Vikings Sneak 3 Roster Moves Through the Headlines While Adjusting to O-Line Health
The Vikings sneaking some roster moves through on the bye week shouldn’t qualify as too much of a surprise. After all, roster health is a moving target, constantly going up and down based on how certain players are faring.
More specifically, there was the decision to allow depth offensive tackle Matt Waletzko drift back into NFL free agency. Moving on from the towering tackle meant freeing a spot on the practice squad. And then there was the move to bring depth interior o-lineman Vershon Lee and depth tight end Nick Vannett back in the Vikings’ orbit. Both are on the practice squad.
Vikings Sneak Trio of Roster Moves Through Headlines
Casual fans may greet the news of practice squad shuffling with a shoulder shrug. After all, how often do players who aren’t on the 53-man roster make the difference when chasing a Super Bowl?
But while that indifference has some logic, there’s a broader context that needs to be considered.
The NFL truly is a place where actions communicate far more than words. Minnesota’s decision to trim depth at offensive tackle suggests that the preferred options are getting healthier. In particular, one thinks of LT1 Christian Darrisaw, someone who has been working on a pitch count. Is Kevin O’Connell soon to allow Mr. Darrisaw to stay on the field on a permanent basis?
Further contributing to the optimism about where the line is going is that demotion for Lee.
Bumping Vershon Lee from the practice squad to the roster was a move that arrived in response to missing all of Donovan Jackson, Ryan Kelly, and Michael Jurgens for Week 5. The end result was to shuffle do-it-all lineman Blake Brandel to center while leaning on rookie UDFA Joe Huber to start at left guard. Testing the depth in such an extreme manner involved reaching into the practice squad for help.
But then the moves cut both ways, right?
Sending Vershon Lee back down to the practice squad coincides with Jurgens getting healthier alongside Jackson. Reinserting those two into the lineup allows for a much more formidable front even if the preferred five has yet to come to fruition. At the very least, one could envision a Vikings team that has both of Darrisaw and Jackson — the pair of starters along the left side — back in time for Week 7.
A true wild card? The status of stud right tackle Brian O’Neill.
Safe to say that Minnesota won’t be rushing things with the veteran. He’s too important and backup tackle Justin Skule does reasonably well along the right side. There’s little incentive to rush O’Neill back, potentially worsening his MCL sprain.
But then there are a pair of twin facts: O’Neill tried to get back into the Week 4 game when he suffered his injury (adrenaline?) and the team didn’t slide him to the IR. The suggestion from both of those realities is that the tackle’s injury isn’t one that’s going to sideline him for a while.
The Week 4 game where O’Neill went down was on Sunday, September 28th. The next game that O’Neill could play arrives in Week 7. The game takes place on Sunday, October 19th. Is that three-week time enough?
Supporting J.J. McCarthy comes in many forms. One of the most obvious, however, rests in a formidable crew of bodyguards who can swat away defenders.
Keep the kid’s jersey clean and he’ll have a much easier time getting his sea legs. Health up front is key; the decisions around Matt Waletzko and Vershon Lee function as evidence that things are progressing. Meanwhile, the Nick Vannett drop to the practice squad hints that Ben Yurosek — the TE3 who is employed to help with the rough stuff in the trenches — is getting healthier, too.
The Vikings are 3-2 despite all of the chaos along the offensive line.
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