2 Recently-Released Vikings Linebackers Find New Teams
The Minnesota Vikings have acquired a bunch of players in recent weeks to fill their roster, especially on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage. Brian Flores needed some reinforcements in the secondary following Mekhi Blackmon’s season-ending knee injury and Shaq Griffin’s week-to-week status with an injury of his own.
2 Recently-Released Vikings Linebackers Find New Teams
Whenever a player is signed, however, another player has to lose his job in the cruel NFL world unless someone can be placed on IR. For the Vikings, the numerous arrivals led to various players departing from the organization. Two of those guys are linebackers Abraham Beauplan and K.J. Cloyd.
Beauplan joined the purple team in 2023 as an undrafted rookie out of Marshall. Rookie sensation Ivan Pace overshadowed him during his first stint with the Vikings. Unfortunately, an injury ended that tenure early.
The Vikings released him with an injury designation in August of 2023. Because nobody claimed him off waivers, he reverted to the team’s IR. An injury settlement ended his first tenure with the Vikings, but he returned in January when the Vikings added him to the practice squad and later signed him to a futures contract.
In three seasons at Marshall University, he logged a total of 231 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in 35 games. Despite his freakish athleticism ‒ he reportedly vertical-jumped 37 inches, squatted 565, and benched 385 in college ‒ he failed to make a lasting impression.
The bright side is that his NFL journey isn’t over quite yet. After a workout with the division rivals, Beauplan agreed to a deal with the Detroit Lions, the team announced on Sunday. As a late signing in training camp, he is obviously an underdog to make the 53-man roster. However, his athleticism might give him a shot at the practice squad. He will likely suit up in a couple of preseason games.
The Vikings released him to make room for experienced cornerback Fabian Moreau, who was immediately getting work with the first-team defense.
Beauplan’s former teammate, Cloyd, was axed to open a roster spot for former fourth-round linebacker Jabril Cox, a solid special teamer with a stronger resume than Cloyd.
Cloyd signed with the Vikings after the draft. He played three seasons at Louisville and his final collegiate campaign at the University of Miami, where he racked up 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
Aaron Wilson reported that his next stint will be in New York, with Minnesota’s opening week opponent, the Giants.
The Vikings have already released four linebackers since the draft. Undrafted rookies Cloyd and Donovan Manuel, as well as 2023 UDFA Beauplan and 2022 UDFA William Kwenkeu. The latter appeared in a few games in the 2022 season.
After signing Cox, defensive coordinator Brian Flores has six off-ball linebackers at his disposal. In the first unofficial depth chart, they were put in order.
Starters: Blake Cashman/Ivan Pace Jr.
Backups: Kamu Grugier-Hill/Brian Asamoah II
Third-String: Dallas Gant/Jabril Cox
The duo of Ivan Pace and Blake Cashman is slated to start. Pace said last month that he would be the green dot linebacker, meaning he will be the one guy in communication with Flores, receiving and forwarding the play calls and calling audibles.
Cashman joined Pace as a free-agent signing after his 2023 breakout season with the Houston Texans. Kamu Grugier-Hill is an excellent special teamer and is likely the top backup, while Brian Asamoah seemingly can’t capitalize on his promising rookie season in 2022.
If they make the 53-man roster on their new teams, Beauplan would face the Vikings twice in the upcoming season while Cloyd would be the enemy in Week 1.
Editor’s Note: Information from Sports Reference CFB 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