2022 Minnesota Vikings Starters?

 While thinking about potential Minnesota Vikings starters this season I started thinking about their potential starters down the line a bit. I didn't look too far into the future because I only have the players currently on the roster to consider. I chose 2022 simply because it was close enough to make some reasonable guesses and it's the final year of Kirk Cousins' current contract. So, here's a wild stab at the Minnesota Vikings' 2022 starting lineup.

Offense

WR	Justin Jefferson
TE	Irv Smith Jr.
LT	Ezra Cleveland
LG	Kyle Hinton
C	Garrett Bradbury
RG	Dru Samia
RT	Brian O'Neill
WR	Adam Thielen
QB	Kirk Cousins
RB	Dalvin Cook
FB	C.J. Ham

Defense

DE	D.J. Wonnum
DT	James Lynch
NT	Michael Pierce
DE	Danielle Hunter
LB	Anthony Barr
LB	Eric Kendricks
LB	Troy Dye
CB	Jeff Gladney
CB	Cameron Dantzler
S	Harrison Smith
S	Josh Metellus

I'm only considering the Vikings' base defense in this little exercise.

Adam Thielen and Harrison Smith are the tough calls. I don't really want to think about a Vikings' lineup without either, especially Smith. Thielen will be 32 at the start of the 2022 season. Smith will be 33. Both playing in Minnesota in 2022 seems reasonable to me. With Smith there is also the question of Anthony Harris' future with the team. In this scenario, I went with the unfortunate possibility that Harris isn't re-signed after this season. There could be some salary cap issues come February and March. It'd be a beautiful thing to keep Smith and Harris together for a few more seasons. I'm hoping it happens but I'm not sure that it will. If it comes to a decision between Smith and Harris, I'm going with Smith, despite being a couple years older. I mean, it's Harrison "frickin" Smith.

By this, it looks like Dalvin Cook is getting that extension.

If these guesses are accurate, nine of the 15 players in the Vikings' monster 2020 draft class emerge as starters by year three.

Justin Jefferson

Ezra Cleveland

Kyle Hinton

D.J. Wonnum

James Lynch

Troy Dye

Jeff Gladney

Cameron Dantzler

Josh Metellus

That's a lot of contribution from a single draft class. And there could be more. Maybe K.J. Osborn returns kicks like Percy Harvin, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Marcus Sherels once did. Who knows, maybe Nate Stanley steps in for Cousins in 2023 and becomes the 10th starter from the 2020 draft class. 

2022 will be the eighth season of Danielle Hunter's Vikings career. He will be 27 at the start of that season. Incredible. 

Throwback Thursday: Where They Started

 This Flicker was originally published on 7/28/19. It's already dated. For example, only one of the listed NFC East coaches is still with that team. 

ESPN.com recently posted an interesting column, written by something called NFL Nation, about the first football job of each of the 32 NFL head coaches. Due to the recent trend of hiring bright, young offensive coaches I was surprised to find that about 2/3 of the coaches got their football starts in the previous century. There are even five (Mike Zimmer, Pete Carroll, Bruce Arians, Bill Belichick, and Vic Fangio) that made football their life's work in the 1970s. And four of those five are defensive coaches.

Perhaps this interests only me. The respective coaching trajectories of the Vikings' first head coach and current head coach couldn't be more different. Norm Van Brocklin went from the league's MVP and leading the Philadelphia Eagles to an NFL title in 1960 to the head coach of the expansion Vikings in 1961. Mike Zimmer coached an absurd 35 years before getting his first head coaching job in 2014.

Zimmer isn't the only coach to wait a ridiculously long time for his first head coaching shot. Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick are two of the most successful head coaches in the league. Carroll waited 21 years for his first head coaching opportunity. Belichick waited 16 years. For reasons that still baffle, the New York Jets fired Carroll after a single season for Rich Kotite. Also, Carroll's five years as a graduate assistant (four with Pacific, one with Arkansas) must be some kind of record.

Anyway, here are the football coaching starts for all 32 NFL head coaches from ESPN.com's article.

Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings

First football job: Assistant at Missouri from 1979 to 1980

Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears

First football job: Coaching intern with the Eagles in 2008

Matt Patricia, Detroit Lions

First football job: Graduate assistant/assistant offensive line coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York in 1996

Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers

First football job: Offensive assistant at Saginaw Valley State in Michigan in 2003

Pat Shurmur, New York Giants

First football job: Graduate assistant at Michigan State in 1988

Doug Pederson, Philadelphia Eagles

First football job: Head coach of Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 2004

Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins

First football job: Student assistant/graduate assistant at the University of Louisville in 1989

Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys

First football job: Quarterbacks coach for the Dolphins in 2005

Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints

First football job: Graduate assistant at San Diego State in 1988 and 1989

Dan Quinn, Atlanta Falcons

First football job: Volunteer assistant defensive line coach at William & Mary in Virginia in 1994

Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers

First football job: Volunteer for the Bears going into minicamp in 1997

Bruce Arians, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

First football job: Graduate assistant at Virginia Tech in 1975

Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks

First football job: Graduate assistant at the University of the Pacific in California from 1974 to 1976

Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers

First football job: Graduate assistant at UCLA in 2003

Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals

First football job: University of Houston under Kevin Sumlin as the offensive quality control coach in 2008 and 2009

Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

First job in football: Buccaneers offensive assistant in 2008

Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

First football job: Wide receivers coach at Virginia Military Institute in 1995

John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens

First football job: Started his coaching career in 1984 at the age of 21 as a graduate assistant for his father, Jack, at Western Michigan

Freddie Kitchens, Cleveland Browns

First football job: Offensive assistant at Glenville State College in 1999

Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals

First football job: Texas A&M University, where he served as offensive graduate assistant and tight ends coach from 2008 to 2011 under head coach Mike Sherman.

Bill Belichick, New England Patriots

First football job: Staff assistant position with the Baltimore Colts in 1975. At the age of 23, he was named special assistant to head coach Ted Marchibroda.

Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills

First football job: Graduate assistant at William & Mary in 1998

Adam Gase, New York Jets

First football job: Undergraduate assistant at Michigan State from 1996 to 1999, under head coach Nick Saban

Brian Flores, Miami Dolphins

First football job: Joined the Patriots as a scouting assistant in 2004; one of his first roles was being "The Turk" or, as he calls it, the "Grim Reaper," telling players to bring their playbook to the head coach on cut-down day

Frank Reich, Indianapolis Colts

First football job: Volunteer coach at Wingate University in North Carolina in 2005

Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars

First football job: Tight ends coach at Cortland State in New York in 1992

Bill O'Brien, Houston Texans

First football job: Assistant coach of the freshman team at St. John's Prep in Danvers, Massachusetts, in 1988

Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans

First football job: Linebackers coach at Ohio State in 2011

Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs

First football job: Graduate assistant coach at Brigham Young University in 1982

Jon Gruden, Oakland Raiders

First football job: Graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee in 1986

Anthony Lynn, Los Angeles Chargers

First football job: Offensive assistant and assistant to special teams with the Broncos in 2000

Vic Fangio, Denver Broncos

First football job: Assistant coach (running backs, linebackers) at Dunmore High School in Pennsylvania in 1979

Minnesota Vikings Starter Guesses

 Despite not having seen any Minnesota Vikings' football players, new and old, on a field this summer, here's a swing at the starting lineup when the Green Bay Packers come to town next month. 

Offense

WR	Adam Thielen
LT	Riley Reiff
LG	Ezra Cleveland
C	Garrett Bradbury
RG	Dru Samia
RT	Brian O'Neill
TE	Kyle Rudolph
WR	Justin Jefferson
QB	Kirk Cousins
RB	Dalvin Cook
FB	C.J. Ham

Defense-Base

LE	Ifeadi Odenigbo
DT	Armon Watts
NT	Jaleel Johnson
RE	Danielle Hunter
LB	Anthony Barr
LB	Eric Kendricks
LB	Eric Wilson
CB	Mike Hughes
CB	Jeff Galdney
S	Harrison Smith
S	Anthony Harris

Defense-Nickel

DE	Ifeadi Odenigbo
DT	Armon Watts
NT	Jaleel Johnson
DE	Danielle Hunter
LB	Anthony Barr
LB	Eric Kendricks
NB	Mike Hughes
CB	Hoton Hill
CB	Jeff Galdney
S	Harrison Smith
S	Anthony Harris

I get the feeling that Vikings' defensive coaches see Armon Watts at nose tackle. Maybe that's only as a starting point for the emerging second-year defensive tackle. Defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Andre Patterson did say last week that they want their interior defensive lineman to be versatile and play both tackle spots. With no real proof, I like the interior combo of Watts and Jaleel Johnson. 

Specialists

K	Dan Bailey
P	Britton Colquitt
LS	Austin Cutting
KR	K.J. Osborn
PR	K.J. Osborn

I can't wait to see all of the Vikings players on a football field. Starters, non-starters, the whole team. 

Minnesota Vikings Breakout Rookies

 I'm not a believer that the Minnesota Vikings' 2020 rookie class is doomed to failure in their initial season. This global pandemic has hacked up many things. One of the least important is the integration of rookie football players into NFL teams. But the league rumbles on. Everybody has to adjust to this situation and I think that the Vikings' coaches and their new football players will adjust. As one of the coaches said last week, the rookies have had more installs than in rookie class in history. Everybody will adjust and I expect several of the Vikings' rookies to make an impact in their initial season. They've done what they can and will do what they have to do to be ready for the season. There are 15 drafted rookies in Minnesota this year. It's the largest draft class in the NFL's seven-round draft era. 

Draft Picks

1. Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

1. Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

2. Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State

3. Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State

4. D.J. Wonnum, Edge, South Carolina

4. James Lynch, DT, Baylor

4. Troy Dye, LB, Oregon

5. Harrison Hand, CB, Temple

5. K.J. Osborn, WR, Miami (Fla)

6. Blake Brandel, OL, Oregon State

6. Josh Metellus, S, Michigan

7. Kenny Willekes, Edge, Michigan State

7. Nate Stanley, QB, Iowa

7. Brian Cole II, S, Mississippi State

7. Kyle Hinton, G, Washburn

***

That's a big class. The bigger the class, the greater the chances that picks hit. Or so the math says. I'm often optimistic about things but I see quantity and quality among this big draft class. Without having seen any of the 15 rookies compete on a professional football field, I can still see the following making a significant impact for the Vikings as rookies. Perhaps even breaking out.

1. Justin Jefferson

There's a lot of pressure on Justin Jefferson to have success very early in his Vikings career. He's the team's first draft pick. He was selected with the first round pick obtained from the Buffalo Bills for Stefon Diggs. He's expected to step into Digg's play-making role as soon as the Vikings welcome the Green Bay Packers to US Bank Stadium. That's a lot of pressure. Jefferson is an interesting individual. He seems to be very relaxed and ultra-competitive at the same time. He's a confident football player. Perhaps that's from following his brothers to LSU. Despite being a lowly 2-star slappy of a recruit, Jefferson dominated against the best the SEC had to offer. In an uber-talented receiver draft class, he might be the most polished and NFL-ready. I believe that he will pair nicely with Adam Thielen and make a significant impact as a rookie. 

2. Jeff Gladney

 By the time the 2020 NFL Draft arrived, I'd fallen hard for Jeff Gladney. His feisty, aggressive play is reminiscent of Courtland Finnegan when he was at his annoying best. I think that Gladney will soon be a game-long chore for receivers. He might only measure 5'10" but he looks more like a player a few inches taller in his play. He handled bigger receivers in college. I think that he can handle bigger receivers in the NFL. Just as Xavier Rhodes before him, Gladney may get some flags early in his career as he adjusts to the NFL's contact rules. Hopefully, he's a quick study in that regard. 

3. Ezra Cleveland

I was hoping that Ezra Cleveland would open the season as the Vikings' starting left tackle. He was drafted in the second round to be the team's future at the position. I was hoping that the future would start as soon as possible. Last week brought news that Cleveland was working at guard, right guard, in walk-throughs. Things can change over the weeks before the season starts. After all, the Vikings have yet to put on the pads. It doesn't sound like any potential changes along the offensive line will involve left tackle. Riley Reiff will be holding down that job for another season. If the coach's put the five best offensive linemen on the field, I believe that one of them will be Cleveland. Even if it's at right guard. Personally, I see left guard as his 2020 future.

It's easy to just go through the draft picks and tap the top picks as the impact/breakout candidates. It's a bit more bold to pick the mid- or late-round picks.

