Vikings Bolster Offensive Line with Ex-TE
The Minnesota Vikings have shuffled their practice squad in the last few days, beginning with cornerback Ambry Thomas’ arrival on Christmas Eve.
Thomas is an intriguing player as he started games in the last few years for the 49ers, including some playoff trips. On Thursday, the Vikings acquired defensive lineman Jonathan Harris, who started some games earlier in the 2024 season.
Vikings Sign Offensive Tackle
But the Christmas presents didn’t stop there. A new addition came on Friday as the Vikings reinforced their offensive tackle depth.
The team announced, “The Vikings have signed T Leroy Watson to the practice squad and released T Coy Cronk from the practice squad.”
Leroy Watson is a fascinating player. He played his college ball at Hutchinson Community College before transferring to UTSA. The fascinating part? Although he is an offensive tackle now, he was a tight end back then.
In his pre-draft process, Watson ran a 4.91 40-yard dash at 270 lbs, showing that he had to gain some weight but possesses intriguing athleticism. The Vikings are currently listing him at 6-4 and 260 lbs, but that is likely outdated.
After the draft, he signed with the Atlanta Falcons but failed to make the 53-man roster. The San Francisco 49ers added him to the practice squad, where he remained his entire 2022 rookie season and roughly half of the 2023 campaign.
In November 2023, the Browns signed him to their 53-man roster, and he appeared in seven games. In the following April, the Tennessee Titans acquired him via trade, sending a seventh-rounder to Cleveland.
He started four games for the Titans at right tackle. The Titans released him a couple of weeks ago. His PFF grade (35.1) is bad, but some folks were intrigued by his play outside of a tendency to commit holding penalties.
At the end of the day, the Vikings added a player to the practice squad with some starting experience and the physical tools to develop into a solid backup. He needs technical refinement, though.
To make room for him, the Vikings released fellow lineman Coy Cronk.
After his college career in Indiana and Iowa, Cronk spent time with the Packers, Jaguars, Falcons, and Vikings. He originally signed with the Vikings during the 2023 season but was released in April 2024. He was re-signed on December 6.
The Vikings employ seven offensive tackles.
- Brian O’Neill
- Cam Robinson
- David Quessenberry
- Walter Rouse
- Leroy Watson (practice squad)
- Christian Darrisaw (IR)
- Jeremy Flax (IR)
Barring injuries, Watson is unlikely to see the field with the Vikings in the 2024 season. However, he might be a fun project to monitor in the upcoming offseason and training camp.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt