6 Surprises from Vikings 2024 Roster Cuts
On Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings reduced the 2023 roster from 91 players to 53 in accordance with the NFL’s regular-season deadline.
6 Surprises from Vikings 2024 Roster Cuts
Minnesota travels to the New York Giants in 11 days to get the 2024 party started. You can have a look at the 53-man roster here.
And these are the six biggest surprises from the roster trimdowns, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = most surprising).
6. Lewis Cine Era Ends
For those fans who intently follow the Vikings, Cine’s roster exit was more like fruition. It was odd, though, that Cine produced his one big moment — the preseason game at the Cleveland Browns — and skedaddled 10 days later.
A failed draft pick, probably due to injury, the Cine era is over.
5. Jaquelin Roy Out
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted Roy 16 months ago from Round 5, and he was already lapped on the depth chart by men like Levi Drake Rodriguez and Jalen Redmond.
Historically, Minnesota has encountered tremendous luck with LSU draftees, but Roy did not follow suit.
4. High-Profile Vets Didn’t Make It
The Vikings signed tight end Robert Tonyan and cornerback Duke Shelley in the last three months, and fans collectively said, “Oh, wow. We got him?”
But Tonyan and Shelley were dropped on Tuesday, usurped on the roster by younger players. Veteran status did not matter.
3. Jalen Redmond, a UFLer, Makes the Cut
This guy last played in the UFL, and often, those transfers don’t pan out in the regular season. For now, Redmond is different, securing a roster spot with the 2024 Vikings.
It’s worth noting that Redmond could be the first player dropped if Minnesota signs another player on Wednesday, but kudos to Redmond for outlasting many others.
2. Only … Two RBs?
Minnesota cut ties with four running backs in about 30 hours:
- Kene Nwangwu
- Myles Gaskin
- DeWayne McBride
- Mohamed Ibrahim
At the moment, Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler are the only halfbacks on the roster. That list is as skimpy as it was unforeseen.
1. Kene Nwangwu Waived
Speaking of Nwangwu, the man looked wonderful in the preseason, very much appearing to win the RB3 job. Nope.
Even with changes to the kickoff return rule, Nwangwu exited stage left and will almost certainly be claimed by another NFL team because of his speed.
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.
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