The Minnesota Vikings have cut their roster from 90 to 53 players per league requirements as they prepare for the start of the regular season. There will likely be more moves in the coming days as they navigate waivers and potential trade and free agent options.
Here are some notes on who they cut and who they kept.
Quarterback (4)
- Kyler Murray
- Carson Wentz
- J.J. McCarthy
- Max Brosmer
Cuts:
- None
Notes:
It’s highly unlikely the Vikings will keep four quarterbacks on the roster. This is a temporary move as the Vikings figure out the best move/deal for McCarthy and Brosmer. I would
not be surprised if both are not on the roster before the start of the season if not in the next few days. I’m guessing the market for McCarthy is less than robust and they may also be working on trade deal(s) for another quarterback(s). A trade for Anthony Richardson would not be terribly surprising, but the Vikings could have their eyes on another quarterback as well.
I don’t think there is much of a trade market for McCarthy right now. Will Levis, who has more experience and better stats than McCarthy, was waived today. And the fact that McCarthy did not perform well in preseason and managed another minor injury that kept him out of the final preseason game doesn’t help his market value at all. Still, there may be some teams that were hoping the Vikings would simply waive McCarthy, but that has not been the case so far. Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers may have some interest in McCarthy, as they have just Trey Lance behind Justin Herbert on their initial 53-man roster. Obviously there is the Michigan connection with Harbaugh, but McCarthy also has some exposure to Mike McDaniel’s scheme via Frank Smith this offseason.
Running Back / Fullback (4)
- Aaron Jones
- Jordan Mason
- Demond Claiborne
- Max Bredeson (FB)
Cuts:
- Zavier Scott
- Jermar Jefferson
Notes:
Claiborne did not have an outstanding training camp or preseason, but he did show flashes of his upside as a quick and agile back capable of breaking explosive runs whenever he touches the ball. That upside is something Scott just doesn’t have, although Scott can do a lot of things reasonably well. Claiborne did show he could pass protect reasonably well- and actually graded better than Scott in that regard in preseason according to PFF.
Tight End (4)
- T.J. Hockenson
- Josh Oliver
- Gavin Bartholomew
- Ben Yurosek
Cuts:
- Marshall Lang
- Bryson Nesbit (waived/injured)
- Matt Lauter
Notes:
The Vikings put off a decision for the last tight end spot for now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they cut Yurosek (or possibly Bartholomew) once they add to the offensive line group.
Wide Receiver (6)
- Justin Jefferson
- Jordan Addison
- Jauan Jennings
- Tai Felton
- Myles Price
- Dillon Bell
Suspended:
- Jeshaun Jones
Cuts:
- Dontae Fleming (waived/injured)
- Trayvon Rudolph
- Marcus Sanders Jr.
- Michael Briscoe
- Terrill Sanders
Notes:
This position group was set early on, with Tai Felton and Myles Price showing improvement and the top three being roster locks. However, the Vikings opted to go with six wide receivers for now, with Dillon Bell making the roster as a result. Bell makes sense as a backup body type to Jauan Jennings, and the Vikings may have a fair number of packages with Jennings as a blocker, so if he went down they’ll need someone to replace that role. Bell has the body type to do that, if not Jennings’ skillset at the moment. Jones was suspended for performance-enhancing drug use, and I expect he’ll be released at the end of that suspension barring injury.
Offensive Line (8)
- Christian Darrisaw
- Donovan Jackson
- Blake Brandel
- Will Fries
- Brian O’Neill
- Ryan Van Demark
- Joe Huber
- Caleb Tiernan
IR (designated to return): Michael Jurgens
Traded:
- Walter Rouse + 2027 7th round draft pick to Patriots for a 2027 6th round draft pick.
Cuts:
- Delby Lemiuex
- Tristain Leigh
- Henry Byrd
- Joshua Gray
- Tomas Rimac
- Vershon Lee
- Gavin Gerhardt
Notes:
The Vikings will add one or two more to their offensive line roster in time. Michael Jurgens when he returns from IR, but possibly another free agent or waived player as well. I’m surprised the Vikings didn’t keep Rouse, but I suppose with a sixth-round pick they got enough to go get another offensive lineman next year if need be (Rouse was a sixth-round pick in 2024 with two years left on his contract). Byrd and Lee were somewhat disappointing in preseason, while Gerhardt never really had a chance to make the roster. I could see Rimac being kept on the practice squad as a more raw player with athletic upside, but otherwise I’d rather see the Vikings bring in some new depth players.
