Purple Rumor Mill: Sloter for NFL, Jesse Davis a Frontrunner, Cap Space

Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports.

VikingsTerritory‘s Purple Rumor Mill is a two-day chronicle each week. All the week’s rumors are lassoed and plopped in two spots — articles on Saturday and Sunday — for review. Today is the June 19th edition.

Remember — rumors are rumors. What you read on weekends in these pieces is what the world is talking about pertaining to the Vikings, not necessarily items that will come to fruition.


Rumor: Kyle Sloter will reenter the NFL after a successful stint in the USFL.

Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports.

This rumor comes from Sloter’s standout production for the New Orleans Breakers. He leads that league in passing yards, and his team is a part of the USFL playoffs next weekend.

Yes, Sloter has a reasonable chance to sign as a QB2 or QB3 somewhere this autumn. He was in the NFL for five seasons but wasn’t quite good enough to see regular season action. Thanks to the USFL experiment, that could now change.

And Vikings fans will feel vindicated as their preseason hero could finally actionize his fate as an NFL quarterback.

Rumor: Jesse Davis is the frontrunner for the Vikings to start at RG.

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Davis as the RG frontrunner stemmed from June minicamp. He took most starting RG snaps.

For now, Davis is indeed the frontrunner to become the Vikings RG in Week 1 versus the Packers. However, with the summer still young, 2nd-Round draft pick Ed Ingram should get a chance at training camp to win the job.

Otherwise, why the hell did the Vikings draft an interior offensive lineman in the 2nd Round? Early-round interior linemen should start sooner than later.

Perceive the RG race as a two-way affair between Davis and Ingram.

Rumor: The Vikings have enough cap space to make a splashy free-agent signing.

Vikings Have the Most Organic Team in NFL
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

Yes, Minnesota has about $11 million in cap space. It is unclear if they’ll hang on to that for a rainy day or spend it this summer.

If they’re interested, or if injuries hit at minicamp, they should have enough money to sign one of these players, all of whom are available as of June 18th:

  • Anthony Barr
  • Cole Beasley
  • Odell Beckham
  • Duane Brown
  • Jamie Collins
  • Landon Collins
  • Carlos Dunlap
  • Rob Gronkowski
  • Eric Fisher
  • Trey Flowers
  • Will Fuller
  • Joe Haden
  • Chris Harris
  • Donta Hightower
  • TY Hilton
  • Justin Houston
  • Janoris Jenkins
  • Julio Jones
  • Jason McCourty
  • Cam Newton
  • Kevin King
  • Larry Ogunjobi
  • Jason Pierre-Paul
  • Riley Reiff
  • Sheldon Richardson
  • Xavier Rhodes
  • Kyle Rudolph
  • Emmanuel Sanders
  • Ndamukong Suh
  • JC Tretter
  • KJ Wright

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday 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).

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