4. James Lynch

The Vikings have been looking for a pass rush presence on the interior of the defensive line since Kevin Williams. It's been a while since a Vikings' defensive tackle was routinely in the quarterback's face. One of the most interesting training camp battles in Eagan is at defensive tackle. Both starting spots are up for grabs and there are a variety of contenders. James Lynch might be the most intriguing pass rusher of the bunch. He was dynamite at the role at Baylor but he didn't always rush from the interior of the line. With his quickness and the teachings of Andre Patterson on his side, I expect Lynch to make an early and significant impact as a situational, interior pass rusher. 

5. Troy Dye

As a Cal fan, Troy Dye was a four-year nuisance. I was thrilled to see him leave Oregon. I was even more thrilled to see him leave Oregon for the Vikings. As soon as he was picked, I thought that he could earn an immediate starting role in the three-linebacker base defense. Then I remembered that Eric Wilson had emerged in that role last season. I still believe that Dye could earn defensive time in some situational packages and I'm certain that he'll make a significant impact on special teams. 

6. K.J. Osborn

The Vikings had a string of years in which their returners were among the league's best. Percy Harvin, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Marcus Sherels routinely had coverage units on their heels, on their backs, and in tears. K.J. Osborn is the most promising candidate to become the Vikings' next great returner. From his college deeds, it seems that he's best suited to return punts. Maybe he can return kicks as well. That's a little less important as the league's been legislating kick returns out of the game. I think that Osborn is going to make returns fun again in Minnesota. 

Six of fifteen draft picks breaking out as rookies would be nice. While I didn't pick them for breakout rookie roles, many of the remaining nine could have bright Viking futures. I can easily see Cameron Dantzler, D.J. Wonnum, and even last pick Kyle Hinton earning starting roles before the rookie deals are done. One, or both, of Josh Metellus and Brian Cole II could be the starting heirs to Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris at safety. Maybe Nate Stanley eventually does for the Vikings what late-round pick Tom Brady did for the Patriots. Wouldn't that be sweet? Who knows? I do know that I really like the potential of this big, talented draft class. 

10 Minnesota Vikings Breakout Candidates

Training Camp is a time of hope. This is probably even more true during these hacked-up times. Everyone's hoping for an NFL season. In normal and abnormal times, training camp is the time to imagine breakout seasons from players across the roster. Here are ten Minnesota Vikings players that I see as candidates to have a breakout season in 2020.

1. Irv Smith Jr., TE
Irv Smith Jr. is probably on every talking head's and Vikings fan's mind when it comes to Minnesota's potential breakout candidates. As a rookie last season, Smith showed tantalizing hints of the player that he has the ability to become. The best of Jordan Reed comes to mind when I think of Smith's potential. It helps that both are about the same size. It also helps that both have/had Kirk Cousins as their quarterback. Smith really is a big receiver. He can run routes and run with the football like few tight ends can. With the departure of Stefon Diggs, he might be the Vikings' #2 receiving threat right now. At least until Justin Jefferson can take over.

2. Justin Jefferson, WR
Justin Jefferson was the Vikings' first pick pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was selected with the first round pick that was received in the Stefon Diggs trade. Jefferson was drafted to replace Diggs. He has to be on this list because the Vikings need him to break out this season. In a draft class loaded with gifted receivers, Jefferson was probably the most polished, most ready for the NFL. I'm not as concerned with the abbreviated offseason and training camp as most talking heads. I think that Jefferson has the work ethic, smarts, and ability to effectively work through this situation. Gary Kubiak, in his play calling, and Kirk Cousins, in his quarterbacking, will give Jefferson an opportunity to make an impact. Will that impact be at the breakout level? We'll see.

3. Brian O'Neill, RT
Brian O'Neill probably shouldn't be on this list because many would say that he broke out last season. In two seasons he's outplayed his second round draft status. I have him on this list because I believe that he'll play his way into the group of elite right tackles in the game.

4. Garrett Bradbury, C
Some might say that Garrett Bradbury didn't play so well in his rookie season. I prefer to look at the moments in which he played exactly like the center and director of the offensive line that he was drafted in the first round to be. He's a smart, hard-working football player. He has to get stronger. Just like Brian O'Neill had to get stronger. This season, I believe that Bradbury's fine moments will be much more prolonged than flashes.

