Vikings “Cut Candidate” for Summer Is a Pretty Popular Name
In about three months, all things related to the Minnesota Vikings will involve the quarterback battle and which 53 men will make the regular season roster.
Vikings “Cut Candidate” for Summer Is a Pretty Popular Name
And regarding roster cuts, Bleacher Report published a unique theory last week for the Vikings — the potential offloading of veteran passer Nick Mullens.
BR picked a cut candidate for every NFL team to get folks’ wheels turning about 53-man shavedowns late in August, and for Minnesota, Mullens was the odd man out. David Kenyon explained, “If possible, the Vikings would probably like to keep Nick Mullens around for his knowledge. The problem is Minnesota signed Sam Darnold in free agency, drafted J.J. McCarthy and still has Jaren Hall — who realistically might not be safe as a hopeful stash on the practice squad. This is very much a Mullens vs. Hall discussion.”
A gunslinging QB2, Mullens started three games for the 2023 Vikings — and Minnesota lost all three. His insertion into the starting lineup inconveniently corresponded with the death of Brian Flores’ 2023 defense. The moment Mullens took the scepter versus the Cincinnati Bengals last December, Flores’ defense stopped playing well. It was really weird.
Three months after that game, Minnesota signed Darnold, which pumped the brakes on Mullens’ 2024 status with the team. In theory, Mullens could’ve been showcased as the patchover quarterback to an eventual rookie — that turned out to be McCarthy — but general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah chose Darnold instead.
Now, with four quarterbacks on the roster — McCarthy, Darnold, Mullens, and Hall — one is virtually guaranteed to be cut, traded, or demoted to the practice squad. And it won’t be McCarthy or Darnold.
Therefore, Mullens as a cut candidate boils down to the coaching staff’s prerfence between him and Hall. A rookie last year, Hall played incredibly raw, aside from one sweet drive in Week 9 at the Atlanta Falcons. He was also concussed on the same drive. However, rookie quarterbacks, especially those from Round 5, rarely flourish out of the gate, if at all, in their careers. So, Hall probably needs time to mature and eventually seize some team’s QB2 or QB3 gig.
If Minnesota shares that enthusiasm about Hall, Mullens, indeed, could be in his final few months as a Viking.
Two years ago, Mullens joined Minnesota via trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for a late-round draft pick. One must wonder if a similar fate awaits him this summer. The Vikings, beyond the shadow of a doubt, must work to rebuild the draft capital piggybank.
Other notable cuts detailed by Kenyon? Running back Elijah Mitchell of the San Francisco 49ers and tight end Darren Waller from the New York Giants, among 29 others.
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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