Vikings Starter from Last Year Could Be Cut
The Minnesota Vikings always have a surprise roster cut or two at the end of the summer, and 2025 will be no different.
One Vikings starter is on the chopping block, according to Bleacher Report, an outfit that outlined surprise roster cuts last week.
The team will use training camp and the preseason to shave the roster from 90 players to 53, with just over a dozen hitting the practice squad.
And according to Bleacher Report, a starter from the 2024 team could be on his way out: offensive guard Blake Brandel.
Blake Brandel Could Be on the Way Out, Says Bleacher Report
BR’s Kristopher Knox nominated the best player from every team who might be released in late August, and for the Vikings, Brandel got the nod.
Knox explained, “Guard Blake Brandel was a 17-game starter for Minnesota last season after spending his first year on the practice squad and three as a depth player. However, his time as a starter may already be over.”
“The Vikings acquired Will Fries in free agency before drafting Donovan Jackson in Round 1. This likely pushes Brandel back into a depth role, and the Vikings could save $1.6 million by releasing him.”
Knox also defined his criteria: “For many teams, cut-down day will offer more opportunities to add talent ahead of the regular season. Over the next three months, several quality players will find themselves on the roster bubble and, inevitably, cut.”
“Contracts, cap space, and the influx of younger, cheaper rookie talent can all lead to former starters or notable role players ending up on the cut pile at the end of the offseason. However, these players often reemerge with new teams rather quickly. Last season, for example, Noah Brown was released in late August but ended up appearing in 11 games for the Washington Commanders.”
So, it’s a grim forecast for Brandel, per BR.
A Bench Assignment More Likely
Brandel is an absolutely fantastic depth interior offensive lineman. Full stop. He may not be a Pro Bowl-caliber asset as a starter, but there’s plenty of room in the NFL for depth guards.
The Vikings would eat about $3 million in dead cap by fulfilling the BR prediction, which just doesn’t seem worth the squeeze. Meanwhile, Minnesota has been rattled by injuries as of late — Christian Darrisaw, J.J. McCarthy, and Mekhi Blackmon have stories.
Brandel’s presence on the depth chart, even if a demotion is imminent, is valuable and probably not worth an outright roster release.
Brandel Hot and Cold in 2024
In his first campaign as a starter last season, Brandel began the year like gangbusters, enjoying a spot in the trenches next to the aforementioned Darrisaw, one of the league’s best offensive tackles.
But Darrisaw succumbed to an ACL tear in October, ending his season and making Brandel’s life more complicated. Without Darrisaw next to him, Brandel played more like a reserve lineman, and the full group was exposed in the postseason against the Los Angeles Rams, surrendering 9 sacks in a disappointing loss.
The Vikings vowed change and repair, drafting Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson last month, the man on deck to swipe Brandel’s job.
Other Blake Brandel Takes
Our very own Janik Eckardt, too, disagreed with the notion of dropping Brandel.
He wrote last weekend, “Brandel started all 17 games for the Vikings last year. He received a nice three-year contract extension ahead of free agency and was handed the starting role over Dalton Risner. Early in the season, he played quite well, but as the season went on, his play visibly declined. Some see a correlation to Christian Darrisaw’s injury.”
“Cutting Brandel doesn’t achieve much except for the cap savings of $1.6 million. However, having depth on the offensive line is important, and Brandel has experience at both tackle and guard. While he might not be a high-end starter, he is a solid backup, and cutting such an asset to save a little money would be foolish and just open another need.”
A more realistic cut candidate, aside from Brandel, might be running back Ty Chandler, for example.
Eckardt continued, “The franchise has some other depth options at tackle, but the backup guard job is pretty much only Brandel unless last year’s seventh-rounder Michael Jurgens or practice squad veteran Henry Byrd made some huge strides.”
“Brandel has played in 56 games with the Vikings, earning 22 starts. He is 28 years old and not expensive enough to land on the chopping block anytime soon. Furthermore, he undoubtedly will compete with Jackson to try to save his starting spot.”
More NFC North Roster Cut Candidates
Bleacher Report also listed Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs as a roster cut candidate after that cheese-filled organization selected Texas wideout Matthew Golden in the draft.
For the Bears, Knox rolled with tight end Durham Smythe, who nobody would really care about. And Knox named-dropped wide receiver Kalif Raymond for the Detroit Lions.
The NFL regular season is 15.5 weeks away.
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