National Football League

Vikings release left guard Charlie Johnson

Published Feb. 27, 2015 4:47 p.m. ET

foxsports

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) The Minnesota Vikings have released starting left guard Charlie Johnson after four seasons with the team.

The move was made Friday, clearing $2.5 million from the team's salary cap.

Johnson started 61 of 64 regular season games after joining the Vikings as a left tackle during training camp in 2011. Johnson moved to left guard, holding down that position for the next three years. The sixth-round draft pick from Oklahoma State played in two Super Bowls in his first five NFL seasons with Indianapolis.

Joe Berger, Vlad Ducasse and David Yankey were the backup guards on the roster last year for the Vikings, but Berger and Ducasse will become free agents and Yankey did not appear in a game as a rookie.

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