Image from @nick__muse on Instagram.
The Minnesota Vikings couldn’t realistically keep five tight ends on the regular season roster, and a member of the 2022 draft class was reportedly waived accordingly.
He’s Nick Muse, presumably heading for a practice squad assignment.
Plucked by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah from the University of South Carolina, Muse was a longshot to make the 53-man roster. The Vikings already employ Irv Smith, Johnny Mundt, Ben Ellefson, and Zach Davidson. Muse if the first roster cut involving a player drafted by the Vikings new front office.
Muse authored a mundane training camp and preseason — about what one would expect from a 7th-Rounder. But like Tyler Conklin before him, Muse will hope to develop on the practice squad — if he clears waivers — and perhaps make an impact in 2023 or 2024.
Stuffed with charisma and personality, Muse did a flip into a pool when the Vikings drafted him in April.
Muse had 67 catches for 805 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons for the Gamecocks.
SI.com described him as a blocking tight end in the lead-up to the 2022 NFL Draft, “As a blocker, Muse shows very good willingness and consistent competitiveness. His strength is above average, which also helps him fight through contact in his routes.”
Muse is 23 years old. He was teammates with Javon Kinlaw (49ers) and D.J. Wonnum (Vikings) at South Carolina.
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).