Former Vikings WR Quietly Joined Kirk Cousins in ATL
In September, Kirk Cousins will lead a non-Minnesota Vikings team for the first time in seven years, and along the way, he’ll be joined by a teammate from last year.
Former Vikings WR Quietly Joined Kirk Cousins in ATL
Daylen Baldwin took the plunge with the Atlanta Falcons this week after departing the Vikings two and a half weeks ago. KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweeted on Tuesday, “The Falcons are signing wide receiver Daylen Baldwin today following successful workout per a league source.”
Minnesota initially added Baldwin last November after the Cleveland Browns cut ties with the 24-year-old. He stuck around for a few weeks, was cut by the Vikings in December, and rejoined on a futures contract in January. That futures agreement didn’t last long.
With the addition of Baldwin, the Falcons’ and Kirk Cousins’ WR room looks like this:
- Drake London
- Darnell Mooney
- Rondale Moore
- Ray-Ray McCloud
- KhaDarel Hodge
- Casey Washington
- Chris Blair
- Josh Ali
- Isaiah Wooden
- Austin Mack
- JaQuae Jackson
- Dylan Drummond
- Daylen Baldwin
- Odieu Hiliare
And, of course, that’s on top of Kyle Pitts fulfilling TE duties.
Baldwin spent time with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns in 2022 after an undrafted outcome during that year’s draft. He signed in New York in May 2022, was dropped shortly thereafter, and latched onto Cleveland’s roster in August of the same year. But Baldwin was a roster-trimdown candidate in 2022 and ended up on the Browns’ practice squad.
Then in January 2023, the 23-year-old was signed to a futures contract and stayed attached to the Browns until August 2023 before his waiver. Baldwin waited for his next opportunity until the Vikings’ call, which arrived in November when he initially signed in Minnesota.
On3’s Anthony Broome scouted Baldwin leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, “While not a burner, he does move well down the field, as evidenced by a pair of long touchdowns he scored off the arm of J.J. McCarthy in 2021. Baldwin has a long, wide catch radius given his frame and has the ability to play receiver like a basketball player, snatching balls out of the air.”
During his final season at Michigan, Baldwin played in 14 games and tallied 17 receptions for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also played college ball at Morgan State (2017-2018) and Jackson State (2019-2020).
Broome added in the Baldwin scouting report, “He is a high-character prospect and his Michigan teammates enjoyed playing alongside him. His work ethic every stop of the way was a standout trait to the coaching staffs he played for. Baldwin was a well-rounded, nice depth piece at Michigan and was coveted by other teams in the Big Ten.”
Baldwin will face an uphill battle making the Falcons’ 53-man roster, but stranger things have happened.
He was a teammate of J.J. McCarthy’s at Michigan in 2021.
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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