Minnesota Vikings Sign WR Ryan Whalen
Austin Belisle
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The Minnesota Vikings could possibly start the season with six wide receivers, but that didn’t stop the team from adding depth to the position during training camp. According to their official website, the Vikings have signed former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ryan Whalen, bringing their roster total to the maximum of 90 players.
A sixth-round pick out of Stanford University in the 2011 NFL Draft, Whalen joins the Vikings as a free agent after three seasons with the Bengals. In his time with Cincinnati, Whalen appeared in 17 games, catching 11 passes for 80 yards before being released prior to the 2014 preseason. He also contributed on special teams — six tackles – and played in the team’s 2011 Wild Card playoff game his rookie year.
The signing makes Whalen the 12th receiver on the Vikings roster, and if he has any chance of sticking with the team, it will come on the practice squad. Currently, Whalen sits behind a number of bubble players, including Isaac Fruechte, DaVaris Daniels, and Jordan Leslie.
Casey Matthews’ hip injury and placement on the season-ending reserve/injured list before training camp opened up a spot on the Vikings’ roster, and many hoped the team would sign free agent guard Evan Mathis. Instead, Rick Spielman and the front office signed Whalen, an Alamo, California native who played with Andrew Luck at Stanford from 2009-2010.
Whalen is listed at 5’11”, 190 pounds and will wear No. 89 for the Vikings, according to ESPN’s Andrew Krammer. He’ll reunite with head coach Mike Zimmer, who was the defensive coordinator in Cincinnati from 2011 to 2013.
Follow the entire Vikings Territory team as they cover the rest of training camp, and be sure to check out the latest updates from tonight’s scrimmage! Lindsey, Andy, and Arif will be sharing their thoughts and observations live on Twitter starting at 7:15 pm CT.