Minnesota Vikings Roster Reduction

Yesterday was the deadline for the Minnesota Vikings to reduce their roster to 53 players. They released three players over the weekend. 

Ito Smith, RB

Cohl Cabral, C

Zeandae Johnson, DT

The Vikings still needed to trim 23 players from the roster. That was done yesterday.

The Vikings released the following players. 

Jake Browning, QB

Nate Stanley, QB

Ameer Abdullah, RB

A.J. Rose, Jr., RB

Jake Bargas, FB

Chad Beebe, WR

Myron Mitchell, WR

Whop Philyor, WR

Zach Davidson, TE

Shane Zylstra, TE

Dakota Dozier, OG

Dru Samia, OG

Zack Bailey, OT

Kyle Hinton, OG

Everson Griffen, DE

Hercules Mata’afa, DE

Kenny Willekes, DE

Tuf Borland, LB

Tye Smith, CB

Perry Nickerson, CB

Myles Dorn, S

Luther Kirk, S

Andrew DePaola, LS

Nate Stanley, Chad Beebe, Dru Samia, and Luther Kirk were released with injury designations. 

The release of Ameer Abdullah, Everson Griffen, and perhaps even Andrew DePaola feel procedural. Rookie running back Kene Nwangwu is headed to short-term injured reserve. He had to be on the initial 53-man roster before that move can be made. The same could be true for tight end Irv Smith Jr. He’s scheduled to have meniscus surgery this week. Depending on the prognosis following that procedure, he could be headed to the short-term injured reserve as well. Abdullah’s and Griffen’s exodus from the roster could be a short term thing. The release of DePaola leaves the Vikings without a long snapper. That won’t last. 

The Vikings initial 53-man roster has 27 defensive players and seven linebackers. Both numbers feel excessive. 

An NFL roster is a fluid thing. 

Yesterday wasn’t all about roster subtractions. Due to uncertainty surrounding the health of starting tight end Irv Smith Jr., the Vikings traded a 2022 fourth-round pick for New York Jets tight end Chris Herndon and a 2022 sixth-round pick. After a fine rookie season in 2018, Herndon has been tagged with breakout expectations each of the past two seasons. Injuries and Adam Gase has kept that from happening. Tyler Conklin currently sits at the top of the Vikings tight end depth chart. For at least the duration that Smith is out, Herndon will have an opportunity to pair with Conklin to form a nice tight end duo. Perhaps he can hit with the Vikings the expectations that he had with the Jets. Herndon’s addition will force the Vikings to release another player that had just made the initial 53-man roster. 

An NFL roster is a fluid thing.