Recently-Waived Viking Joins the Cheese Team
Often, former Green Bay Packers players depart Wisconsin and find a way to the Minnesota Vikings roster. Brett Favre, Za’Darius Smith, Ryan Longwell, and Robert Ferguson, among dozens of others, can attest.
This time, though, roles reversed, as recently-waived Vikings TE Ben Sims trekked easterly to the cheese team.
Recently-Waived Viking Joins the Cheese Team
Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling tweeted on the X app, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday, “Tight end Ben Sims, who was claimed by the Packers, was the only Vikings player picked up on waivers today, which should help the Vikings build their practice squad largely with players they had in camp.”
The Vikings kept the following tight ends for the active roster, leaving Sims and veteran Colin Thompson on the outside looking in:
TE1: T.J. Hockenson
TE2: Josh Oliver
TE3: Johnny Mundt
TE4: Nick Muse
Sims, 23, now keeps dealings in the NFC North and instantly becomes a member of the Packers 53-man roster. Here’s where he’ll live, at least for now, on Green Bay’s TE depth chart:
TE1: Luke Musgrave
TE2: Tucker Kraft
TE3: Josiah Deguara
TE4: Ben Sims
Rookies galore as the Packers turn the page on the Robert Tonyan and Mercedes Lewis era at tight end. Both Tonyan and Lewis [oddly] joined the Chicago Bears roster this offseason, a big NFC North party, evidently.
Sims was an undrafted free-agent find by Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah a few months ago. The class included Ivan Pace Jr. (ILB), Andre Carter II (OLB), and NaJee Thompson (CB), and all three of those youngsters made the Vikings 53-man roster cut. But the TE room was too crowded for Sims, missing out on a spot with the Vikings because of Nick Muse’s fabulous summer performance.
Sims spent four seasons at the University of Baylor from 2019 to 2022, notching 78 receptions for 785 yards and 2 touchdowns. The current Packer was teammates at Baylor with DT James Lynch and CB Kalon Barnes, who also had ties to the Vikings roster this summer.
The Draft Network‘s Kyle Crabbs scouted the young tight end during the buildup to the 2023 NFL Draft, “Ben Sims projects as a traditional Y-tight end at the NFL level […] Sims shows good hands and his ability to get open stems back to his hard sells in the play-action game; he leaks past linebackers with good sells of run fits before popping into space.”
The Vikings play Sims’ Packers at Lambeau Field on October 29th.
Former Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson made the Packers 53-man roster this week, as well.
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.
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