Vikings Drop One Player to Make Room for New CB

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The Minnesota Vikings have conducted 10 roster moves in the last 10 days, tweaking the summer depth chart after a flurry of injuries.

Vikings Drop One Player to Make Room for New CB

Most notably, veteran cornerback Fabian Moreau joined the purple team, and to make room for the acquisition, off-ball linebacker Abraham Beauplan was the odd man out.

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The team’s main social media account tweeted Wednesday, “The Vikings have signed CB Fabian Moreau and waived LB Abraham Beauplan.”

Beauplan will now hit the NFL’s waiver wire and can sign with any team if he clears the process. After the transaction, these are Minnesota’s linebackers, with the first preseason game nine days away:

  • Ivan Pace Jr.
  • Blake Cashman
  • Brian Asamoah
  • Kamu Grugier-Hill
  • Jabril Cox
  • Dallas Gant
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Mason Kinsey (12) takes a hit from Minnesota linebacker Abraham Beauplan (39) during the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023.

Minnesota onboarded Beauplan in April 2023, an undrafted free agent and a part of a notable class that included the aforementioned 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.

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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.”

He recorded a total of 231 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in 35 games at Marshall Unversity — Randy Moss’ alma mater.

Often, when a player like Beauplan is dropped via waivers by a team, he eventually finds his way back to the organization. That could happen with Beauplan and the Vikings — or he could latch on elsewhere. Stay tuned.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports.

Cornerback Fabian Moreau, who replaces Beauplan’s 91-man roster spot, already experienced some first-team action in Brian Flores’ defense this week. His veteran presence could ensure a roster spot when the Vikings trim the depth chart from 91 players to 53 on August 27th.

Beauplan turned 24 in February.


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.