Minnesota Vikings Announce Two Cuts
Austin Belisle
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As announced by the team earlier today, the Minnesota Vikings have waived two more players, bringing their offseason total to five:
The #Vikings have waived WR Kain Colter and G Jesse Somsel.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) May 11, 2015
Colter, a converted option quarterback, spent two years at Northwestern, where he started 30 games and scored 50 touchdowns while lining up at a number of different positions. Above and beyond his on-field accomplishments, Colter is best known for co-founding the College Athletes Players Association and helping Northwestern football players seek unionization under the National Labor Relations Act.
He spent one year on Minnesota’s practice squad and attempted to make the full-time switch to wide receiver — in four preseason games, Colter caught three passes for 33 yards.
Somsel, who started 32 games at Saginaw Valley State University, was one of 10 players signed as an UDFA last week. As is the case for many small-school players, the transition to the NFL can be too much to handle, and Somsel reportedly failed to impress Mike Zimmer’s coaching staff over the weekend.
The releases come as no surprise; the Vikings drated Stefon Diggs and traded for Mike Wallace this offseason, adding superior talent to an already-crowded group of receivers. Colter was a fan favorite, but became dispensable at the bottom of the depth chart. As we noted last week, Rick Spielman drafted three offensive linemen in the Draft, making it almost impossible for Somsel to make the team.
The Vikings now have two roster spots to fill.