Preseason games have concluded and now NFL teams have until 4pm EST on Tuesday, August 26th to finalize their initial 53-man rosters then evaluate player cuts from other teams.
The Vikings had concerns with backup QB, wide receiver depth, both punt and kick returner roles, and some uncertainty with the secondary. The first domino to fall was when the Vikings traded Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday and signed 10-year veteran Carson Wentz to fulfill the backup quarterback spot.
Howell was uninspiring this offseason as he had difficulties grasping the playbook and continued to exhibit his erratic play style. This was a needed change as Wentz is an insurance policy with proven NFL pedigree that provides an ideal veteran presence in the quarterback room behind J.J. McCarthy.
The team has announced 11 cuts already as they slim the roster. According to Sports Casting, the Vikings are the 12th oldest team in the league with the oldest defense (29.06 years old). The Vikings traded defensive lineman, Harrison Phillips (29 years old), as the team considers replacing some veterans for developmental and productional youth.
Let’s project the nature of the positional groups and how the Vikings will navigate the veteran to youth dynamic as they finalize their 53-man roster.
Quarterback - (3)
IN: J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz (free agent signing), Max Brosmer
OUT: Sam Howell (traded), Brett Rypien (cut)
The Vikings did the right thing by moving on from Howell to Wentz. Howell was a cut candidate so the fact that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was able to get anything in return is a miracle. The hope is that the extra draft capital will be used to bring in wide receiver help (i.e., Adam Thielen).
Ready or not, McCarthy will be tested early as the new starting quarterback in a divisional road game against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. His offseason should be viewed as an optimistic progression, but natural uncertainty expectedly looms. He has the mental makeup and physical tools to be successful but will see if he can coalesce them into results early in the season.
Brosmer was one of the surprising stories of training camp as he showed developed reading of defenses and anticipatory throws. He lacks some physical tools, but his football IQ has been a driving force to his productive play in the preseason. He may be closer to a backup role in the coming seasons than originally anticipated which is an impressive projection for an undrafted free agent (UDFA) quarterback.
Backfield – (4)
IN: Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Zavier Scott, C.J. Ham (FB)
OUT: Ty Chandler, Tre Stweart (cut)
Jones and Mason are the 1A/1B combo with Mason being the bruising redzone threat. The run and screen games are better equipped to be a larger factor this year with this platoon in what should be an improved offensive line also.
UDFA Zavier Scott showed he can carry the ball effectively and catch the rock to make plays (12.2 avg/catch in preseason) and passed the eye test. Chandler is at risk of losing his spot on the roster as he has become less efficient and struggles in pass protection.
Wide Receiver – (5)
IN: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison (suspended list), Jalen Nailor, Tai Felton, Lucky Jackson, Myles Price
OUT: Jeshaun Jones, Tim Jones, Thayer Thomas, Dontae Fleming, Silas Bolden (cut), Robert Lewis (cut)
The wide receiver room is extremely thin after Jefferson, especially to start the season, with Addison’s three-game suspension and Nailor nursing a left-hand issue. Felton is too raw in his early development to have faith with him being a consistent contributor and Jackson has never played an NFL snap. Price’s value is in punt return, but he muffled a punt in Friday’s preseason game which is not a question that should be left open with a road game against the Bears.
The vibe is that the team may wait until after all NFL teams have finalized their rosters to then scour the free agent pool for wide receiver (and returner) options but an addition or two seems imminent. Trading for Thielen makes sense as does adding one more to offset part of Addison’s suspension and if Nailor is sidelined to start the season.
Tight End – (3)
IN: T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Ben Yurosek
OUT: Gavin Bartholomew (PUP), Bryson Nesbit, Giovanni Ricci, Nick Vannett
Hockenson is primed to have a bounce back year, a year and a half removed from his ACL/MCL right knee injury. Oliver is one of the best No. 2 tight ends in the league and is a punishing run blocker that is a capable pass catcher.
With Batholomew injuring his back early in the offseason, this opened the door for Yurosek but nothing overly appealing. Yurosek should make the roster as the third tight end if they prefer a project otherwise Vannett offers NFL experience stability if they want a more established veteran, which generally tight end No. 3s are.
Offensive Tackle – (4)
IN: Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, Justin Skule, Walter Rouse
OUT: Leroy Watson (cut), Logan Brown (cut), Zack Bailey (cut)
This is pretty cut and dry. Darrisaw and O’Neill form one of the league’s best tackle tandems and Skule is a veteran that would be the starting left tackle if Darrisaw is unavailable to start the season but overall, he provides solid depth. Rouse is a young, developmental option who was drafted at tackle but also has gotten snaps at guard with the Vikings.
Interior Offensive Line – (5)
IN: Will Fries, Ryan Kelly, Donovan Jackson, Blake Brandel, Michael Jurgens
OUT: Henry Byrd, Joe Huber, Michael Gonzalez, Vershon Lee, Zeke Correll (IR)
Fries, Kelly, and Jackson are all additions to an interior offensive line that was a complete overhaul. Brandel, last year’s starting left guard, is ideal depth who can play multiple positions and Jurgens is a promising center in case of injury.
