明尼苏达维京人签下了身为自由球员的防守绊锋霍华德·格林（Howard Green），后者自2004年开始就没有打过比赛。

　　格林在路易斯安那州立大学校队时曾经接受过现任维京人队防守线教练卡尔·邓巴（Karl Dunbar）的指导，他在2002年的第六轮选秀中被休斯顿德克萨斯人挑中。2004年，格林在新奥尔良圣徒首发12场，创造了53次擒抱的职业生涯纪录。

　　维京人队同时宣布聘请德里克·梅森（Derek Mason）担任该队的助理防守后卫教练。

　　这也是梅森首次在NFL供职，此前的13年间他一直在大学球队队担任助理教练。在加盟维京人之前，梅森曾在弗兰克·索利希（Frank Solich）手下担任俄亥俄大学校队的接球手教练。

现任维京人队主教练的布拉德·奇尔德瑞斯（Brad Childress）曾是北亚利桑那大学校队教练组成员，而当时梅森正是校队的防守后卫。

　　<b>原文</b>

　　EDEN PRAIRIE， Minn. （May 9， 2007） —— The Minnesota Vikings signed free agent defensive tackle Howard Green， who hasn＇t played since 2004.

　　Green started 12 games for the New Orleans Saints in 2004， registering a career-high 53 tackles. The former sixth-round draft choice by Houston in 2002 was coached by Vikings defensive line coach Karl Dunbar in college at LSU.

　　The Vikings also announced the hiring of Derek Mason as assistant defensive backs coach.

　　Mason is in the NFL for the first time after spending 13 years as an assistant at the collegiate level. He comes to the Vikings from Ohio University， where he spent two years as receivers coach under Frank Solich.

　　Mason played defensive back in college at Northern Arizona when current Vikings head coach Brad Childress was on the coaching staff there.