For new Vikings lineman Tom Compton, there's no place like home

Tom Compton saw his close friend Kirk Cousins sign with Compton's hometown team.

Deep down, the Rosemount native wanted to follow. That dream was realized almost overnight.

"It all just came together one night," Compton said Thursday after signing with the Vikings.

Now Compton, "super excited" to return to the area that raised him, will go to work just 10 miles north of where he starred at Rosemount High School. And he gets to work with Cousins, the quarterback he was with for his first four NFL seasons in Washington.

"Extremely close with Kirk," Compton said. "As soon as I heard the news that he was coming here, deep down I hoped we would be able to reunite again."

The 28-year-old guard most recently started five games on the left or right side for the Bears, including the season finale against the Vikings.

He'll bring depth as both Jeremiah Sirles and Joe Berger continue their free agency. Berger could still retire, which would leave an opening at right guard. Terms of Compton's deal were not immediately available.

"I'm definitely here to compete for a starting spot," Compton said.

Compton, who played at South Dakota, said he's also familiar with Vikings left tackle Riley Reiff from the 2012 draft process. He said he's hopeful the Vikings' culture is similar to Atlanta's in 2016, when Compton was a special teams contributor for the eventual NFC champions.

"The cool thing with Atlanta was the locker room. We were all a very tight group," Compton said. "And based on what I've heard, it's very similar here."

Compton (6-5, 313 pounds) was a 2012 sixth-round pick by Washington. Nine of his 15 career starts came as the Redskins right tackle during the 2014 season.

He has transitioned to guard, where the Vikings will line him up this spring. Neither center Pat Elflein nor left guard Nick Easton, both coming off ankle surgeries, is expected to be ready for organized team activities. That leaves room for players like Compton to get reps.

"I've bounced around so many times, I think I'm comfortable anywhere," Compton said.

And there's no place like home.