Vikings Make 3 Roster Moves in 24 Hours
The Minnesota Vikings hold a 10-2 record through 13 weeks and enter Week 14 with a 99.8% probability of reaching the postseason, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.
Vikings Make 3 Roster Moves in 24 Hours
The franchise also has a magic number of three this weekend, needing a win over the Atlanta Falcons, a Los Angeles Rams’ loss to the Buffalo Bills, and a Seattle Seahawks dub over the Arizona Cardinals to clinch a playoff spot by Week 14.
And to prepare for Week 14 and beyond, the Vikings have fired off three roster moves in the last 24 hours.
1. LS Jake McQuaide Out
About one month ago, Vikings long snapper Andrew DePaola succumbed to injury, and he’s missed the last four games. So, Minnesota needed a long snapper to hold down the fort. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed McQuaide, who filled in admirably for four games. A measuring stick of a long snapper’s performance involves mistakes — and McQuaide made no notable errors.
But the Vikings cut him loose this week as DePaola will likely return for Sunday’s tilt with the Atlanta Falcons.
The 36-year-old McQuaide will presumably hit free agency and await his next NFL assignment. His four-game trial with the Vikings should do him wonders if another long snapper injury emerges around the league.
2. RB Myles Gaskin Out
Since August 2023, Gaskin has been signed, cut, or re-signed 26 times. Tuesday was the 26th installment.
Without Gaskin, at least for a little bit, these are the Vikings running backs:
- Aaron Jones
- Cam Akers
- Ty Chandler
- Zavier Scott (Practice Squad)
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 in October.
If fans have learned anything about Gaskin in the last 16 months, he’ll probably be back in the roster orbit soon. It’s just the way it goes.
3. CB Kelvin Joseph In
The Vikings’ main social media team tweeted Wednesday: “The Vikings have signed CB Kelvin Joseph to the practice squad.”
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore injured his hamstring on Sunday during Minnesota’s win over the Arizona Cardinals, so the Joseph addition is evidently an insurance policy. The Vikings also have rookie Dwight McGlothern and veteran Fabian Moreau ready for increased playing time if Gilmore can’t play this weekend.
The 25-year-old hasn’t consistently played anywhere since 2022, and even then, Joseph did not start for the Cowboys. He’s appeared in 33 games since the start of 2021 while starting three. Joseph has logged 40 total tackles in his career and fired up a horrid 147.9 passer-rating-against in 2022 when he played 166 defensive snaps.
Joseph actually earned a Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs in 2023, though he didn’t physically play any games for Kansas City.
Now, he’ll serve as a special teams piece for the Vikings on the practice squad, with the upside of an emergency corner on defense.
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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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