MINNEAPOLIS — Madieu Williams arrived in Minnesota three seasons ago with a big paycheck and high expectations.

He certainly met them off the field, where he was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year last season for his charitable works. But a neck injury in his first training camp with the team seemed to set him back from Day 1, and he never made the impact on the field that the Vikings wanted.

Williams was one of the first three players officially cut Thursday by the cash-strapped Vikings, who are working to add players and get below the new $120 million salary cap. The Vikings also cut backup defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy and seldom-used receiver Freddie Brown, but Williams, the team’s starting safety, was the most significant move.

The Vikings made Williams one of the richest safeties in the league in 2008 when they gave him a six-year, $33 million deal with $12 million in guarantees to lure him away from Cincinnati. But he missed seven games in his first year after the neck injury and never seemed to get comfortable in Leslie Frazier’s defensive system after that.

He made 75 tackles and one interception in 14 games last year, but his $5.4 million salary for 2011 ultimately led to his release. The Associated Press left a message with Williams seeking comment.

Things didn’t look good for Williams early this week when the Vikings looked into free agent safety Eric Weddle, who wound up signing a deal with $19 million guaranteed to stay with the San Diego Chargers.

The Vikings could look to bring in another safety, such as Oakland’s Michael Huff, but they also want to give fourth-year pro Tyrell Johnson a chance to show that he is capable of handling the job. Johnson has also been underwhelming since he was a second-round pick in 2008. He only played in seven games last season.