Scott Crichton gets a new position as he fights to keep his roster spot

During spring workouts open to media, Scott Crichton, who mostly played defensive end in his first two NFL seasons, often joined the defensive tackles when the team split into individual position drills. The first three days of training camp, Crichton worked exclusively with the tackles.

Yesterday, Mike Zimmer officially confirmed that Crichton, whom the Vikings drafted in the third round in 2014 in the hopes he would be their long-term replacement for left end Brian Robison, is now a tackle.

“His best opportunity to make the team is inside,” the coach said.

Crichton, who recorded just 10 tackles and no sacks his first two years, is squarely on the roster bubble at the start of his third training camp. How quickly he adjusts to the new position will determine if he makes team.

Crichton, who occasionally played defensive tackle at Oregon State, downplayed the difficulty of sliding inside permanently.

“It’s not too much different from D-end. It’s the same technique, same everything. It’s just bigger bodies. That’s the only adjustment. I just have to hold my anchor down,” Crichton said. “I think I’ll steadily improve.”

Asked if he thought the switch was a good thing, he said, “If the coaches think so, I’m not complaining. I just want to contribute to the team.”

Zimmer said that when the Vikings drafted Crichton, they envisioned he would be able to play inside in pass-rushing situations, just like they did last season with Robison after the injuries to defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and the emergence of then-rookie defensive end Danielle Hunter.

“In college, he played real hard and did a lot of dirty work. He was going all the time,” Zimmer said. “When we drafted him, we thought he might be an end with moving-in-on-nickel-rush ability. But I think he’s more inclined to be an all-the-time inside player that can slide out once in a while.”

Zimmer thinks Crichton, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 273 pounds, may be quicker than the big guys inside. He said he’s been impressed with what he has seen from Crichton and was eager to see how he’d fare in pads.

It usually isn’t a good sign when a team changes a disappointing player’s position before the start of camp. But Crichton shrugged off a question about whether he felt pressure to perform and keep his roster spot.

“There’s no pressure at all. I’ve just got to do me. If I get cut, I get cut,” the 24-year-old said. “I’m just going to do my best, though.”