Vikings Fill Roster by Signing Two Players

Minnesota Vikings signed two free agents
Image courtesy of Vikings.com

The Minnesota Vikings signed two free agents to the active roster on Monday morning, bringing the team’s total to 90 players. Tre Roberson, a standout quarterback at Indiana and Illinois State, will play cornerback for the Vikings. Troy Stoudermire, the NCAA’s all-time leading kick returner and a former Golden Gopher, signed as a wide receiver.

Both Roberson and Stoudermire have connections back to Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. In April 2013, Stoudermire signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent, but was released before the start of the regular season. He spent a few months in Cincinnati with Zimmer, who was the Bengals’ then-defensive coordinator.

Though Roberson didn’t play for Zimmer, both attended Illinois State, where Zimmer spent time as both a quarterback and linebacker. His collegiate career was cut short after suffering a neck injury that required surgery by doctors at the Mayo Clinic. Zimmer would eventually work his way up the coaching ranks before landing the head job with the Vikings in 2014.

A familiar face to those in Minnesota, Stoudermire joins the Vikings after spending three years north of the border. According to Craig Peters, the Texas native played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from October 2013 to June 2014 and signed a contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in late 2014. There, he put his return abilities to use, earning honors as the CFL Special Teams Player of the Week after a 64-yard punt return during the Labor Day Classic.

Like Stoudermire, Roberson has the ability to play multiple positions for the Vikings. He set multiple passing and quarterback rushing records at Illinois State, leading the Red Birds to a berth in the FCS Championship Game in 2014. The dual-threat quarterback’s 2015 numbers were impressive as well, with Roberson rushing 123 times for 777 yards and 11 touchdowns.

With the signings, the Vikings currently have no room to add to the active roster. When training camp begins in July, general manager Rick Spielman will have a few difficult decisions to make about his talented group of players.

 

Share: