Promising Former Vikings Defender Gets Snatched by NFC Rival
Back in the 2017 playoffs, the Philadelphia Eagles ran roughshod on Minnesota’s proud defense. Presumably, at least a few Vikings fans are still disappointed with how that season ended.
More recently, the Eagles have been trying to reclaim Super Bowl glory. Gone is Doug Pederson and Nick Foles; leading Philly is Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts. Helping the current version of the Eagles will be a former Vikings defender, a linebacker who showed off some promise in the preseason. Check out the word about Dallas Gant, courtesy of the Eagles’ official social media: “Practice Squad: We have released OL Braeden Daniels and have signed LB Dallas Gant.”
The Eagles & Former Vikings Defender Dallas Gant
In Minnesota, the linebacker position finds itself in a tricky spot.
The clear-cut top options are Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace Jr. The issue is simply that both are hurt. Cashman has now missed several weeks and is no guarantee to be ready for Week 10. Meanwhile, Pace picked up a DNP — Did Not Participate — on Wednesday’s injury report.
Losing even one of those players puts Minnesota in a tricky spot, with Kamu Grugier-Hill and Brian Asamoah being the only other two linebackers on the roster.
Of course, part of the solution rests in leaning on the various versatile defenders on Brian Flores’ side of the ball. Andrew Van Ginkel can soak up snaps at off-ball linebacker and Dallas Turner can get tossed into the mix on occasion. Josh Metellus can commonly be found dropped down into the box and then Harrison Smith has the necessary size/strength combo to pull it off, as well.
Still, the linebacker position is looking thin. Turning to a practice squad promotion on Sunday won’t be surprising. If that’s the desired route, then one of Calvin Munson or Max Tooley would get the nod for Mr. Flores.
Might Gant have helped?
Built like a modern linebacker, Gant stands at 6’2″ and weighs 224 pounds. So, more like a large safety than a Brian Urlacher-style linebacker. In his final season at Toledo in 2023, Gant piled up 116 tackles to stand alongside 8 TFLs and a sack. He tossed on an interception and had a pair of passes defended.
In the preseason, Gant was commonly found making plays for Minnesota’s defense. Minnesota won its three preseason tilts and Mr. Gant was a key part of the equation, picking up 4 tackles, then 9 tackles, and then 8 tackles. He was active.
Initially, Minnesota brought him into the NFL on a three-year commitment that was promising to pay $2,835,000. He was given $55,000 in guarantees, a medium amount that falls short of some of the more eye-popping numbers that can characterize Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s aggressive approach among the UDFAs.
Dallas Gant will now look to prove to Philadelphia’s coaching staff that he isn’t just worth keeping around on the practice squad but as someone who can jump up to the active roster.
He is 24.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, Sports Reference CFB, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.