3 Vikings Who Are Fighting For Their 2022 Roster Spot: Special Teams Edition
K. Joudry
|
Frankly, this one could be pretty short. Specialists Greg Joseph and Jordan Berry will be free agents in 2022; Andrew DePaola can be cut without any financial ramifications. Rather than take such a bland approach to the Vikings special teams portion of things, I’ll offer a few thoughts beyond the obvious.
First, though, I’ll begin with the obvious three. Readers looking to take in the offensive and defensive portion of things can do so right here on Purple PTSD.
The Vikings and The Main 3 On Special Teams
I’d be in favor of bringing back all three specialists.
True, Joseph and Berry have had their rough spots, and yet the fact remains that they’ve largely stabilized two important position a year after they were such a disaster. Being able to retain these two for cheap would be wise. Nevertheless, the team ought to lean into competition. Things will likely go poorly if Joseph and Berry are merely handed their jobs. Instead, bring in young talent to push the vets.
Keeping DePaola is fine by me. The team hasn’t been plagued by poor snaps, and the LS is commonly one of the fastest players down the field for the tackle. I’ll take it, though I’d get it if the team thinks it can save a few hundred thousand by moving on from him.
For the rest of the year, look for Joseph to nail his XPs as he is relied on to scrape together points when the offense can’t get into the end zone. A clutch kick or two would do much to solidify his purple future. Berry’s ability to flip the field will also be massively important, especially in upcoming games against strong offenses like those found in LA and GB.
Purple PTSD Also Read: J.C. Tretter is Still a Free Agent
The Other Specialists
One wonders if a player like Dan Chisena will be around next year. A racehorse in football pads, Chisena is almost always the fastest player on the field. Though he’s remarkably fast, he has struggled with his tackling in the past. A new coach (or perhaps even the current one) won’t think he’s worth a roster spot.
Dede Westbrook has been a steady presence as a punt returner. I, for one, appreciate steadiness from a punt returner, but many coaches have been seduced by the siren song from more dynamic players. Don’t be shocked if Westbrook is in a new uniform next season.
Kene Nwangwu, of course, isn’t going anywhere. The kid is dynamic, someone who is a threat to score seemingly everytime he catches the kickoff. I’m looking for him to expand his role on the offense as he continues to be dominant as a returner for the Vikings special teams.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”928978″ player=”26281″ title=”AdClipCousins%20INT” duration=”82″ description=”undefined” uploaddate=”2021-12-22″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19439/thumb/928978_t_1640191358.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19439/sd/928978.mp4″]