ESPN Forecasts 3 Surprising Roster Cuts for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings will reduce their roster from 91 players to 53 in five weeks, as the club has until August 27th to shave and create a depth chart.
ESPN Forecasts 3 Surprising Roster Cuts for Vikings
The franchise is only expected to win around seven games this season, defined by some as a transformational or flyover year to hit 2025 and beyond with a freshly drafted rookie quarterback now in the saddle.
On Tuesday, ESPN forecasted the Vikings’ 53-man roster, and these three players were surprisingly on the outside looking in.
1. Brian Asamoah (LB)
Asam0ah played 36 defensive snaps in 2023, his second season as a pro. He served as a special teams staple, however, seeing action on 196 plays. Ivan Pace Jr. took his linebacking job last season, and when the time arrived to insert reservist off-ball linebackers, defensive coordinator Brian Flores preferred Troy Dye and Anthony Barr.
And per ESPN, Asamoah won’t make the 53-man cut-off. He was left out. “No position has turned over more from 2023 than linebacker, and the projected group of eight — which includes edge rushers — includes five newcomers. Pace and Cashman will man the inside positions, while Greenard and Van Ginkel will join Turner as the Vikings’ top pass-rushers. Jones is a versatile backup,” Kevin Seifert explained about the Vikings’ linebackers.
No mention of Asamoah, and Seifert claimed the purple team would carry over just three inside linebackers to the September roster:
- Ivan Pace Jr.
- Blake Cashman
- Kamu Grugier-Hill
Flores’ defense usually has four such linebackers.
2. Lewis Cine (S)
This is only surprising because Minnesota has absolutely nothing to gain financially by offloading Cine. He’ll be paid his 1st-Round contract no matter what.
“This list does not include 2022 first-round pick Lewis Cine, who has played only 10 defensive snaps in two seasons due to injuries and other issues. He finished last season as the team’s sixth safety,” Seifert opined.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah may consider trading Cine for a late-round draft pick, although it’s unclear if a market exists for his services.
According to ESPN, these safeties will do the trick in 2024:
- Harrison Smith
- Camryn Bynum
- Josh Metellus
- Theo Jackson
- Jay Ward
3. Jihad Ward (OLB)
Seifert noted on Ward, “Grugier-Hill and Jihad Ward will compete for roster spots, while Murphy was a priority rookie free agent who enters camp with high expectations.”
Ward just joined the Vikings’ roster in March, and it might be a bit weird to cut him so soon. However, stranger things have happened, and ESPN could be onto something. Overall, Minnesota’s EDGE room is rather deep for the first time in years. Seifert predicted this group of outside linebackers in 2024:
- Jonathan Greenard
- Dallas Turner
- Andrew Van Ginkel
- Pat Jones II
- Gabriel Murphy
The roster projection also notably excluded Andre Carter II, a man for whom fans had high hopes at this time last year.
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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