The Minnesota Vikings have announced their initial 53-man roster. There were quite a few surprises from the Vikings cuts, including some veterans who were let go.
Just because some players did or didn’t make the initial 53-man roster doesn’t mean a ton right now. There are going to be a lot of moves made over the next 48-72 hours.
When taking a look at the initial 53-man roster, there are some interesting takeaways. Here are the biggest ones.
1. Jaren Hall makes the roster
With the advent of the third quarterback rule, this makes too much sense. Hall steadily improved over the course of the preseason and had his pest performance against the Arizona Cardinals.
2. The running back room is thin
The Vikings waived DeWayne McBride and Aaron Dykes with only Kene Nwangwu and Ty Chandler behind Alexander Mattison. There are still questions about whether Nwangwu can be a true running back in the league. Expect the Vikings to look at the veteran market.
3. Six wide receivers...for now
The Vikings ended up keeping six wide receivers with Jalen Reagor and Brandon Powell both making it. The Vikings are taking calls on Reagor currently and he could be shipped out in the coming days.
4. Four tight ends is a smart play
Nick Muse had done enough to make the roster, but keeping four was an interesting outcome with the shift to 12 personnel. There is a chance that he won’t stay, but it’s a positive sign.
5. 8 offensive lineman says a move is coming
The Vikings kept only eight offensive linemen with Chris Reed going on the NFI list. A move is likely coming over the next few days.
6. 2 Kwesi Adofo-Mensah draft picks get cut
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah waived Muse last year, but he ended up putting him on the practice squad. This year, McBride got waived from this year’s draft class and Esezi Otomewo from last year’s. Expect one or both to end up on the practice squad if they clear waivers.
7. Andre Carter II makes the roster
The Vikings ended up keeping Andre Carter II over Luiji Vilain, which is a slight surprise. Carter was guaranteed $340k as a UDFA and likely wouldn’t have passed through waivers.
8. Joejuan Williams got cut
This was a weird one. Joejuan Williams ended up getting released for final cuts after what looked like a good preseason and training camp. Could the practice squad be in his future?
9. 6 safeties!
The Vikings best position group was at safety and they put their money where their mouth is by keeping all six. Theo Jackson had a great training camp and preseason which earned him a roster spot.
