Vikings Waive 2nd Local Product This Week
Earlier this week, the Vikings waived offensive tackle Sam Schlueter with an injury designation to sign Christian DiLauro, a longtime NFL journeyman. Spending most of his career on practice squads, DiLauro played in a couple of NFL games. University of Minnesota alumnus Schlueter from Victoria, Minnesota, was not the only hometown player that was let go this week.
Vikings Waive 2nd Local Product This Week
To bolster the running back depth, the Vikings signed Abram Smith, the leading rusher of the XFL. An intriguing player with a fascinating story and some potential, Smith will try to make some noise in training camp and the preseason.
The move put the roster of the purple team to 92 players, one more than allowed. To make room for Smith, the Vikings waived fullback Zach Ojile the team announced on Friday.
Rookie Ojile had a successful rookie tryout and he received a contract in May. His hometown is Blaine, Minnesota, and he played college football at the University of Minnesota Duluth, mostly as a tight end.
Ojile played four seasons and recorded 61 catches for 702 yards and 10 touchdowns in 40 games. He also rushed 87 times for 418 yards and 14 TDs, playing some running back for the Bulldogs.
Because the Vikings announced him as a fullback when they signed him, it was always a long shot for him to make the team. Minnesota employs C.J. Ham, one of the top fullbacks in the NFL and a team captain. He also received a new contract extension. Ham is a fantastic blocker, receiver, and special teams player.
Ojile will now hit the waivers, hoping for someone to put in a claim. In the more likely scenario of hitting free agency after not receiving any interest, he must be patient and hope for a workout, and eventually find a team willing to sign a fullback.
The Vikings are now down to 91 players. Abram Smith enters the crowded and deep running back room with Alexander Mattison as the top guy followed by backups Kene Nwangwu, Ty Chandler, and DeWayne McBride. All of them compete with each other for roster spots, the depth chart order, and snaps.
Mattison’s strength is the experience he gained as Dalvin Cook’s backup for four seasons. He suffered a minor injury earlier in the week but was quickly back on the practice field. Nwanwgu also missed some time but it is not believed to be a serious injury. He and Ty Chandler bring exciting speed to the mix, something Mattison lacks, but they don’t have much meaningful NFL experience. Rookie McBride could be a surprise player and is certainly one of the most intriguing players to watch in the preseason.
The upcoming preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks will be interesting to determine the current order. Mattison is unlikely to suit up as the Vikings are expected to rest their starters to ensure health for the regular season.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
You must be logged in to post a comment.