3 Notable Vikings Firmly on the Roster Bubble

Vikings 2022 Trade
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The Minnesota Vikings and 31 other NFL teams will trim rosters from 90 players to 53 in exactly one month.

Players have a few weeks of training camps and three preseason games to prove their mettle.

3 Notable Vikings Firmly on the Roster Bubble

Vikings training camp kicked off this week, and the usual honeymoon aura persisted. Dazzling highlights were broadcast to social media, and basically, every player is a darling. That’s how it goes until the rubber hits the road in the preseason and regular season.

And with roster trimdowns four and half weeks away, these three Vikings can be considered firmly on the roster bubble. They’re listed alphabetically.

1. Jonathan Bullard (DT)

Notable Vikings Firmly
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Did you know Jonathan Bullard played 319 defensive snaps for the 2022 Vikings? That was noteworthy because some assumed he was a cut candidate during last year’s training camp.

Bullard performed ‘okay’ in 2022 and was welcomed back this offseason. His ‘problem,’ though, is Dean Lowry. Minnesota signed Lowry in March for Bullard’s spot, and Lowry has a documented history of starting for the Green Bay Packers.

Lowry is likely on track to start for the 2023 Vikings, leaving Bullard to vie for a 53-man roster spot. He may find himself in a duel with Ross Blacklock and James Lynch for a place on the regular season roster.

Bullard was a key member of the Vikings defensive line last year, but that may not be his role this year.

2. Troy Dye (LB)

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A Spielman guy, Dye was drafted in 2020 and is one of the few Vikings remaining on the current defense drafted by the former general manager. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is sculpting the defense in a vision of his own, and a man like Ivan Pace Jr., a promising UDFA linebacker, could steal Dye’s job.

Pace Jr. has already experienced action at training camp with the second team and probably won’t get cut at the end of August. That leaves Dye in a showdown with a fellow Troy: newcomer Troy Reeder.

Reeder has more regular season experience than Dye.

3. Jalen Reagor (WR)

Expensive Decision
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Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor have four WR spots on the Vikings roster all but spoken for. Reagor is battling for WR5 and a punt returning job.

He is not a shoo-in to win either gig.

Reagor was a disappointment last year, his first year in purple, from a wide-receiving standpoint and via returning punts. He caused two interceptions in ‘the comeback game’ versus the Indianapolis Colts and did next to nothing on special teams on the whole.

Players like Brandon Powell, Trishton Jackson, Thayer Thomas, or Blake Proehl could yank his roster spot.


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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.