Vikings Add 2 Local Products to the Roster

Vikings Add 2 Local Products for Rookie Minicamp
Minnesota offensive lineman Sam Schlueter (70) blocks Purdue defensive end DaMarcus Mitchell (15) during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021 at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Cfb Purdue Vs Minnesota

The Minnesota Vikings held their rookie minicamp this past weekend, and it allowed us to get a little glimpse at some of the young Vikings on the field for the first time.

In the aftermath of those training sessions, Minnesota announced on Tuesday morning that they had added a pair of local products to their roster for this summer. Those two are FB Zach Ojile out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth and OL Sam Schlueter out of the University of Minnesota.

Both players actually participated in that rookie minicamp with the Vikings, getting a chance to showcase their skills to the coaching staff.

Ojile spent a total of five years at UMD between 2018-2022, but he played just four seasons with the 2020 season being cancelled due to Covid. He went undrafted this spring, and his first taste of the NFL has been with the Vikings.

During those four seasons in Duluth, Ojile played a total of 40 games, recording 87 carries, 418 yards, and 14 TDs. He also caught 61 passes for 702 yards and an additional 10 TDs.

As for Schlueter, he’s been bouncing around the NFL for awhile now after being an undrafted free agent in 2022. Initially, he signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers, but he injured his knee during their preseason game against the Vikings.

Iowa defensive back Riley Moss (33) gets past a block from Minnesota offensive lineman Sam Schlueter (70) during a NCAA Big Ten Conference football game, Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. 211113 Minn Iowa Fb 028 Jpg

10 days after this injury, Schlueter was waived by the Niners with an injury settlement. Then, he worked out with the New York Jets during September. He was forced to wait for awhile before officially joining the team, but New York signed him to the practice squad in December. The 25-year-old is yet to appear in a regular season game, though.

Now, both Minnesota products get their chance to add depth to the Vikings roster this season. We still have a few months before we officially narrow the roster down to 53 players, but the fact that these two tryout invitees ended up signing with the team is great news for them and their progress.

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

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