Former Viking Signs with the Enemy
The Minnesota Vikings signed cornerback Fabian Moreau a week and a half ago and dropped linebacker Abraham Beauplan to make room on the 91-man roster.
Former Viking Signs with the Enemy
It didn’t take long for Beauplan to land with a new squad — the Detroit Lions.
KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweeted Sunday, “Lions waived-injured Connor Galvin, signed Abraham Beauplan, Jamarco Jones, placed Nate Lynn on IR.”
Beauplan will now vie for a regular season roster spot on one of the Vikings’ chief rivals, a determination just 16 days away with the NFL’s roster trimdown deadline on August 27th. Generally speaking, he should considered a longshot to slide on to the 53-player cut-off, perhaps with a practice squad fate ahead.
These are the Lions’ off-ball linebackers with Beauplan on the summer depth chart:
- Alex Anzalone
- Jack Campbell
- Malcolm Rodriguez
- Derrick Barnes
- Jaylen Reeves-Maybin
- Ben Niemann
- DaRon Gilbert
- Malik Jefferson
- Abraham Beauplan
And without Beauplan, the Vikings linebackers:
- Ivan Pace Jr.
- Blake Cashman
- Brian Asamoah
- Kamu Grugier-Hill
- Jabril Cox
- Dallas Gant
Minnesota onboarded Beauplan in April 2023, an undrafted free agent and a part of a notable class that included Ivan Pace Jr. and outside linebacker Andre Carter II. However, unlike Pace Jr. and Carter II, Beauplan saw no regular season action as a rookie and lived on the practice squad instead.
He did, though, rejoin the Vikings’ roster immediately after the 2023 season. Beauplan was one of Minnesota’s first offseason moves, re-signing him for what turned out to be six months.
Beauplan earned placement on Bruce Feldman’s famous “Freaks List” leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. “The 6-2 235-pounder from Florida showed off his speed when he ran the 40 in the high 4.5s and made 133 tackles at Navarro JC in Texas,” Feldman wrote in 2023. “Beauplan had little trouble transitioning to FBS football, leading the Herd in tackles with 110 and 11 TFLs. This offseason, he vertical-jumped 37 inches, squatted 565 and benched 385. His strength and athleticism really translated onto the field.”
The new Lion recorded a total of 231 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in 35 games at Marshall Unversity — Randy Moss’ alma mater.
Detroit employs two other former Vikings: Marcus Davenport (defensive end) and Shane Zylstra (tight end).
The Lions are forecasted to win the NFC North in 2024, scheduled for 10.5 wins by oddsmakers, whereas the Vikings are on deck for 6.5 and a last-place finish in the division.
Beauplan turned 24 this offseason. If he sees action for the Lions in the regular season, it will be the first of his career.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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