Vikings’ First 53-Man Roster Has Some Big Caveats
Today, over 1100 players lost their jobs or find themselves looking for the next stop on their NFL journey.
Some of the players who were released as teams reduced their rosters to 53 players will never play in the NFL. Some will find themselves signed to other teams either on their active roster or the practice squad. For fans, they start searching the waiver wire and social media to quickly post about a player they want, simply using the word “Viking” in the post.
The Vikings’ first 53-man roster is out, but it comes with big caveats. Several moves and surprises still loom as Minnesota finalizes its roster plans.
While I always felt that the Vikings had plenty of depth at most positions, there is some level of concern at some positions, but today is merely one part of the madness that is roster cutdown day. Kevin O’Connell and his staff have whittled it down to those who they think will be able to put a winning team on the field.
Looking at the official roster report from the team, I don’t think many are surprised by the first iteration of the roster. There have been rumors of trades for fan favorites and the signing of players who have been free agents for a few months. So, let’s do a quick breakdown of what’s been seen so far and where there may still be changes.
Caveats from the Vikings’ 53-Man Roster
Quarterback
There was absolutely no surprise here. With the release of Brett Rypien, the trade of Sam Howell, the signing of Carson Wentz, and the play of Max Brosmer this preseason, this seemed set in stone for the last few days.
Changes: none
Running Backs
The only question here was the status of Ty Chandler and Zavier Scott: which one would make the roster? So far, both of them are on the list. Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are the 1 and 2, with the 3rd running back still in question.
The interesting thing is that the team placed CJ Ham on injured reserve with the chance to return by “Tuesday”. That’s a bit misleading, as it means he has to sit out at least four games. This tells me that once Ham comes back, one of these guys might be gone. A trade might be possible in the future, but it is unlikely.
Changes: Before Ham returns, Chandler will be traded if he is not released outright. The Seahawks released rookie Damien Martinez, who would be an interesting signing as he was part of the large running back class from this year’s draft. However, the Vikings are relatively far down the line in terms of submitting claims on players, making it less likely to acquire him.
Giovanni Ricci played a lot of H-back in the preseason, and he might be brought up if they put him on the practice squad. However, I would expect Ben Yurosek to fill that role if necessary, until Ham’s return.
Wide Receiver
Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are the top two players and starters without question. Jalen Nailor will be elevated to wide receiver 2 for three games as Jordan Addison sits out due to his suspension. The players after that are huge question marks.
Tim Jones is a veteran known more for his special teams play than for being a focal point of an offense. Tai Felton and Myles Price are rookies who have more to prove than they showed during the preseason. Felton was a 4th-rounder who led the Big 10 in receptions and yardage, but didn’t do much to wow the fanbase. Price actually had more shining moments with a touchdown catch and an 81-yard kick return, but can that translate into strong regular season production?
Hopefully, we won’t have to worry too much about that if Nailor can perform in his new position and JJ McCarthy gets into a strong rapport with TJ Hockenson, making him the true secondary receiver. The Adam Thielen trade talk will remain strong until someone else is brought in or Kwesi Adofo-Mensah officially closes that road. Needless to say, the position is a concern until Addisson returns. I was always a Hunter Renfrow fan, and he may be a target of the team.
Changes: The team is collecting draft picks like trading cards and may be setting up for a trade we’re not even aware of. I think someone will be traded to the team, and then Jones will be released.
Tight End
The only concern was who would be the third tight end to suit up on Sundays, and Ben Yurosek was the one who emerged victorious. Giovanni Ricci will likely join the practice squad, in my opinion, and Gavin Bartholomew may never return from IR this year, given the reported back issue. I always felt Yurosek would be the guy because of his blocking and speed.
He didn’t get many targets in the preseason, but the blocking showed up on tape. I could see the team using three tight end sets in short-yardage situations, running and passing out of them. As I mentioned earlier, he can also be utilized in an H-back role.
Changes: none
Offensive Line
The starters are all back, with Christian Darrisaw being the only lingering question as training camp carried on. It seems he has fully recovered from his knee injury from last year and will take the field against the Bears. Undrafted free agent Joe Huber beat out Henry Byrd in what I’m sure was a tight race.