5. Armon Watts, DT
Irv Smith Jr. is my top breakout candidate on offense. Armon Watts is my top breakout candidate on defense. He was impressive when he finally got some playing time at the end of the 2019 season. He impressed me so much that I've had him penciled in as the starter at three-technique. My biggest concern was an apparent preference of the coach's to play him at nose tackle. They know better than some clown on a couch. During a Zoom conference call on Friday, defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Andre Patterson said that all of the tackles are expected to play both spots. I just want to see Watts on the football field.

6. Ifeadi Odenigbo, DE
Is Ifeadi Odenigbo a placeholder for D.J. Wonnum like Brian Robison was for Danielle Hunter? As part of the line rotation, Odenigbo had seven sacks rushing from a variety of spots along the line. Can he handle the right side of the line on a regular basis while Hunter continues to dominate from the left? There are questions surrounding Odenigbo as a full-time defensive end. I think that he answers them in a positive manner and holds off Wonnum for a while just as Robison held off Hunter.

7. Mike Hughes, CB
The Vikings lost their top three cornerbacks this offseason. The talk heads honk about that as a reason to expect a defensive dip in Minnesota. They fail to also honk about the team's disappointing corner play last season. With only five starts in two seasons, Mike Hughes is now the senior member of the cornerback room. It's a new cornerback era in Minnesota. I expect that it's going to be a fun one. Since Hughes' first training camp, head coach Mike Zimmer has praised him for his ability to quickly pick up the intricacies of a complex scheme. He's a fluid, instinctual athlete. The only knock on his first two years in the league has been his ability to stay on the field. Obviously, he has to stay on the field in order to break out. I expect him to start on the outside and move inside in nickel. Seeing as the Vikings are in nickel far more than base in today's NFL, Hughes will be in the slot far more often than outside.

8. Jeff Gladney, CB
By the time the 2020 NFL Draft arrived, Jeff Gladney had become my favorite corner prospect. I just loved his feisty, physical play. I expect that feisty, physical play to transition nicely to the NFL. It's quite a jump going from handling big receivers in college to handling big receivers in the NFL when you're only 5'10". I think that Gladney makes that jump and emerges as one of the Vikings' starting outside corners.

9. Holton Hill, CB
If Jeff Gladney doesn't immediately emerge as one of the starting outside corners it's because Holton Hill kept him from doing so. No matter which corner starts opposite Mike Hughes in the Vikings' base defense, I expect Hughes, Gladney, and Hill to be the corner trio in nickel. In my thinking, Hill and Gladney will be the outside corners and Hughes will play the slot. I love the potential of this young trio and I expect a perceived weakness to be a strength.

10. Kirk Cousins, QB
Why the hell not? The Vikings haven't had the same quarterback start three consecutive seasons since Daunte Culpepper did it at the start of this century. I expect Kirk Cousins to have his best season this season. That should qualify as a breakout.

***

Wouldn't it be fun if all ten of the above did break out this season? What's considered a breakout season anyway? That's a matter of opinion and opinions vary greatly. I consider a player a breakout player if the player moves from the roster shadows to routinely making an impact. Then there are players like Brian O'Neill and Kirk Cousins on this list that are already impact players. If they make a leap from impact players to elite players, I also think of those players as breakout players.

Wouldn't it be fun if all ten of the above did break out this season? That would likely make the 2020 NFL season a fun football season in Minnesota.

Minnesota Vikings 80-man Roster. Again.

It sure looks like the Minnesota Vikings are trying to keep the roster at 80 players. I'm not sure why I ever thought otherwise. I suppose that I just didn't like the idea that some players would no longer be on the roster simply because of a hacked-up situation. Everyone has to make adjustments during a global pandemic, whether you like it or not. It still doesn't feel right that the football dreams of many players were taken out of their hands before they even had a chance on a professional field. Between shuffling players on and off the Reserve/COVID-19 list and releasing a few players, the Vikings have stayed on that voluntary 80-player limit. It makes sense as that allows the entire roster of players to be in the facility at the same time. If the team had more than 80 players on the roster, they would've had to do split-squad workouts. Which is the main reason I was a fool to think that the Vikings might bring to training camp the entire roster that was put together in the offseason.

