Teair Tart released by Dolphins; Vikings were reportedly interested in April

Tart could be the D-line upgrade the Vikings need.

Oct 29, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Teair Tart (93) leaves the field during the warmups against the Atlanta Falcons at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

Remember last summer when the Vikings and Titans held joint training camp practices and Teair Tart was a thorn in Minnesota's side? Tart was ejected from one of the practices for allegedly throwing what was described as a "soft punch" at Vikings center Garrett Bradbury, who was sticking up for teammate Justin Jefferson after a late hit.

Tart was a difficult defensive tackle for Bradbury and Minnesota's offensive line to block in the joint practices and subsequent preseason game. The links between the Vikings and Tart didn't stop there as Minnesota was reportedly "in on" Tart before he inked a deal with the Dolphins this past offseason.

Lo and behold, the Dolphins released Tart on Tuesday. He's now free to sign with any team and the Vikings still have a perceived weakness on the interior of the D-line. Is he a good fit and are the Vikings still interested in the 27-year-old?

Minnesota's unofficial depth chart lists Harrison Phillips as the starting defensive tackle in 3-4 base defense. Jaquelin Roy is listed as the backup, followed by Taki Taimani.

Tart played in Tennessee's 3-4 base defense and lined up at all three defensive line positions last season, so he's fully capable of providing valuable snaps along with fellow D-line starters, Jerry Tillery and Jonathan Bullard. And he's presumably good enough to, at a minimum, compete for backup reps with the likes of James Lynch, Jonah Williams and Levi Drake Rodriguez.

Tart started 35 games over the past three seasons with the Titans before he was waived by Tennessee last December. He latched on with the Texans and played two games to finish out the season before signing with Miami in April.

For his career, Tart has 79 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one interception, one fumble recoverand seven passes defensed.