Purple Rumor Mill: C.J. Ham & the 53-Man, Wyatt Davis Final Days, Brett Hundley
Dustin Baker
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Purple Rumor Mill: C.J. Ham & the 53-Man, Wyatt Davis Final Days, Brett Hundley
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 August 21st 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: C.J. Ham may be a roster-cut casualty on August 30th.
This one isn’t laden with gossip; it’s merely reading the room.
- Ham didn’t do much — like participation-wise — in the final days of training camp.
- Kevin O’Connell’s “old” offense with the Rams didn’t use a fullback.
- The Vikings could be faced with keeping five RBs and FBs if Ham is included on the 53-man roster. Most teams don’t keep that many.
That is the case for Ham’s theorized release. It is not ironclad, but it does make sense. Will Goodwin made the case here, too.
Rumor: Wyatt Davis is in his final days as a Viking.
Davis is buried on the team’s “unofficial” depth chart, a bad omen for the second-year Buckeye. Accordingly, when Vikings enthusiasts and obsessionists draw up faux 53-man rosters, Davis is on the outside looking in.
He has not made an impact of any kind in 16 months with the Vikings. New general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah onboarded three other options this offseason at right guard — that did not include Davis (Jesse Davis, Ed Ingram, Chris Reed).
There is still a reasonable chance for Davis to land on the practice squad — the unit can hold 16 names now after rule changes — but he is unlikely to make the regular season roster.
Rumor: The Vikings will make the call to Brett Hundley after Saturday’s gruesome QB showing versus the 49ers.
Kellen Mond could not afford a dud preseason performance against the 49ers on Sunday.
Kellen Mond had a dud performance.
Ergo, it’s “back to the drawing board” for Minnesota at QB2. Unfortunately, Mond’s goodwill from the first preseason outing in Las Vegas feels erased. The Vikings worked Hundley out in May, the head coach complimented him, and Hundley is back on the free-agent wire after a short stint in Baltimore.
If not Hundley, Minnesota could explore Blake Bortles, Mike Glennon Kevin Hogan, Cam Newton, or Kyle Sloter. But based on the recency of Hundley’s tryout, he probably has the best chance to receive the call from Adofo-Mensah this week.
Otherwise, the Vikings can wait until all teams dwindle rosters down to 53 men. Oodles of quarterbacks should be available on August 30th.
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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