When they were in with Michael Jurgens, the line didn’t seem to miss a beat, even holding up to starting defenses for other teams. Byrd should make it to the practice squad. All the other backups seemed to be a lock from day one.
Changes: none.
Defensive Line
Harrison Phillips’ release still comes as a shock to me, given everything he brought to the team in terms of playing and leadership. This opens up the line for a more active defense, but my only concern is how well they hold up to the run, as that was his strength.
As the only true nose tackle left, Taki Taimani was the only player who was floating on the roster bubble, and it burst for him. Rookie Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins has generated a lot of steam out of camp, along with Levi Drake Rodriguez and undrafted free agent Elijah Williams, making Taimani expendable. That means that Jalen Redmond also did enough to take Phillips’ position. This position is solid and deep and was pretty set for most of the preseason.
Changes: none.
Outside Linebacker
Most of the changes here happened early in the offseason. Dallas Turner’s route to more playing time opened wide, and the guys vying for spots behind him became the thing to really watch. I always felt Bo Richter was a cinch to make the team with his endless motor and special teams acumen.
The surprise player to emerge this year was Gabriel Murphy, who had an electric first preseason game and seemed to have a strong track to make the team. Then, he got released today. While he may stay safe to get to the practice squad, he was the closest thing to a surprise today. Chaz Chambliss was a bit of a surprise as another undrafted free agent to make the team.
He was extremely active in games, but I took it as merely a guy who would be cut, as he never got held out. My guess is that his special teams play also gave him an edge. Tyler Batty was also a player I thought would make the team, and he has … kind of. Batty was also put on injured reserve with a “Tuesday” return. He may eventually receive an injury settlement, or this could be the team making some roster moves to accommodate other players. He played at defensive tackle as well as outside, and Brian Flores loves versatile guys.
Changes: Batty may get released eventually, and Murphy may come back to the active roster after some shuffling around. It wouldn’t surprise me to see those guys move around, but Murphy may be bound for another team before that with everything he put on tape.
Linebacker
A surprise here as well with Austin Keys making the cut, where I thought they would only keep four players in the middle. Eric Wilson was a lock, and Kobe King was getting talked up plenty while also performing on the field. Keys is a thumper that put some big hits on he field and showed up quite a lot, but I figured he was just a “camp body”.
Changes: Keys may not be there for long if other players are picked up at different positions. Otherwise, I don’t see any movement for the other two backups.
Safety
There was good play from some of the backups, with Kahlef Hailassie getting a couple of picks and making some decent tackles. That kept him on the edge of the bubble, in case the team felt Jay Ward didn’t give as much as Hailassie. Ward played well and secured his spot; the safety position is pretty well set.
Changes: Highly doubtful. However, the lack of players at the cornerback position may show that more is to come, and Ward would be the odd man out if they had to cut from the safety position.
Cornerback
OK, this may have Vikings fans the most on edge. Only four cornerbacks are listed with Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Jeff Okudah, and Dwight McGlothern listed currently.
After Murphy, all the others come with question marks, including not being the full-time starter, often being injured, and not living up to their potential, as well as limited game-time experience in the regular season. Not exactly strong reviews.
Trading away Mekhi Blackmon was obviously part of the plan for just this scenario. There is no way they don’t make a move or two before the regular season, either through trade or free agency. It just wouldn’t be smart to head into the season so light at the position.
Changes: Either a trade or a free agent signing may be waiting in the wings. Asante Samuel Jr. is back on the shelf until October, per Sports Illustrated, so that isn’t an option. The Dolphins recently released Mike Hilton and would be a good option, but the chance to get him may be too late, as he’s got interest from the Colts.
The Vikings have the cap room to make a move and the draft capital to support it. It might not be a huge trade, but it’s better than what is currently on the roster — or in this case, not on it.
No matter what, you can expect some more moves in the next few days. The Vikings’ first game is 13 days away against the Bears on Monday Night Football, and any players who weren’t in camp will need to learn their position quickly to make fans comfortable with any changes.
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