Vikings Preseason X-Factors: Last Chance to Shine On Offense
This is it for several players throughout the NFL to either stick with a team or put enough on tape to be picked up by another. Teams will be slicing their roster down to 53 players by the end of this weekend and figuring out who will be on the practice squad.
Vikings offensive bubble players face a final preseason chance to shine, with battles at QB, RB, and TE shaping roster spots ahead of looming cut day.
It’s the hard truth in professional sports that there is limited time to show off what you can do in any preseason. Offensively, it sometimes depends on who you are playing with and what opportunities come your way, no matter how hard you work. Having a poor offensive line in front of a running back might not allow him to show off his speed, or a quarterback that doesn’t throw accurately may not let a wide receiver show off his talent when the ball actually reaches their hands.
After Friday night, we will know more about which players might be staying with the team and which will be headed out of town. There are always surprises mixed in as other teams release players that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Kevin O’Connell, and Brian Flores may quickly snatch up.
Looking at only the players the Vikings currently have on the roster, there are still some burning questions to be answered. These players will need to do all they can to catch the staff’s eye.
The Last Batch of Vikings X-Factors in Preseason Game No. 3
Sam Howell / Brett Rypien / Max Brosmer
Never has the backup quarterback spot caused so much consternation and discussion amongst fans. Howell is the veteran who had one good game and one bad game. Rypien did the same thing. One of these two might not make the squad because of their inconsistent play.
Brosmer has delivered two stellar performances, boasting a QB rating of 123.02. In his first game, he threw a touchdown and went 15 for 27, racking up 156 yards. He nearly led the team to a come-from-behind tie in his second game. There’s no way they can let Brosmer go, especially if he plays well Friday night. Howell and Rypien may just be playing to see who can put the best stuff on tape for another team.
It wouldn’t surprise me if both are released and the Vikings sign another team’s castoff.
Joe Huber / Henry Byrd
One thing that has impressed me the most is the offensive line depth in camp this year. When it was ones against ones, twos against twos, and so on, the line didn’t absolutely fall apart when the next unit hit the field.
They actually played pretty well. In the past, this didn’t happen very often. Huber and Byrd have been a part of that, keeping the middle very strong when they’ve gone shoulder to shoulder with Michael Jurgens. One of these guys has a good chance of not making the roster, and the other will be a great addition to the practice squad or on another team. I feel Huber has the inside track and could fill in spot duty if necessary. They both need to have the same solid play against the Titans they’ve displayed already.
Ty Chandler / Zavier Scott
This is it for these two, with Chandler seeming to have more on the line than Scott. It will be telling when we see who starts the game and how much they get rotated in on certain packages.
I would expect the main judgment will come down to pass protection, as we’ve seen they can both be good runners. Scott is obviously the fan darling at the moment and is who most expect will win the job if the Vikings only keep three running backs, along with fullback CJ Ham. Xazavian Valladay was brought in this week for a look, but he will have a tough climb to show much in one game to make the team.
If Scott secures some key blocks and maintains his production, including catching the ball, he may secure his spot by Friday night.
Ben Yurosek / Giovanni Ricci / Nick Vannett
The third tight end spot is still of interest and could surprise us in the end. Vannett is a 10-year vet who has had some good moments and, in many ways, reminds me of Johnny Mundt – reliable and tough. Ricci has been doing some great blocking out of the backfield as an H-Back, while Yurosek has been very strong as an inline tight end.
Since Gavin Bartholomew hasn’t been placed on injured reserve yet, we may see this be a spot where none of them make the final roster and a couple go to the practice squad. Whoever makes the team won’t be selected based on their stats, but rather on their blocking acumen and how they handle special team assignments. This is also a key spot that someone not on the roster gets picked up after teams cut down their rosters.
Any Wide Receiver Not Named Justin Jefferson Or Jordan Addison
The team may have a problem here. While I think any of the remaining receivers could be a decent number 3 or 4 on the depth chart, none of them have taken full advantage of the lackluster competition except maybe Myles Price. He has a touchdown reception and has some good punt returns, along with an 81-yard kick return.
Lucky Jackson, Tim Jones, Tai Felton, Jeshaun Jones, Donte Fleming, Silas Bolden, have had more downs than ups, with the downs being stupid mistakes or dropped passes. Jalen Nailor now has an injured wrist, and his availability may be up in the air for opening week. Thayer Thomas has run some nice routes, but not gotten any good balls thrown in his direction. For all we know, he’s the best guy out there, but no one is getting the ball to him properly.
It is frustrating at this point, and now there has been talk of the Vikings looking to swing a trade for receiver help while Addison sits with his looming suspension. They will all need to play great in this next game, or we could see wholesale changes. After roster cuts, they could all be replaced by players on other rosters or the free agents some fans have been begging the team to sign.
We all know who the primary skill position starters are and most of their main backups. Michael Jurgens, Walter Rousse, and Blake Brandel have all locked down their backup positions and would be absolute shockers if they were released.
You must be logged in to post a comment.