Vikings Sign First New Free Agent of Regular Season

Dustin Baker |

Sep 18, 2024

Aug 19, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A Minnesota Vikings helmet sits on the turf before the game against the Tennessee Titans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

Between now and January, the Minnesota Vikings will tweak their roster frequently, mostly adding and dropping men from the practice squad.

Vikings Sign First New Free Agent of Regular Season

And the free-agent party kicked off this week when the purple team added offensive lineman Marcellus Johnson.

The Vikings’ main social media account tweeted Tuesday, “The Vikings have signed T Marcellus Johnson to the practice squad and released T Ricky Lee III from the practice squad.”

The move situates Minnesota’s OT room in this way:

Christian Darrisaw
Brian O’Neill
Walter Rouse
David Quessenberry
Marcellus Johnson (Practice Squad)

Dec 10, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Minnesota Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips walks on the field before a game between the Vikings and the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson joined the NFL five 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.

Now, he’s a Viking and is just one call-up away from the active roster.

Oct 23, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota offensive line the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Minnesota defeated San Francisco on Monday Night Football, thanks to a career effort from Kirk Cousins and help from players like Jordan Addison. Dalton Risner. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.

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.”

The Vikings, too, auditioned veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander on Tuesday. A 2017 Pro Bowler, Alexander would join a linebacking room that includes Ivan Pace Jr., Blake Cashman, Kamu Grugier-Hill, and Brian Asamoah if signed.

Johnson said about his NFL upside in the spring: “I want to get All-Pro at least one time, make a Pro Bowl. But we’ll see.”

Minnesota hosts the Houston Texans this Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium and is expected to lose by a point or two. The Texans have never defeated the Vikings, losing five straight meetings in the last 20 years.

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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.