MANKATO, Minn. -- Even as they've called on him to be more consistent, as they've searched for improvement in Jeff Locke's performance, the Minnesota Vikings have yet to take the step of bringing in direct competition for their fourth-year punter. The closest they've come is looking at two punters -- West Virginia's Nick O'Toole and Texas Tech's Taylor Symmank -- during their rookie camp in May.
The Vikings did not sign either punter, and training camp began for Locke as his previous three have, with no challenger on the roster. Without signs of steady improvement this month, though, special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer said that will change.