Vikings Audition Jake Long

The Vikings worked out Jake Long today, as Chad Graff of the Pioneer Press tweets. Coach Mike Zimmer confirmed the workout to reporters at a press conference earlier today. Jake Long

Long, 31, could be a good pickup in the wake of Andre Smith‘s elbow injury. Smith was placed on IR earlier today, meaning that he will be out for at least eight weeks.

Long, a former No. 1 overall pick, spent the 2015 season with the Falcons after signing on midway through September. The veteran was hoping to have a bounce-back season in Atlanta, but he wound up only appearing in four games and he didn’t start in any of those contests. In the year prior, Long saw time in just seven games for the Rams last season due to a torn ACL. In the year before that, Long also tore his ACL in St. Louis.

In 2014, Long’s last season which could be measured by advanced metrics, Pro Football Focus ranked Long as just the No. 36 tackle out of 84 qualified players. In 2013, however, Long graded out as the seventh-best tackle in the league with a strong 22.5 overall score, based on PFF’s advanced metrics. Those numbers suggest that Long could still be a productive player if he can return to full health.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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