OMG AUDIE COLE heading to Jacksonville

Chalk up another free agent loss for the Minnesota Vikings.

A couple of different sources online are reporting that linebacker Audie Cole is going to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars, dealing the purple and gold another free agency loss.

Cole was drafted in the 7th round of the 2012 NFL Draft out of North Carolina State. He made a pretty big splash in the National Football League when he had not one, but two interception returns for touchdowns in his first preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.

Cole didn’t get on the field in the regular season as a rookie, but started five games in 2013 after Erin Henderson got injured. His best game as a Viking would probably have to be the 2014 season finale at TCF Bank Stadium against the Chicago Bears, where he got another start and collected 14 tackles and a pass defended in Minnesota’s 13-9 victory.

With Cole’s departure, the only two members of the Vikings’ 2012 draft class that are still on the roster are safety Harrison Smith and wide receiver Jarius Wright. Offensive tackle Matt Kalil departed for Carolina earlier in the free agency period.

Cole is just the latest loss in free agency for the Vikings, who have lost Kalil, Charles Johnson, and Captain Munnerlyn to the Carolina Panthers and watched tight end Rhett Ellison move on to the New York Giants. They also lost punter Jeff Locke, who signed with the Indianapolis Colts.