Defensive Interior Line (6)
- Jalen Redmond
- Levi Drake Rodriquez
- Tyrion Ingram Dawkins
- Caleb Banks
- Domonique Orange
- Elijah Williams
Cuts:
- Isaiahh Loudermilk
- Jahvaree Ritzie
- Smith Vilbert
- Jonathan Harris
Notes:
The only open spot in this group if they were keeping six was the last spot. Elijah Williams led the field from beginning to end, so no real surprises with this group. Loudermilk and Vilbert are vets the Vikings acquired to provide a baseline floor for the group, but Williams was able to exceed what they had to offer. Ritzie is a raw player with athletic upside that could come back on the practice squad.
Edge Rusher (4)
- Andrew Van Ginkel
- Dallas Turner
- Bo Richter
- Chaz Chambliss
IR (season ending): Tyler Batty
Cuts:
- Cam’Ron Stewart
- Kenny Dyson Jr.
Notes:
I thought Richter, Chambliss and Batty were fighting for the last two spots on the depth chart here, but didn’t realize Batty was lost for the season, which made the decision of which two to keep much easier. Not sure what happened to Batty as I didn’t see his injury being reported.
Inside Linebacker (4)
- Blake Cashman
- Eric Wilson
- Jake Golday
- Ivan Pace Jr.
Cuts:
- Josh Ross
- Jacob Roberts (waived/injured)
- Bangally Kamara
Notes:
I thought Roberts, who graded very well in preseason, had a good chance to make the roster as a decent linebacker and core special teamer, but that was not to be. He was injured in the last preseason game and not sure how severe it was. Some potential to come back on practice squad. But Roberts was likely competing against a couple others across position groups on defense for one of the last roster spots. I suspect Zemaiah Vaughn beat out the others for that spot.
Cornerback (5)
- Byron Murphy Jr.
- Isaiah Rodgers
- James Pierre
- Charles Demmings
- Zemaiah Vaughn
Cuts:
- Dwight McGlothern
- Tre Hawkins
- Jared Washington
- Marcus Allen (waived/injured)
Notes:
With the Vikings keeping just four cornerbacks on the roster and the first three roster locks, it was a tough group to break into. Charles Demmings outperformed the others from the get-go, seizing the last spot early on. Zemaiah Vaughn managed to make the roster initially as well- he seemed close to making the roster last year. The Vikings opting for five cornerbacks this year initially helped secure his spot for now.
Safety (5)
- Josh Metellus
- Theo Jackson
- Jay Ward
- Jacob Thomas
- Jakobe Thomas
Cuts:
- Tavierre Thomas
- Kahlef Hailassie
Notes:
Tavierre Thomas being cut was a bit of a surprise as the Vikings just gave him a two-year extension with nearly $2 million guaranteed. He was likely a casualty of Jacob Thomas’ rise, who was also good on special teams. Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels talked about Tavierre Thomas being one of the leaders on special teams this year. But I guess not.
Specialists (3)
- Will Reichard (K)
- Andrew DePaola (LS)
- Brett Thorson (P/H)
Cut:
- Johnny Hekker (P/H)
Notes:
The Vikings went with All-Pros at kicker and long-snapper but opted for the rookie Thorson over the aging former All-Pro Hekker. Thorson and Hekker basically played to a tie in the punting and holding competition, and the tie went to the younger Thorson on a cheap three-year contract. Going with Thorson allows for continuity among specialists for the Vikings for the medium to long term if Reichard and Thorson can keep their jobs. DePaola is older but what is the age limitation for a long-snapper?
The Vikings initial 53-man roster also has 26 players on offense and 24 on defense, which I don’t expect to last. The Vikings typically have 25 players on each side of the ball on their roster along with three specialists.
I don’t anticipate the Vikings having more than three quarterbacks on the roster by opening weekend and I would not be surprised with a couple acquisitions at guard and edge rusher. I could also see a scenario where Vaughn is cut if Harrison Smith returns.
We’ll see what happens in the coming days.
Stay tuned.
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