The interior line should be much improved from the likes of Garrett Bradbury and Ed Ingram.
Defensive Line – (7)
IN: Javon Hargrave, Jonathan Allen, Jalen Redmond, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Taki Taimani, Elijah Williams
OUT: Jonathan Harris, Travis Bell (cut), Alex Williams (IR)
This position group is rich in promising, young talent with Redmond, Ingram-Dawkins, Drake Rodriguez, and Williams all making noise during training camp to the point where they felt comfortable enough to trade Harrison Phillips.
Taimani would be the purest nose tackle and run stuffer they have while the others offer versatility with pass rushing juice.
Keeping seven defensive lineman is aggressive but it is the deepest on the roster with players that most likely will not be available to make it to their practice squad without another team plunking them to their active roster.
Edge Rusher – (5)
IN: Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Gabe Murphy, Bo Richter
OUT: Tyler Batty, Chaz Chambliss, Cam Gill (cut)
Greenard could compete as a sack leader this year after coming off a 2024 season with eleven sacks while finishing third in pressures (80) according to PFF. He has been an absolute beast during training camp.
2024 Pro Bowler, Andrew Van Ginkel, missed parts of training camp but should be good to start the season and Turner has been disruptive throughout camp as he is primed to make a significant leap in his second season. Outside if his natural pass rushing traits, Turner continues to showcase good coverage instincts.
Murphy and Richter are more UDFAs that should make the roster and bring valuable depth with some rotational snaps.
Inside Linebacker – (4)
IN: Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace Jr., Eric Wilson, Kobe King
OUT: Austin Keys, Dorian Mausi
Another cut and dry positional group with Cashman leading the way and Pace Jr. being used on passing downs and stopping the run. Wilson provides great depth and special teams value while King is a promising player that is raw but will benefit by learning the system in his rookie season.
Cornerback – (6)
IN: Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Jeff Okudah, Mekhi Blackmon, Dwight McGlothern, Zemaiah Vaughn
OUT: Ambry Thomas, Reddy Steward (cut), Keenan Garber (cut)
Outside of Murphy Jr., there is a lot of uncertainty. Rodgers put up some good PPF grades as a rotational cornerback with the Philadelphia Eagles and should thrive with a more consistent role but is still a projection.
The former third overall pick, Okudah is banking on a renaissance season and has been the third cornerback in nickel packages but historically has struggled in coverage despite being an aggressive tackler in run defense. Blackmon is coming off injury and hasn’t shown the same flash as he did his rookie season.
McGlothern and Vaughn are another pair of UDFAs that each have had good stretches with picking off passes but have been mildly inconsistent at times. Both offer length and ball tracking tendencies, but each need more seasoning.
This could be an area where the Vikings look externally to fill one of the roster spots.
Safety – (4)
IN: Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward
OUT: Tavierre Thomas, Kahlef Hailassie, Gervarrius Owens, Mishael Powell (cut)
Smith is in the twilight of his illustrious career but still impactful. Metellus is the Swiss-Army knife gadget player that is best suited as a rover near the line of scrimmage and box. Jackson is unproven but has been maturing in Flores’ system for the past two years and positions himself well as a ball-hawking safety that is versatile also. Like Metellus and Jackson before him, Ward is a strong special teams’ player that could carve a role as an eventual replacement for Smith as he continues to groom his game.
The team commonly uses three safeties so there could be an appetite to keep a fifth on the roster. The Vikings and Flores have quietly produced a “factory” with developing safeties.
Specialists – (3)
IN: Will Reichard (K), Ryan Wright (P), Andrew DePaola (LS)
OUT: Oscar Chapman (P) (cut)
Reichard’s missed several kicks early in camp that raised eyebrows until getting back on track in the first preseason game against the Houston Texans. He is looking to regain his 2024 form when he made his first 14 field goals (including 23 for 23 XPM) before his first miss in Week 9 that was contributed to a quad injury, which put him on IR following the game. He appears to be physically healthy and mentally ready.
Chapman was on pace to potentially unseat Wright for the punter spot but a botched hold on Reichard’s 55-yard attempt in Friday’s preseason game sealed his fate as he was just recently cut Monday late-afternoon.
There most likely will be players not on the roster that could be added to the 53 once league-wide cuts are made. There is no viable punt return option, and the wide receiver room needs depth along with an unproven cornerback room. Therefore, how many the Vikings keep between wide receiver, defensive line, cornerback, and safety will be telling as there is wiggle room to adjust the numbers kept based on what depth they value more.
As the Vikings gear up for the regular season, the team is in win-now mode and Kwesi has shown he is not afraid to get bold to make moves to improve this roster. Even as the season has not started yet, there are most likely more moves on the horizon as the Vikings aim to balance experience with youth.
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