Aug 24, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Griffin Hebert (48) is tackles by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Gant (96) during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings have a 5-2 record through eight weeks, and the postseason is in plain view if the team can end its recent losing ways.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah fired off a trade for Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson on Tuesday after Christian Darrisaw tore his ACL and MCL in Week 8. Meanwhile, tight end T.J. Hockenson and offensive guard Dalton Risner will return to the active roster this week.
So, three players had to find the exit sign, and the Vikings dropped these three men on Tuesday — with the caveat one has already returned.
Minnesota initially welcomed Gant to the roster in the spring from the UFL Draft, and he stuck around for about six months. Many Vikings fans were high on Gant during the preseason, which he parlayed into a practice squad assignment in the regular season.
However, at least for a while, Gant is on the outside looking in, though it wouldn’t be weird at all for Adofo-Mensah to add him back to the practice squad sometime soon.
Gant played for the DC Defenders in the UFL and was chosen by Minnesota with the 51st pick in the UFL Draft. The young defender spent his collegiate days at Ohio State and Toledo.
Gaskin has logged -1 rushing yards in 2024 but returned 3 kick returns for 60. He served as Minnesota’s RB3 plan for a month and change of the 2024 season until general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah swung a trade for Cam Akers a couple of weeks ago.
He plays hopscotch between the Vikings’ active roster, practice squad, and waiver wire. In fact, Minnesota has released Gaskin five times in the last 14 months.
Not long after the Gaskin release, Minnesota re-signed him. His departure lasted a few hours. He’s already back.
Johnson joined the NFL six months ago as an undrafted free agent, unearthed by the New York Giants. He spent all offseason in New York, participating in training camp and three preseason games. He also made the cut for the team’s practice squad during roster trimdowns three weeks ago, but the Giants said sayonara on September 11th.
He became a Vikings on September 18th, a PS addition.
Johnson attended Eastern Michigan University and the University of Missouri. Lucas Drengwitz of nchsinkspot.com wrote about Johnson in May, “Those seasons drew the attention of Eastern Michigan, where Johnson started all but one game during his final three seasons as an Eagle, earning Academic All-MAC honors three times during his time in Ypsilanti.”
Drengwitz also noted about Johnson’s time at Missouri: “As a Tiger, Johnson, nursing an ankle injury, appeared in 10 games primarily on the field goal unit, starting one contest at right guard against Kansas State in a 30-27 win over the ranked Wildcats. That game, Johnson said, came down to a 64-yard field goal with three seconds left. After Missouri’s All-American kicker sealed the victory, Johnson said, Tigers fans rushed the field.”
With Cam Robinson in the mix via trade with the aforementioned Jaguars, Johnson hit the chopping block.
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.