the safety before the start of their mandatory minicamp.

The Vikings signed Mays to a one-year, $795,000 deal in March, which brought him to Minnesota after he'd played for Zimmer in Cincinnati. Mays was mostly a special teams player with the Bengals but had designs on a starting spot after joining a team that seemed to have some uncertainty next to Harrison Smith.

But Robert Blanton has received most of the first-team snaps during organized team activities, and the Vikings are optimistic about young players like Antone Exum and Anthony Harris.

The move gives the Vikings five safeties left on the roster, and it leaves them with one open spot on their 90-man roster.