Chase Ford on course to come off PUP list

MANKATO, Minn. -- Vikings tight end Chase Ford is on course to be removed from the physically unable to perform list by the start of the regular season.

"I feel like I see light at the end of the tunnel," he said this week.

A broken left foot has sidelined Ford since the start of training camp. He learned it was fractured after participating in OTAs.

Ford, who caught 11 passes for 133 yards late last season, was a pleasant surprise for the Vikings, whose depth at tight end is in flux.

The team this week signed six-year veteran Kory Sperry, a former Arizona Cardinal, to replace AC Leonard, who was released before playing a game for Minnesota.

Ford was expected to compete with veterans Allen Reisner and Rhett Ellison behind 2012 Pro Bowler Kyle Rudolph. Mike Higgins, another free agent, also is in the mix.

"I'm always in my playbook and listening to the plays called, running it through my mind," Ford said. "I try to visualize it before they even run it."


(twincities.com)