Vikings Rookie RB Misses the Cut
The Minnesota Vikings kick off the regular season at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 12 days, hoping to maintain their standing atop the NFC North.
But first, the team — and 31 others — was tasked with trimming the roster by about 40% in accordance with the NFL’s Tuesday 53-man deadline.
Vikings Rookie RB Misses the Cut
Along the way, the Vikings cut ties with one surprising candidate, running back DeWayne McBride.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted Tuesday afternoon, “The Vikings are waiving rookie seventh-round pick RB DeWayne McBride, per source. The former UAB star scored two preseason TDs.”
In the last few weeks, the Vikings searched high and low for an “extra” running back, auditioning veterans like Kareem Hunt and Mike Davis and ultimately landing on XFL standout Abram Smith and undrafted free agent Aaron Dykes from the University of Richmond. Because Minnesota appeared unsatisfied with RB depth, McBride recently became a roster-cut candidate, which came to fruition this week.
Dykes and Smith also reportedly encountered roster cuts.
Now, Vikings fans will wait to see if McBride clears NFL waivers. If he does, he’ll likely join the Vikings practice squad, although that theory could be considered best-laid plans.
This is the Vikings RB room with the roster cut-down deadline about one hour away:
RB1: Alexander Mattison
RB2: Kene Nwangwu
RB3: Ty Chandler
Minnesota scooped McBride late in the draft, joining a Vikings RB room already containing Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler, and Kene Nwangwu. Outwardly, it didn’t make much sense during the draft to add McBride, but about six weeks later, Minnesota cut ties with Dalvin Cook, the Vikings RB1 for the last six seasons. The road was then paved for a running back by committee, including Mattison, Chandler, Nwangwu, and McBride. With the regular season approaching, that room may include just three players — Mattison, Chandler, and Nwangwu.
McBride played in 31 games for UAB, tabulating remarkable numbers, with 3,523 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns. His career average per run was 7.3 yards, an astounding figure. He’s just not much of a pass-catcher, a to-be-desired trait that might’ve scared general managers in April’s draft.
The Blazer didn’t burst off the page in the preseason, though, for the Vikings. He scored a couple of short-yardage touchdowns, yet, to the naked eye, McBride seemed to need more pro refinement.
Minnesota ran the ball the third least in 2022 per playcalling percentage and ranked 29th in rushing yards.
McBride turns 22 in July.
Vikings Reveal 1st Surprise Roster Cut
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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