Vikings Sign 10 Players to Future Contracts
After the conclusion of the disappointing 2023 season, the players have left the building for their offseason, and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has also begun his offseason work, preparing for one of the most significant times in franchise history with the crucial decision at the QB position looming over everything else.
Vikings Sign 10 Players to Future Contracts
The first move teams make after their season is over is signing some players to future contracts.
Those contracts are regular NFL contracts, including minimum salary, cap charges, signing bonuses, and other normal contract terms. However, the contracts don’t take effect until the new league year starts. This year that will begin on Wednesday, March 15th, at 3 pm CT.
In the meantime, the signed players will be stashed on the reserves/futures list and can’t be signed by a different organization.
Usually, teams sign parts of their practice squad, especially players they think could be valuable in the next season. It’s the first step teams take to get their roster to 90 players. Only players are eligible that hadn’t been on an active roster after Week 18. That includes unrestricted free agents and players on the practice squad.
And that’s what the Vikings did, signing ten players from their practice squad.
- WR Trishton Jackson
- WR N’Keal Harry
- WR Thayer Thomas
- RB DeWayne McBride
- CB Joejuan Williams
- CB Jaylin Williams
- LB Abraham Beauplan
- OT Coy Cronk
- OG Henry Byrd
- OG Tyrese Robinson
Some of those guys are notable names and they will enter training camp next season with a serious chance to make the 53-man roster.
A big name is running back DeWayne McBride who was drafted in the seventh round. With the departure of Dalvin Cook, there was a void in the backfield. Alexander Mattison took over the starting role with a bunch of unproven players foreseen to have backup jobs.
Ty Chandler ran away with the RB2 gig and earned a large share of loads late in the season while McBride failed to make the team. He had a highly productive college career at UAB but his game hasn’t translated to the NFL. However, with one year on the practice squad, he can try again to make the team, especially with the disappointing results in the rushing game.
Also interesting is the wideout group. Annually the deepest position on the team, the Vikings sign three players. Trishton Jackson was elevated to the gameday roster a few times but didn’t see the field. He was a preseason standout in back-to-back years.
N’Keal Harry is a former first-round pick and a big-body receiver who can be useful on jump passes and as a blocker. A disappointing player for his draft status, Harry appeared in nine games this season but didn’t catch a pass.
Also, chances to make the team have cornerbacks Joejuan Williams and Jaylin Williams who both saw plenty of action in Week 18 during the absences of Byron Murphy and Mekhi Blackmon.
Linebacker Abraham Beauplan resurfaced last week when he was signed to the practice squad after some time away from the organization. He was part of last year’s training camp roster but an injury prevented him from competing for a spot on the team. He offers intriguing physical attributes.
The roster will change a lot from this point until training camp arrives. Adofo-Mensah must fill his 90 roster spots. Roughly 20 of those will arrive in the draft and as UDFAs and the remaining spots will be filled by free-agent additions.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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