Vikings’ 53-Man Roster Leads to 1 Main Takeaway
The first 53-man roster of the season is out, as the Vikings released that thing on Tuesday afternoon. Some of the moves were surprising, sure, like the exit of preseason standout Gabriel Murphy or that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, a fourth-year GM, kept seven undrafted rookies on the squad.
Vikings’ 53-Man Roster Leads to 1 Main Takeaway
Ultimately, it all comes back to one main takeaway: The roster isn’t finalized and undoubtedly shouldn’t be. The executive built a strong starting lineup, but there are too many holes to think he’s done making moves. Here are four reasons why the next few days will be eventful in the Vikings universe.
1. Only 2 Pass-Catching WRs
Minnesota has five receivers on the roster. Suspended pass-catcher Jordan Addison doesn’t count. Justin Jefferson is obviously drawing all the attention, but that’s about it in that room. Jalen Nailor suffered a mysterious hand injury. He avoided IR, which means he’s not out for long, if at all, but he’s the only other established receiver.
Besides those two, there are three guys who are primarily expected to contribute on special teams. There’s punt returner Myles Price and Tai Felton, who’s returning kicks and playing a major role in coverage. Finally, Tim Jones, someone who had an alarmingly bad preseason but still made it. That’s two rookies and one guy with 17 career receptions in three years.
Another proven receiver should join the club, whether that is Adam Thielen or someone else.
2. Only 4 CBs
The Vikings employ only four cornerbacks after cutting Zemaiah Vaughn and sending Mekhi Blackmon to Indianapolis. Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers start in Brian Flores’ defense, and Jeff Okudah is trotting onto the field when the coordinator wants a third corner.
The only real backup is Dwight McGlothern. Considering Okudah’s past struggles and McGlothern’s inexperience, there undoubtedly should be a fifth cornerback in the room.
3. Underwhelming Depth Players
Usually, it’s tough to make a 53-man roster projection because there are approximately 58 players who have earned a spot. This year, however, some of the guys on the roster might not have made it in other years.
Undrafted rookies Chaz Chambliss and Austin Keys were big-time surprises, and the aforementioned receiver Jones was a disaster in the preseason. Furthermore, the Vikings kept four running backs instead of the usual trio.
All that suggests that a few of the rostered players won’t be here for too long, unless they land on the practice squad, and once more experienced players arrive in the Twin Cities, they get axed.
4. Stockpiling Assets
GM Adofo-Mensah has now traded three players away. Sam Howell ultimately returned more than he cost, and he didn’t convince anyone in the preseason, but the deals that shipped Blackmon to the Colts and Harrison Phillips to the Jets were shocking.
What that did, however, was build a war chest of draft picks for the club to use in trade talks. Acquiring a cornerback, a receiver (or two), and potentially another returner makes sense for the Vikings, and they have the ammunition to do that.
Expect the Vikings to have a busy remaining 12 days until the Week 1 opener at the Chicago Bears. That was just the initial 53-man roster, not the final roster.
You must be logged in to post a comment.