MANKATO Fred Evans knows how lucky he is. Arrested twice this year, Evans received a rare pass through the Vikings' character tests Sunday, signing a two-year contract to serve as a backup defensive tackle and potential starter as soon as next season.
"I'm very thankful," Evans said after his first practice Sunday. "The coaching staff and the player personnel department really wanted me to be part of this team."
The Vikings have Pro Bowl players at both tackle positions in Pat and Kevin Williams, but Pat Williams will turn 35 in October and is entering the final year of his contract. Evans appeared in only one game as a rookie in Miami, but he was expected to challenge for a starting job this summer in training camp.
However, the Dolphins released him six weeks ago, after a June 23 fight with Miami Beach police. Evans was arrested and has since pleaded not guilty to four charges: battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and trespassing.
The incident could affect a one-year probationary period stemming from a February arrest in Texas, where he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor marijuana possession. In addition, Evans likely faces punishment under the NFL's personal conduct policy.
But Rick Spielman, Vikings vice president of player personnel, began an internal discussion about Evans several weeks ago. His new assistant, George Paton, was a member of the Dolphins front office when they drafted Evans in the seventh round last season.
Sunday, Vikings coach Brad Childress said he spoke to more people while investigating Evans than he has for any other player.
"From everybody that you talk to," Childress said, "[Evans] was a guy that made a mistake and was paying for it. Somewhere, you make a decision based on what you see, what you know, people you talk to in this business, our coaches spending time with him, and our coaches talking to people that have interacted with him."
Character counts
The Vikings have made character and accountability key buzzwords since Childress arrived two years ago, and they eliminated more than 90 players from their draft board in April because of character concerns. During a community speech Wednesday in Mankato, Spielman emphasized how important character is in assembling a team.
At the same time, the Vikings were making plans for Evans to visit Minnesota. They brought him to town Thursday for meetings, and finalized his contract Saturday.
"I look at each situation individually," Childress said. "It doesn't mean that character is not important. Character is very important to me and to this football team."
Evans already was on shaky ground with the Dolphins when he was arrested at about 6 a.m. June 23. According to reports, a cab driver alerted police that Evans was lying in the backseat of a taxi and would not leave.
The scuffle began when police tried to pull Evans from the taxi, according to reports. Two officers reported injuries, including one who had a bite mark on his left arm, and Evans was stunned twice with a taser gun.
'Blessed with another opportunity'
Evans would not comment Sunday on the incident, but he said he never lost hope of signing with a new team.
"My personal opinion is that I was going to let the legal stuff take care of itself," Evans said, "but if I was blessed with another opportunity, which I felt that I should be, then I would make the best of that and not let it carry over."
No court date has been set, but a plea bargain may be in the works.
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