Dozier, Chisena, Mata’afa Odd Men Out in Vikings ESPN Roster Projection
Dustin Baker
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Roster cuts for the Minnesota Vikings occur this Tuesday, scaling the depth chart down to 53 names. Because the team has signed so many free agents this offseason, many “prominent” names — or at least ones Vikings fans have grown accustomed to — will not make the 53-man roster.
As theorized by Courtney Cronin, who faithfully covers the team for ESPN, Dakota Dozier, Dan Chisena, and Hercules Mata’afa won’t quite make the team in 2021. ESPN projected all rosters for each NFL team, and those can be browsed here.
Cronin also notably prognosticated that rookie Kellen Mond will support Kirk Cousins as QB2 while Jake Browning and Nate Stanley will miss the 53-man cutoff.
Dakota Dozier joined the Vikings in the 2019 season, appearing in a total of 32 games and starting 63% of those contests. Last season, Dozier played every single one of the Vikings offensive snaps, one of the few players to do so.
List of Vikings players (offense and defense) that played every single snap on their side of the ball in 2020:
Garrett Bradbury
Kirk Cousins
Dakota Dozier
Anthony Harris— Dustin Baker (@DustBaker) August 25, 2021
The left guard from 2020 struggled mightily. His 44.6 Pro Football Focus grade was the source of frequent scrutiny from fans, but Minnesota’s coaching staff stood by the Furman alumnus nevertheless. If indeed he does not make the 2021 squad, the working theory is the upstart Oli Udoh will replace Dozier but at right guard. Udoh orchestrated an impressive training camp, staving off rookie Wyatt Davis for the right guard assignment. Second-year offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland was moved to left guard where he will protect Kirk Cousins next to a combination of Rashod Hill and Christian Darrisaw at left tackle.
Dan Chisena has been a part of the Vikings organization since 2020. Undrafted last year, Chisena made the team and has played in 14 games. He did not see any action on offense during the pandemic season but was used on 58% of special teams plays. Chisena is known for speed — he ran a 4.32 40-yard dash before the 2020 NFL Draft.
Now, however, Chisena might be usurped by youngsters K.J. Osborn and Ihmir Smith-Marsette — and veteran wideouts Dede Westbrook and Chad Beebe. Before rookie Kene Nwangwu arrived to the Vikings in 2021, Chisena was the fastest man on the team.
And then lastly on the chopping block, Hercules Mata’afa may miss the cut per ESPN. He became a Viking around the same time as Dozier, seeing action in 20 career games. Mata’afa has registered 2.5 sacks and 20 total tackles in two seasons. He also engages fans on social media more than most players, so some folks have enjoyed his presence on the team.
The Vikings signed Everson Griffen last week — a reunion after one season away — and that acquisition could nominate Mata’afa as a roster causality.
Minnesota must shrink the roster to 53 players by Tuesday. And there’s a reasonable chance that the cuts forecasted by Cronin could still place those men on the Vikings 2021 practice squad.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday along with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).