These 6 Vikings from 2023 Roster Still Need New Teams
Minnesota Vikings organized team activities (OTAs) continue through the end of May, and mandatory minicamp is just two weeks away.
These 6 Vikings from 2023 Roster Still Need New Teams
Free agency is down to crumbs, but several players will still join new teams between now and the start of the regular season.
Now, with Vikings minicamp right around the corner, six Vikings players from the 2024 roster remain in the NFL’s marketplace, unsigned by the Vikings and living on the open market. They’re listed in ascending order of likelihood of returning to the Vikings.
6. Nick Vigil (LB)
Vigil re-signed in Minnesota as a depth option last year. It was his second stint in the Twin Cities. Once a respectable starter for the Bengals about five years ago, Vigil’s career is nearing an end, and he’ll turn 31 in August.
5. Anthony Barr (LB)
Barr returned for a sequel in November 2023 and the timing was rotten. Minnesota started losing the moment he returned, though it had nothing to do with Barr personally.
Barr’s end is near after a decade of NFL service. He may or may not sign anywhere in 2024.
4. Chris Reed (OG)
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah might sign Reed back if No. 2 on this list doesn’t return because he’s a reputable and familiar depth piece.
Reed, however, only appeared in two Vikings games last season. He joined the franchise in 2022.
3. Sheldon Day (NT)
Brian Flores’ defense needs nose tackle depth, so of all the men on the list, Day might be the most probable for a reunion.
Day played six games in 2023, a decent amount for a reservist player.
2. Dalton Risner (LG)
Risner hired powerhouse agent Drew Rosenhaus in March, and many expected that to kickstart everything for the veteran lineman. Nope.
Six weeks ago, KFAN’s Paul Allen asked Adofo-Mensah about the odds of Risner returning in purple, and the young executive replied, “Where we’ve wanted to be is best available. That’s where we’ve tried to set ourselves up both in a draft and acquisition standpoint. So every option is on the table. That’s all I can say about that.”
That didn’t sound promising, but Risner could still return this summer, especially if Blake Brandel struggles at training camp.
1. Cam Akers (RB)
Akers hinted on Instagram earlier in the offseason that he’d either return with the Vikings or wanted to be back. But then Minnesota signed Aaron Jones, and an Akers reunion hit the backburner.
The veteran tailback is recuperating from his second torn Achilles and will likely sign somewhere before too long. The Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts would make sense.
Meanwhile, last week, Akers posted a video on himself to social media that appeared to show the runner rehabbing at Vikings facilities.
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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