Another Flea Flicker Minnesota Vikings 53-man Roster Prediction

Watching the Minnesota Vikings play another team (Denver Broncos) in preseason game #1 on Saturday night got 53-man roster thoughts churning.

Quarterbacks
  8 Kirk Cousins
  3 Trevor Siemian
  1 Kyle Sloter

  Cut: Peter Pujals

Kirk Cousins, Trevor Siemian, and Kyle Sloter each threw their first pass for the Vikings. It's an unusual quarterback situation. Sloter is the most tenured of the three. He's been with the team for nearly one calendar year and he took his first snap in a real, albeit preseason, game as a Viking on Saturday. Three quarterbacks might be an expensive luxury but a couple things might make that a strong possibility in Minnesota. The Vikings recent history of crushing quarterback injuries. And there's little chance that Sloter makes it to the practice squad.

Running backs
33 Dalvin Cook
25 Latavius Murray
32 Roc Thomas

Cut: Mack Brown, Mike Boone

Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray are a very nice combo. The competition for the third running back role between undrafted rookies Roc Thomas and Mike Boone and veteran Mack Brown has been one of the most entertaining and intriguing competitions of training camp. It got even more entertaining and intriguing on Saturday. All three played well against the Broncos. Thomas had more highlight plays and glittering stats but all three had impressive, strong runs. I don't think any of them have a lead in the race to the final roster. I have Thomas penciled in simply because I saw him make plays in the passing game. He had a couple opportunities to catch passes that Boone and Brown didn't have.

Fullback
C.J. Ham

Cut: Johnny Stanton

C.J. Ham gets the nod. Fullback is still a new position for him and he improved through the 2017 season. It shouldn't be a surprise if the Vikings find a spot for Johnny Stanton on the practice squad if he doesn't win the fullback job. The position's new to him as well. He was a quarterback at UNLV and even had some snaps at linebacker.

Receivers
14 Stefon Diggs
19 Adam Thielen
11 Laquon Treadwell
17 Kendall Wright
13 Stacy Coley

Cuts: Tavarres King, Cayleb Jones, Brandon Zylstra, Jeff Badet, Korey Robertson, Jake Weineke, and Chad Beebe

The roster certainties at receiver are Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and Laquon Treadwell. Many have written Treadwell off as a bust. I don't think that the Vikings see it that way. He had seven starts last year. There's no doubt that this is a big year for him. He was a first round pick. He has to show first round production. I think that Treadwell has a breakout season this year and gives the Vikings one of the best receiving trios in the league. If five receivers make the roster the competition for the #4 and #5 spots should be interesting. I give Kendall Wright and Stacy Coley the edge here but I wouldn't be surprised if any combination of the others emerge. Wright's experience and past production is nice but not playing on any special teams could be the difference when it's time to trim the roster. Head coach Mike Zimmer singled out undrafted rookie Chad Beebe as a player that did well in offseason work and he scored a touchdown against the Broncos. By all accounts, Brandon Zylstra has had an excellent training camp. Perhaps one of the youngsters force the Vikings to keep six receivers. The more I think about the receiving potential and special teams availability of Zylstra, Beebe, etc. the more I think that Wright's hold on a roster spot is a shaky one. But he's there for now.

Tight ends
82 Kyle Rudolph
89 David Morgan
83 Tyler Conklin

Cuts: Blake Bell, Josiah Price, Tyler Hoppes

The question at tight end is whether the Vikings keep three or four at the position. If it's three, Kyle Rudolph, David Morgan, and rookie Tyler Conklin are the three. I think it's three because of needs at other positions (offensive line).

Offensive line
71 Riley Reiff
63 Danny Isidora
65 Pat Elflein
74 Mike Remmers
69 Rashod Hill
76 Aviante Collins
75 Brian O'Neill
79 Tom Compton
73 Colby Gossett
67 Cornelius Edison

IR: Nick Easton

Cuts: Josh Andrews, Storm Norton, Dieugot Joseph, Cedrick Lang, J.P. Quinn, Kaleb Johnson

The offensive line has been an issue for a while. Last week's loss of left guard Nick Easton for the season was a significant hit. He's athletic and a little nasty. His ability to get under the skin of defensive players was an underrated perk of his game. His ability to get to the perimeter to help on sweeps and screens was critical to the offense. The competition at left guard probably starts with Danny Isidora and Tom Compton. I'd like to see Aviante Collins in the mix. His athletic ability (4.81 40-yd at the Combine) could replace what the Vikings thought that they had with Easton. He did play nearly half of Saturday's game at left guard. Injuries have forced the interior of the line to a tag-team affair. It sure would be nice to get the injured players that will come back (Pat Elflein and Mike Remmers) on the field soon. The Vikings need to get their starting five sorted out as soon as possible.

