Who Will Take the New Vikings Roster Spot?
Josh Frey
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By waiving QB Nate Stanley, the Minnesota Vikings created a new open roster spot for themselves on Tuesday afternoon. The move comes just five days prior to rookies reporting to Vikings training camp on Sunday, so it seems like a safe bet that it is a move to bring in another player for camp. The Vikings have over $10 million in cap space, per Over the Cap. This number ranks 21st in the league, so there has been great speculation over where the Vikings could spend this remaining cap space. So, who is going to take this final Vikings roster spot? Here are three options.
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Kyle Rudolph
If I were to take a guess at what Minnesota would do, this is it. A reunion with Kyle Rudolph makes a lot of sense for both sides. Behind Irv Smith Jr., the Vikings have a glaring lack of pass-catching tight ends. Hypothetically, this could be fine if he stays healthy and Minnesota runs more single tight end sets.
That said, it’s uncertain that Smith will be able to remain healthy. He missed the entirety of last season with a torn meniscus, and knee injuries can quickly turn into a slippery slope in the NFL. Kyle Rudolph provides a cheap, veteran option for some security at tight end that Johnny Mundt hasn’t been able to do in his career.
Ndamukong Suh
The Vikings run defense has been a glaring weakness in recent years, so what better way to fix this than by signing a three-time All-Pro defensive tackle? Ndamukong Suh has seen a resurgence in his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he has said multiple times that he will not be returning to that franchise this year.
The No. 1 choice for Suh has been reported to be the Las Vegas Raiders, but he’s been linked to the Vikings on a number of instances as well. The Vikings wouldn’t need him to play a ton of snaps, especially since they have players like Harrison Phillips, Armon Watts, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Jaylen Twyman. However, if he can come in and make plays on key third downs, he is well worth the risk.
Julio Jones
There have been some in Vikings-sphere clamoring for a signing of Odell Beckham Jr. I would certainly be a fan of this if he can prove that he is healthy from his ACL tear suffered in the Super Bowl. However, there’s no way for Beckham to prove that during training camp as he will be just five or so months into his recovery. If a Beckham move is in the works, it feels like something that will happen during the regular season rather than now.
If Minnesota wants to get another big-time receiver in the room, Julio Jones is the other name that remains unsigned. Jones has played just 19 games in the past two seasons, resulting in a lack of interest in the 33-year-old during this free agency period. If the Vikings can get him for cheap, the trio of Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and Julio Jones is quite intriguing to say the least.
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