Vikings Release Dan Carlson, Sign Free Agent Kicker Dan Bailey

The team announced on Monday that they've chose to cut ties with Carlson in a move that comes less than 24 hours after the kicker's disastrous 0-for-3 performance in Green Bay on Sunday.

Minnesota traded up into the fifth round of the draft to select Carlson with the 167th pick in April, giving up two draft picks in the process. In his first seven years of his career with the Cowboys, he put together some impressive campaigns as one of the most accurate kickers in the league.

Only Zane Gonzalez performed worse than Carlson: He missed two field goals and two PATs.

Carlson missed from 48 yards in the second quarter and 49 yards in the extra period, before his 35-yard try on the game's final play also went wide right.

The Vikings changed up their special teams unit on Tuesday by signing kicker Dan Bailey.

Vikings cut rookie Carlson after 3 missed FGs, target Bailey

The Vikings are banking that a veteran presence in the kicking game will help them in a season with Super Bowl expectations. He was 17-of-25 on career field goal attempts and 28-of-31 on PATs.

Bailey was released from the Cowboys on September 1. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Bailey turned down four other job offers.

Hopefully this'll be the end of the Vikings kicking woes, at least for field goals and extra points. "That's frustrating. That shorter one I should never miss like that". "We'll get some more sixth-rounders next year, I'm not anxious about that".

To make room for Bailey, the Vikings waived wide receiver Stacy Coley. "And then he's a fast guy".