Former Vikings Players Battling for Roster Spots with the Titans
The Minnesota Vikings are heading to Nissan Stadium this week to take on the Tennessee Titans in the preseason finale.
Heading into the game, there are plenty of Vikings players who are fighting for their football lives to grab a roster spot over the next couple days. However, there are also a number of former Vikings who now find themselves on the Tennessee side who are in the same situation. Here is a look at a few of those former Vikings.
DT James Lynch
James Lynch was drafted by the Vikings in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He played three seasons in Minnesota largely as a depth piece on defense and recorded 53 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks over 53 games (three starts).
Prior to the 2023 season, Lynch suffered an injury in training camp, which prompted his placement on season-ending IR. The Vikings then parted ways with the veteran on roster cutdown day last season, and he was signed to the Titans’ practice squad two days later.
Lynch appeared in all 17 games for the Titans in 2024, and now, he is firmly entrenched in a battle to be one of the backups behind names like Sebastian Joseph-Day, T’Vondre Sweat, and Jeffrey Simmons.
OT Oli Udoh
Oli Udoh also started his NFL career in Minnesota, being selected by the Vikings in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Udoh spent a couple years as a depth offensive tackle before being thrust into the starting right guard spot for the 2021 campaign.
Udoh’s time at right guard wasn’t the smoothest, but after that season, he was able to move back to his original tackle position, but a season-ending injury in Week 2 of the 2023 campaign ultimately ended his time in Minnesota.
The offensive tackle spent the 2024 season with the New Orleans Saints, and now, he is again hoping to nail down a backup job in Tennessee behind Dan Moore Jr. and J.C. Latham.
LB Brian Asamoah
Brian Asamoah is the latest departure in a 2022 Vikings draft class that is now widely viewed as a colossal failure. Asamoah was selected in the third round of that spring’s draft by Minnesota, but he never quite lived up to his potential.
In total, Asamoah played 46 games during his time with the Vikings but never made a single start on defense. He recorded 30 tackles, a pair of forced fumbles, and his fumble recovery against the New York Giants on Christmas Eve.
Asamoah was cut by the Vikings last week before being claimed by the Titans off waivers. Now, the linebacker is hoping to land a depth role on Tennessee’s roster.
LB Blake Lynch
Speaking of inside linebackers, Blake Lynch is another former Viking who is fighting for a depth spot at the position in Tennessee.
Lynch signed with Minnesota as an undrafted free agent back in 2020, and he spent two seasons with the team. He actually got a decent amount of run with the defense, starting seven games over his two seasons.
Prior to the 2022 season, Lynch was cut by the Vikings, and since then, he has bounced around the NFL from practice squad to practice squad. He has appeared in games for the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs. It seems like a longshot that he will make Tennessee’s roster, but perhaps he can get placed onto the practice squad.
OLB Jihad Ward
Jihad Ward spent 2024 with the Vikings after signing with the team in free agency that spring. The former Raiders second-round pick has bounced all over the league throughout his career, and this offseason was no different as he joined his sixth team for his eighth NFL season by signing with the Titans.
As for his time in Minnesota, Ward was not quite able to build off a strong 2023 season with the New York Giants in which he recorded a career-high in sacks. Ward appeared in all 17 games for the Vikings (making two starts) but recorded just 10 tackles and a single sack.
Now, Ward is hoping to land a second-string spot on the depth chart, and he is listed on the depth chart alongside Tennessee’s 2025 second-round pick, Oluwafemi Oladejo.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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