Vikings Sign New Defender

Dustin Baker |

Oct 21, 2024

With Blake Cashman on the shelf indefinitely because of a turf toe, the Minnesota Vikings added another linebacker this week.

Vikings Sign New Defender

He’s Calvin Munson, a 29-year-old off-ball linebacker with ties to Brian Flores from the Miami Dolphins days.

The Vikings’ main social media team tweeted Monday, “The Vikings have signed LB Calvin Munson and WR Trishton Jackson to the practice squad.”

Jackson is a really quick reunion after getting waived late last week to make room for T.J. Hockenson and Dalton Risner, and most expected his return. Minnesota also offloaded once-promising wide receiver (now a tight end) N’Keal Harry to make room for Munson.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports.

Like all practice squad players, Munson is now just one call-up away from the gameday roster. The aforementioned Cashman is battling turf toe, and it’s unclear if he’ll be ready for the Thursday Night Football tilt between Minnesota and the Los Angeles Rams.

Here’s Munson’s NFL resume to date:

New York Giants (2017–2018)
New England Patriots (2018–2019)
Miami Dolphins (2019–2021)
New England Patriots (2021)
Miami Dolphins (2021–2022)
New England Patriots (2022–2023)
Miami Dolphins (2023)

Yes, the man ricocheted from the Patriots to the Dolphins for five years. His time in Miami directly aligned with Flores’ tenure as head coach, so the Minnesota signing really makes all the sense in the world.

Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores addressed the media from the TCO Performance Center on October 16th, 2024. Flores was hired in February 2023 to take over for Ed Donatell after Minnesota finished 30th in points allowed.

Munson is more of a special teamer than a defensive presence. These are his defensive snap totals since joining the Giants as an undrafted free agent seven years ago:

2017: 209
2018: 0
2019: 76
2020: 47
2021: 12
2022: 0
2023: 23

In that vein, Munson shouldn’t be considered a Cashman replacement or contingency plan but just a depth option if an emergency strikes.

During his rookie campaign, Munson fired up a 42.9 Pro Football Focus score with the Giants, specializing in effective tackling and a decent pass rush. His coverage and run-stopping were suspect.

These are the Vikings’ linebackers with Munson in the house:

Blake Cashman (Turf Toe)
Ivan Pace Jr.
Kamu Grugier-Hill
Brian Asamoah
Dallas Gant (Practice Squad)
Max Tooley (Practice Squad)
Calvin Munson (Practice Squad)

Munson attended San Diego State from 2013 to 2016, which is head coach Kevin O’Connell’s alma mater.

The Vikings’ defense ranks first in the NFL per DVOA and EPA/Play through seven weeks, though the Detroit Lions exposed Flores’ group in the middle of Sunday’s game. Minnesota will hope to rebound in three days at Los Angeles, a game oddsmakers expect it to win by three points.

Munson will turn 30 in December.

Also Read:
Vikings Could Consider Change to Starting Lineup

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.