Defensive line
97 Everson Griffen
93 Sheldon Richardson
98 Linval Joseph
99 Danielle Hunter
96 Brian Robison
94 Jaleel Johnson
92 Jalyn Holmes
90 Tashawn Bower
91 Stephen Weatherly

IR: Hercules Mata'afa

Cuts: Ifeadi Odenigbo, Ade Aruna, David Parry, Curtis Cothran, Jonathan Wynn

Despite a challenge from the corners, the defensive line remains the Vikings' strongest position group. The competition will be fierce and the cuts will be tough. The starters are set with Everson Griffen at right end, free agent addition Sheldon Richardson at 3-technique, Linval Joseph at nose tackle, and Danielle Hunter at left end. Brian Robison, Stephen Weatherly, and Tashawn Bower provide nice depth on the outside. If there's a weakness it's the inexperience on the inside. Jaleel Johnson and Jalyn Holmes are promising youngsters that have to step up. If that inexperience is too much of a concern for the coaches, David Parry could find a spot on the roster. That could be at the expense of one of the young pass rushers. I just don't see the team paying that price. I wouldn't be too surprised if sixth-round pick Ade Aruna finds a spot on the roster. He's very raw as a player but he has freaky athletic ability. Perhaps too freaky to stash on the practice squad.

Linebackers
55 Anthony Barr
54 Eric Kendricks
42 Ben Gedeon
40 Kentrell Brothers
50 Eric Wilson
57 Devante Downs

Cuts: Antwione Williams, Reshard Cliett, Garrett Dooley, Brett Taylor, Michael Needham

Antony Barr and Eric Kendricks are the linebacker group. With the Vikings in a nickel defense about 70% of the time these days, they are usually the only two linebackers on the field. As a rookie, Ben Gedeon was the third linebacker in base defense last season. He's probably the leader to maintain that role. As a Cal alum, I'm hoping that rookie Devante Downs can grab that third linebacker role. He was a dynamite, do-everything defender before a knee injury cut short a tremendous final season in Berkeley. If the knee is healed for training camp he could challenge for playing time. The Vikings pursued fellow former Cal linebacker Mychal Kendricks in the offseason. Downs is a similar, but bigger, sort of player. Kentrell Brothers and Eric Wilson have been excellent on special teams. Unfortunately for the team (and player) Brothers is suspended for the first four games. I doubt that it keeps him from making the team but it'll be interesting to see what the Vikings do with his roster spot in those four games. There's a chance that only five linebackers are kept in order to keep extra talent at another position.

Cornerbacks
29 Xavier Rhodes
26 Trae Waynes
23 Terence Newman
20 Mackensie Alexander
21 Mike Hughes
37 Holton Hill

Cuts: Marcus Sherels, Jack Tocho, Horace Richardson, Trevon Mathis, Craig James

The biggest problem with this roster projection is that Marcus Sherels isn't on it. No other cut will be as painful to make or accept as the possible cut of Sherels. There's just so much talent at cornerback on the roster. I don't think the Vikings will sacrifice one of the top six players to keep one that basically only returns punts. So, the cost for Sherels would have to come from another position and I'm not sure where that would be. I've never seen the Vikings go six-deep at corner with this sort of quality. The bottom of the group, Holton Hill, was an undrafted free agent with early-round talent. The coaches see him as an eventual NFL starter. That gives the Vikings six corners with, at least, quality starter ability. I remember years in which they had no corners with quality starter ability.

Safeties
22 Harrison Smith
34 Andrew Sendejo
41 Anthony Harris
27 Jayron Kearse

Cuts: Tray Matthews

Unless Tray Matthews has a truly outstanding training camp and preseason I don't see the four safeties on the roster being anything other than the above. 

Kicker
  7 Daniel Carlson

Cuts: Kai Forbath

This kicking competition was probably over the moment that Daniel Carlson was drafted in the fifth round.

Punter
  4 Ryan Quigley

Long snapper
47 Kevin McDermott