Since the start of training camp the Vikings have released:
Davion Davis, WR
Kemon Hall, CB
Bralon Addison, WR
Tony Brooks-James, RB

The following have been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list:
Justin Jefferson, WR
Blake Brandel, OT
Brian Cole II. S
Tyler Higby, OG
Anthony Barr, LB
Ifeadi Odenigbo, DE
Cameron Smith, LB
Oli Udoh, OT

Happily, the following have been removed from the Reserve/COVID-19 list:
Justin Jefferson, WR
Blake Brandel, OT
Brian Cole II. S
Anthony Barr, LB
Ifeadi Odenigbo, DE

Unhappily, Tyler Higby was taken off of the Reserve/COVID-19 list today and released without ever receiving the opportunity to do any on-field football work. It's a messed-up time.

The biggest hit to the 2020 Vikings roster came when defensive tackle Michael Pierce decided to opt out on the 2020 season due to health concerns during this global pandemic. Due to severe, life-long asthma issues, he's at a greater health risk than most. It's a big loss but Pierce has to do what's best for him and his family.

Last week, the Vikings acquired defensive tackle P.J. Hall from the Las Vegas Raiders for a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick. Hall failed his physical and was sent back to the Raiders. He didn't impact the 80-man roster since he was never actually on it.

The most recent roster tweak was the addition of free agent linebacker Quentin Poling. The Vikings became a little linebacker-needy with the news yesterday that second-year linebacker Cameron Smith is in need of open-heart surgery. This was shocking news for a wide range of reasons. For one, you don't often see "open-heart surgery" when it comes to an NFL player's health. For two, it's open-heart surgery. Smith was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list after testing positive for the virus. During a more thorough examination because of the positive test it was discovered he had a congenital heart issue that requires surgery. In an odd twist, contracting the virus may have saved Smith's life. Best wishes on a quick and complete recovery.

As a result of the roster massaging since the start of training camp, we currently have a Minnesota Vikings 80-man roster that looks something like this. Hopefully it's stable for more than a few moments after posting.

Offense (39 Players)

Quarterbacks (4)
 8 Kirk Cousins
 4 Sean Mannion
 3 Jake Browning
 7 Nate Stanley

Running Backs (4)
33 Dalvin Cook
25 Alexander Mattison
23 Mike Boone
31 Ameer Abdullah

Fullbacks (2)
30 C.J. Ham
40 Jake Bargas

Receivers (10)
19 Adam Thielen
18 Justin Jefferson
81 Olabisi Johnson
11 Tajaé Sharpe
17 K.J. Osborn
12 Chad Beebe
15 Alexander Hollins
13 Dillon Mitchell
14 Quartney Davis
85 Dan Chisena

Tight Ends (5)
82 Kyle Rudolph
84 Irv Smith Jr.
83 Tyler Conklin
86 Brandon Dillon
89 Nakia Griffin-Stewart

Offensive Tackles (7)
71 Riley Reiff
75 Brian O'Neill
72 Ezra Cleveland
69 Rashod Hill
76 Aviante Collins
62 Blake Brandel
67 Brady Aiello

Guards (4)
65 Pat Elflein
73 Dru Samia
78 Dakota Dozier
68 Kyle Hinton

Centers (3)
56 Garrett Bradbury
61 Brett Jones
63 Jake Lacina

Defense (37 Players)

Defensive Ends (7)
99 Danielle Hunter
96 Ifeadi Odenigbo
57 D.J. Wonnum
79 Kenny Willekes
92 Anthony Zettel
90 Stacy Keely
52 Eddie Yarbrough

Defensive Tackles (7)
93 Shamar Stephen
96 Armon Watts
94 Jaleel Johnson
92 Jalyn Holmes
51 Hercules Mata'afa
66 James Lynch
60 David Moa

Linebackers (8)
55 Anthony Barr
54 Eric Kendricks
50 Eric Wilson
45 Troy Dye
47 DeMarquis Gates
48 Blake Lynch
49 Jordan Fehr
43 Quentin Poling

Cornerbacks (10)
21 Mike Hughes
20 Jeff Gladney
24 Holton Hill
27 Cameron Dantzler
38 Harrison Hand
29 Kris Boyd
34 Nevelle Clarke
26 Nate Meadors
32 Mark Fields
36 Marcus Sayles

