The 5 Main “Roster Bubble” Players for Vikings
Minnesota Vikings training camp is underway, and in one month, the club will shave its roster from 91 players to 53.
The 5 Main “Roster Bubble” Players for Vikings
The purple team has oodles of roster battles afoot, including quarterbacks, in general, the WR3, tight ends, offensive guards, defensive tackles, and cornerbacks.
Accordingly, several men reside on the roster bubble, meaning their end-of-summer fate could truly go either way. These are the Vikings’ five main roster-bubble players, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = most on the bubble).
5. Pat Jones II (OLB)
How He Could Be an Odd Man Out:
Minnesota has plenty of depth at outside linebacker. Jones II produced a horrid 37.5 Pro Football Focus grade on 636 defensive plays last year. Not good.
Why He May Make the 53-Man Roster:
Jones has more experience than Andre Carter II and Gabriel Murphy, the other EDGEs vying for roster spots.
Our Prediction:
Jones II misses the cut.
4. James Lynch (DT)
How He Could Be an Odd Man Out:
Minnesota added Jerry Tillery, Jonah Williams, rookie Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Jalen Redmond this offseason. There are too many defensive tackles for so few DT roster spots.
Why He May Make the 53-Man Roster:
The only real downside to Lynch’s four-year career in Minnesota is his health. When he plays, he’s rather productive. Maybe he will remain healthy and find significant playing time?
Our Prediction:
Lynch is released.
3. Andre Carter II (OLB)
How He Could Be an Odd Man Out:
For the first time in 8-9 years, Minnesota has significant, impressive EDGE depth. Men like Carter II and Patrick Jones II are on the roster bubble, accordingly.
Why He May Make the 53-Man Roster:
Carter II was a rookie in 2023, and young defenders often take time to develop. He was one of the prized undrafted free-agent discoveries in April 2023. The coaching staff preaches patience on Carter II.
Our Prediction:
Carter II will end up on the practice squad by September.
2. Jaren Hall (QB)
How He Could Be an Odd Man Out:
Minnesota won’t keep four quarterbacks on the active roster. J.J. McCarthy and Sam Darnold added new talent to the quarterback room, jeopardizing Hall’s roster spot.
Why He May Make the 53-Man Roster:
Nick Mullens is the odd man out instead, as Minnesota leans fully into the youth movement.
Our Prediction:
Hall gets the practice squad.
1. Lewis Cine (S)
How He Could Be an Odd Man Out:
The Vikings’ safety room is the deepest roster spot all around.
Why He May Make the 53-Man Roster:
The front office and coaching staff refuse to give up on Cine, sticking to his 1st-Round draft stock two years ago. His injury recovery lingered longer than most thought, and Cine gets a fair shake in Year No. 3.
Meanwhile, Cine addressed his roster bubble status this week. “It’s huge, it’s huge for me on a personal note. I think I really gotta show out and really ball out and prove why I should be here and why I deserve to be playing in the NFL. It’s unfortunate that I broke my leg,” the young defender told reporters. “That’s long behind me. I got the opportunity to learn the defense and not be rushed where something bad could happen again, so now I just have to use this opportunity to show that I haven’t lost a step and I’m that same Lew that you guys drafted.”
Our Prediction:
Cine is traded for a late-round draft pick or waived.
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 MIN 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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