Surprises and Reactions to Vikings’ Final Roster Cut
There are always a few surprises on the most difficult day on the NFL calendar for coaches and team executives—the final cutdown to 53 players. But there may have been a few more than usual for the Vikings this year.
Surprises and Reactions to Vikings’ Final Roster Cut
And, of course, we know the roster will be in flux for the next couple of weeks as waiver pickups or free agent signings come aboard and up to 17 practice squad players are added (with most coming from the players cut by the Vikings this week).
Here’s what caught my attention with the cuts:
Running Back: My biggest surprise was the release of running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu. He was a Second-team All-Pro kick returner in 2022 and had a strong preseason as a running back. His 48-yard TD run against the Raiders this preseason flashed his tremendous speed, visible in his three career kickoff return TDs. Aaron Jones has dealt with injuries in the past, and if he misses one or more games, I thought Nwangwu would be a good second back behind Ty Chandler.
His release leaves the Vikings with only two running backs on the roster—Jones and Chandler. Fullback C.J. Ham is one of the league’s best fullbacks, and he can play running back, but the team surely will add another RB, perhaps bringing back Myles Gaskin, who was released after a strong performance in the final preseason game against the Eagles.
Tight End: The Vikings surely were hoping Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson would not have to be put on PUP for the first four weeks. He looked close to returning but obviously not close enough to satisfy the coaches, doctors, and trainers.
I wonder if it would’ve been worth keeping him on the 53-man roster in the hope he could return by Week 3 or 4. He’s such an important player who can help take pressure off Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jones. Speaking as a former GM, I know team medical staff can be overprotective at times, but we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. It would’ve been devastating if Hockenson came back too soon and got reinjured.
The three tight ends on the current roster are Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, and Nick Muse. I thought Robert Tonyan would be a better receiving option than those three players until Hockenson’s return. He looked good early in camp until a back injury set him back, but he was back at practice last week.
Offensive line: Seventh-round center Michael Jurgens made the roster as a developmental project. I liked what I saw from guard Tyrese Robinson and thought he had a chance to stick, especially with Dalton Risner headed to injured reserve for at least four games. Robinson surely will be part of the practice squad if another team does not claim him.
With Risner not available early in the season, the pressure is on starting guards Ed Ingram and Blake Brandel to come through, beginning with an early test against the Giants’ stout D-line, led by Pro Bowl DT Dexter Lawrence, who gave the Vikings’ interior O-linemen fits in the 2022 playoff loss.
Wide Receiver: Trishton Jackson deservedly made it after his excellent preseason with TD receptions in all three games. Trent Sherfield is also on the current roster as insurance if Addison’s ankle is not healed for the opener and if he’s suspended at some point for his driving issues. Sherfield also is an excellent blocker for the run game and should help on special teams.
Quarterback: J.J. McCarthy’s knee injury opened the door for Jaren Hall and he clinched his roster spot as No. 3 QB with an excellent performance in Philly (162 passing yards and two TDs in the first half). The Vikings hope he can develop into a future No. 2 behind McCarthy.
Defensive line: Williams and Lynch out, Rodriguez and Taimani in—it was expected that seventh-round rookie Levi Drake-Rodriguez had impressed the coaches enough to make the final roster and be a rotational player this season. And undrafted DT Taki Taimani was impressive in camp and preseason games. The less costly youngsters beat out fifth-year vet Lynch. Seeing DL Jonah Williams released after he was guaranteed $350,000 on his $1.5 million one-year deal was a mild surprise. But the Vikings gain some beneficial cap space with these two moves.
Linebacker: Brian Asamoah is a talented player with speed who played well this preseason to save his job backing up Ivan Pace and Blake Cashman. Along with Chandler, Ingram, third receiver Jalen Nailor, third tight end Nick Muse, and Akayleb Evans (if he becomes more consistent in coverage) from the 2022 draft class, Asamoah helps somewhat to soften the tough blows of second-round corner Andrew Booth being a bust and now first-rounder Lewis Cine’s release.
Safety: Cine put forth considerable effort in the preseason games, but he couldn’t beat Theo Jackson or Jay Ward as the fourth or fifth safety behind starters Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum, and Josh Metellus.
The draft is an inexact science, and it’s painful for the Vikings to know they traded down to select Cine when they could’ve picked one of two 2023 First-team All-Pros—safety Kyle Hamilton or corner Trent McDuffie.
Cornerback: They missed with Cine, but I think they hit on undrafted corner Dwight McGlothern, who was one of the biggest surprise players in training camp and preseason games. His goal-line interception and 91-yard return in Cleveland were one of the highlight plays of the Vikings’ undefeated preseason. He’s tall and rangy in coverage and plays the run, too. I think he’s got a chance to become a future starter at outside corner.
In the player acquisition biz, it’s inevitable that you win a few and lose a few. It’s just extra hard when a first-rounder doesn’t come through, and in Cine’s case, his awful broken leg in the London game during his rookie season really set him back.
Kicker: The Vikings have to be thrilled with sixth-rounder Will Reichard’s preseason, which included going 4-for-4 on field goals (including a 57-yarder) in Philadelphia. He looks like the real deal, but of course, success when the games count will tell the story. I really like his chances and have said since he was drafted that kicking in big SEC and college football playoff games at Alabama before huge crowds toughened him up for this challenging job of NFL kicker.
If he comes through and punter Ryan Wright performs as well as he did in his rookie season (and better than last year in his second season), that will be a big help to the team in close games this season.
Around the NFL Observations:
It’s prediction time with the regular season opening next week. There are several exciting prime-time games in Week 1, beginning with the Ravens at the Chiefs on Thursday, September 5, followed by the Packers and Eagles meeting in Brazil the next day. The Lions host the Rams in the Sunday night opener, and Aaron Rodgers returns from his Achilles tear to lead the Jets in a tough Monday night opening game at San Francisco. The Vikings are at the Giants as part of the Sunday afternoon schedule. I’ll give my breakdown on that interesting opener next week (I already predicted a close Vikings victory).
Here are my picks for this season’s division champions:
I have four teams repeating—Detroit (NFC North), San Francisco (NFC West), Houston (AFC South), and Kansas City (AFC West–for the ninth straight time).
I predict four teams will not repeat: Dallas (NFC East…replaced by Philadelphia), Tampa Bay (NFC South…replaced by Atlanta led by Kirk Cousins), Buffalo (AFC East…replaced by Miami), and Baltimore (AFC North….replaced by Cincinnati if Joe Burrow stays healthy).
Thankfully, the preseason is over, and we can get to another exciting NFL season. I think the Chiefs will win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl. Last year, I learned never to pick against Patrick Mahomes in the postseason.
Jeff Diamond is a former Vikings GM, former Tennessee Titans President and was selected NFL Executive of the Year after the Vikings’ 15-1 season in 1998. He now works for the NFL agent group IFA based in Minneapolis and does other sports consulting and media work along with college/corporate speaking. Follow him and direct message him on Twitter– @jeffdiamondnfl
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