Safeties (5)
22 Harrison Smith
41 Anthony Harris
44 Josh Metellus
39 Brian Cole II
46 Myles Dorn

Special Teams (3 Players)

Kicker
 5 Dan Bailey

Punter
 2 Britton Colquitt

Long Snapper
58 Austin Cutting

Active/Physically Unable To Perform
42 Ben Gedeon, LB

Reserve/COVID-19
59 Cameron Smith, LB
74 Oli Udoh, OT

Reserve/Opt-Out
98 Michael Pierce, DT

Final NFL Opt-Out List

The deadline for NFL players to opt out on the season for health concerns during a global pandemic passed on Thursday afternoon. 67 players decided to take that option. 68, if Larry Warford is included in the list. He's a free agent and many of the outlets tracking the opt outs don't include him. 68 players made the tough, very personal decision to opt out on the 2020 NFL season.

Minnesota Vikings
DT Michael Pierce

New England Patriots
S Patrick Chung
LB Dont'a Hightower
OT Marcus Cannon
RB Brandon Bolden
FB Danny Vitale
OL Najee Toran
WR Marqise Lee
TE Matt LaCosse

Cleveland Browns
DT Andrew Billings
OT Drake Dorbeck
OG Drew Forbes
OG Colby Gossett
OG Malcolm Pridgeon

Dallas Cowboys
WR Stephen Guidry
CB Maurice Canady
FB Jamize Olawale

Detroit Lions
WR Geronimo Allison
DL John Atkins
C Russell Bodine

Indianapolis Colts
S Rolan Milligan
LB Skai Moore
S Marvell Tell

Jacksonville Jaguars
LB Lerentee McCray
CB Rashaan Melvin
DL Al Woods

Kansas City Chiefs
OG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
OL Lucas Niang
RB Damien Williams

Las Vegas Raiders
LB Ukeme Eligwe
DB D.J. Killings
DE Jeremiah Valoaga

New York Giants
CB Sam Beal
WR Da'Mari Scott
OT Nate Solder

New York Jets
WR Josh Doctson
OL Leo Koloamatangi
LB C.J. Mosley

San Francisco 49ers
WR Travis Benjamin
OT Shon Coleman
C Jake Brendel

Baltimore Ravens
OT Andre Smith
WR De'Anthony Thomas

Buffalo Bills
DL Star Lotulelei
CB E.J. Gaines

Carolina Panthers
LB Jordan Mack
LB Christian Miller

Chicago Bears
DT Eddie Goldman
S Jordan Lucas

Cincinnati Bengals
OT Isaiah Prince
DL Josh Tupou

Denver Broncos
OT Ja'Wuan James
DL Kyle Peko

Miami Dolphins
WR Allen Hurns
WR Albert Wilson II

New Orleans Saints
TE Cole Wick
TE Jason Vander Laan

Washington Football Team
DL Caleb Brantley
LB Josh Harvey-Clemons

Arizona Cardinals
OT Marcus Gilbert

Green Bay Packers
WR Devin Funchess

Houston Texans
DL Eddie Vanderdoes

Los Angeles Rams
OT Chandler Brewer

Philadelphia Eagles
WR Marquise Goodwin

Seattle Seahawks
OG Chance Warmack

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
OT Brad Seaton

Tennessee Titans
OT Anthony McKinney

Free Agent
OG Larry Warford

***

The Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Charges, and Pittsburgh Steelers had no players opt out.

Some immediate takeaways:

-Michael Pierce-the new big guy will be missed in Minnesota
-the number of Patriots' opt outs-8 players opt out
-the Browns offensive line takes a hit-4 of their 5 opt outs are on the offensive line
-the number of offensive and defensive linemen on the list-33 of the 68 are on the line

This was a very personal decision that all players had to make. Buffalo Bills great cornerback Tre'Davious White took until the deadline to make his difficult decision. He decided to play but he received a lot of grief from fans for even considering not playing. He received so much grief that he felt that he had to defend the difficulty of the decision on twitter. He shouldn't have had to do that. No fan is going to be happy about a top player not playing for their team but this isn't about us. This is about their life. They have to do what they feel is best for their life and the lives of their family. Even if it doesn't make the rest of us happy.