A bad omen?

Rookie kicker Hayden Epstein had his first practice at Winter Park on Thursday. He slipped on his first kick.

A bad omen?

"There is a little difference in the grass up here," Epstein said. "It's just something to get used to. I was fine after that one incident. ... Once practice got started, I kicked the ball pretty well."

Tice was impressed with the former Michigan kicker.

"He looked really good, really high kicks and great hang time," the coach said after the workout.

The Vikings signed Epstein on Wednesday, a day after he was cut by Jacksonville, after releasing Doug Brien.