The Minnesota Vikings announced a handful of roster moves on Tuesday afternoon:
One move announced in this batch was Max Brosmer signing to the active roster, essentially replacing the traded J.J. McCarthy as the inactive third quarterback on game days.
Also announced were releases of running backs Jaret Patterson and Jerome Ford from the practice squad, along with defensive lineman Jonathan Harris.
Johnny Hekker’s contract was terminated, suggesting Brett Thorson is on track to play Sunday against
Miami after missing Week 2 in Tampa Bay with a hamstring issue. It’s worth keeping an eye out to see if Hekker re-signs to the practice squad as an insurance policy — especially since the Vikings released three practice squad guys (and bumped up Brosmer) but only signed one (linebacker Kenny Dyson) in return.
Josh Oliver is going on injured reserve after surgery to repair a torn biceps, and the injury could be season-ending. The Vikings are a little thin at tight end behind T.J. Hockenson and Gavin Bartholomew, though they could elevate Cam Grandy from the practice squad for added depth.
Edge defender Kyle Van Noy was officially signed to the active roster after using up his three practice squad elevations, and the 13th-year man out of BYU has been a pleasant surprise for the Vikings so far.
One move not listed but reported by Jordan Schultz was the signing of former Saints running back Devin Neal.
Neal was drafted as a possible Alvin Kamara replacement in the sixth round last season and did find his way into 10 games, rushing 57 times for 206 yards and two touchdowns while adding 17 receptions on 19 targets for 104 yards.
Neal was a dynamic dual-threat out of the Kansas backfield in college, rushing for 1,000 yards in three straight seasons from 2022-24 while also adding at least 20 receptions in each of those seasons.
The second-year back was waived off New Orleans’ injured reserve list in early September as part of an injury settlement, four days after he was placed on IR with the injury in the first place.
With Jordan Mason on injured reserve, Aaron Jones Sr. banged up and averaging just 3.9 yards per carry and Demond Claiborne still in the early stages of his rookie season, it’s not surprising to see the Vikings cast a look for help in the backfield.
Neal had some steam as a riser in the pre-draft process, and he’ll now battle DeeJay Dallas for reps in a surprisingly thin Vikings backfield.
Here’s a highlight video of Neal at Kansas to sufficiently whet your appetites:
