One Spot on Vikings Roster Will Be Gutted on August 29th
Dustin Baker
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The NFL tweaked a rule this offseason, nominating a single day for roster trimdowns. In 2023, the date is August 29th.
That afternoon, rosters will dwindle from 90 players to 53, with over 600 players hitting free agency and 400-500 receiving practice squad assignments.
One Spot on Vikings Roster Will Be Gutted on August 29th
And when the Minnesota Vikings step up to the plate on that Tuesday, one position will undergo quite the facelift, at least per personnel departure — interior defensive line.
Of course, this won’t involve Pro Bowl names or utterly shocking roster cuts, but for those who intently follow Vikings football, some ‘big names’ won’t survive the trimdown to 53 players. As of June 25th, these are Minnesota’s interior defensive linemen:
- Harrison Phillips
- Dean Lowry
- Khyiris Tonga
- Jonathan Bullard
- Ross Blacklock
- Esezi Otomewo
- James Lynch
- Jaquelin Roy
- Sheldon Day
- Junior Aho
- Calvin Avery
- T.J. Smith
This group is not peppered with stars and, in fact, could be reasonably called a ‘weak spot’ on the Vikings current depth chart. Still, the names will substantially decrease on August 29th, leaving some fans scratching heads.
Why? Well, after roster-shaving to 53 men last year, Minnesota kept six defensive tackles. It will likely keep the same amount in 2023. In 2021, when Brian Flores (the Vikings new defensive coordinator) coached the Miami Dolphins, he kept six interior defensive linemen. So, take the list above and slice it in half.
These players are probably safe to make the 53-man roster ‘for sure’ —
- Harrison Phillips
- Dean Lowry
- Khyiris Tonga
- Esezi Otomewo
- Jaquelin Roy
And that leaves these players with questions marks next to their 53-man roster candidacies:
- Jonathan Bullard
- Ross Blacklock
- James Lynch
- Sheldon Day
- Junior Aho
- Calvin Avery
- T.J. Smith
Bullard would only be noteworthy as a roster cut because he played in 12 Vikings games last year. Fans know him. Blacklock was acquired via trade by current general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. It might be a little odd to jettison the man ‘this soon.’ Lynch has been a Viking since 2020 and is a player long forecasted for some semblance of a breakout.
Meanwhile, as the group could stand to experience outside improvement via free agency, adding a player like Ndamukong Suh sometime this summer wouldn’t be strange. Such a transaction would nudge another player off the roster or to the practice squad.
The moral of the story? Some combination of Bullard, Blacklock, and Lynch — in addition to four others — won’t make the regular season roster as interior defensive linemen.
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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