Vikings New Offseason Twist Is Kinda Sweet
The Minnesota Vikings have plenty of tight ends at the moment, but why not add more? That’s the word out of Eagan this week, with organized team activities (OTAs) fully underway.
Vikings New Offseason Twist Is Kinda Sweet
No new players joined the team at tight end, but wide receiver N’Keal Harry took the plunge this offseason, evidently on the path to changing positions from WR to TE.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted Tuesday, the first day of OTAs, “An interesting personnel idea that came to light today: The Vikings still list N’Keal Harry as a WR, but he is working with the tight ends to see if he can contribute there. A former No. 1 pick of the Patriots, Harry is listed at 6-4, 225 lbs.”
The move would be noteworthy for Minnesota because of T.J. Hockenson’s injury recovery. The Pro Bowl tight end is still recovering from a torn ACL and is not expected to be ready for the start of the 2024 season. He could shock the world and play Week 1, but that should be considered a longshot. A productive or semi-productive Harry could assist the Vikings’ offense during any portion of missed time from Hockenson.
As of June 6th, these are Minnesota’s TEs if Harry indeed converts on the depth chart:
- T.J. Hockenson
- Josh Oliver
- Johnny Mundt
- Robert Tonyan
- Nick Muse
- Trey Knox
- Sammis Reyes
- N’Keal Harry
The franchise certainly doesn’t lack the bodies for the Hockenson substitute, but identifying a primary target taker would be vital.
Any move involving Harry will always be noteworthy because of his draft stock. Five years ago, the Patriots spent a 1st-Round pick on the Arizona State alumnus, and hefty expectations always follow such picks. Harry is no different. His signing with the Vikings didn’t move the needle last year simply because his playing time was minimal. There was a chance late last summer that Harry could’ve swung a spot on the active roster and then made an impact, but the Vikings said no thanks, cut him, and brought him back to the practice squad.
Harry received no targets in the Vikings’ passing game last year. Perhaps the change to tight end could work wonders for his career. We shall see.
Otherwise, Minnesota will lean into Mundt, Oliver, Tonyan, or Muse for TE duties. The Vikings will also showcase a new quarterback, as Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy were added this offseason to replace Kirk Cousins, who left for the Atlanta Falcons in March.
Harry will turn 27 in December.
Vikings Offseason Gets Exclamation Point
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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