Vikings release troubled receiver

Koren Robinson's arrest for drunken driving was a factor in the cut.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wide receiver Koren Robinson was among eight players cut by the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, 10 days after he was charged with drunken driving and fleeing police.
Robinson, who made his first trip to the Pro Bowl as a kick returner last season and signed a three-year, $12.7 million contract extension in March, was one of the Vikings' few bright spots last year.
Former coach Mike Tice convinced Robinson to sign with the team following a stint in an alcohol treatment facility in North Carolina, and the player rewarded Tice's faith with one of the best seasons of his up-and-down five-year career.
But as soon as things started looking up for the oft-troubled Robinson, he was back in jail.
Zoom, zoom, zoom
His blue BMW sedan was caught on radar going more than 100 mph in a 55 mph zone on the night of Aug. 15, as he tried to get from the Twin Cities back to the team's training camp headquarters in Mankato for curfew.
When police tried to pull him over, Robinson refused to stop, police said. Robinson was arrested by police about 10 miles away in Mankato, and the criminal complaint said a field test measured Robinson's blood-alcohol content at 0.11 percent.
A phone message left with Robinson's agent, Alvin Keels, wasn't immediately returned.
It was the latest in a long line of alcohol-related problems for Robinson, who pleaded guilty to DUI while with the Seattle Seahawks in 2005 and was suspended for four games in 2004 for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Reversal
He appeared to turn his life around last season in Minnesota, emerging as a leader on a team that badly needed some good influences.
His teammates voted him the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award and happily watched him work his way up the depth chart at receiver.
He had 22 catches for 347 yards and one touchdown in five starts last season and entered this year as the team's No. 1 receiver.
His latest transgressions clearly shook teammates, who were drawn to his affable demeanor and impressed by his considerable athleticism.
"I love Koren as a friend," receiver Travis Taylor said after Robinson was arrested.
"Forget football. It doesn't matter. I love Koren dearly. That's the bottom line."
Unfortunately, the Vikings can't forget about football. With just one preseason game remaining, they seem resigned to starting the season with an unproven receivers surrounding quarterback Brad Johnson.
Taylor moved into Robinson's starting spot on Friday night and second-year pro Troy Williamson has improved this preseason.
But the rest of the group consists of inconsistent veterans like Marcus Robinson and Billy McMullen and rookies such as Jason Carter.
Robinson's release wasn't the only news on Saturday.
Starting safety Dwight Smith was cited by Minneapolis police early Saturday morning for alleged indecent conduct with a 24-year-old woman in a stairwell near a downtown night club.
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