Vikings Played a Risky Game with a Rookie and Won
Folks got excited about the Vikings’ draft class that included potential franchise quarterback J.J. McCarthy and top defender Dallas Turner. The most impact from that class, however, likely has been kicker Will Reichard, who had been flawless until a leg injury derailed his debut season.
Vikings Played a Risky Game with a Rookie and Won
The group of undrafted rookies generated buzz, too, just one year after finding Ivan Pace in the UDFA pool. Cornerback Dwight McGlothern and defensive tackle Taki Taimani made the team. The latter has been placed on IR but played fairly well in his limited snaps at the nose tackle spot. McGlothern hasn’t gotten an opportunity, but his preseason performance was promising.
Folks had the most hope for rookie pass rusher Gabriel Murphy, however. His journey with the Vikings has yet to start.
The purple team re-signed him to the practice squad, they announced via the official team channels. Murphy and quarterback Daniel Jones join the practice squad, while veteran tight end Robert Tonyan and offensive tackle Julian Pearl have been axed.
The former UCLA defender suffered an injury in training camp, and the club placed him on IR, keeping him around after roster cutdowns. His practice window was opened a few weeks ago and the Vikings activated him to the 53-man roster. To clear a roster spot, the Vikings waived him, which is quite risky as other teams could just snatch him off waivers. The bet has paid off, and he is staying in the Twin Cities.
Murphy is a fascinating prospect, highly touted by various analysts after the draft who couldn’t believe his tumble into undrafted territory.
His size concerns have likely played a significant role in his slide. His arm length is almost unprecedented, although that didn’t bother him in college. He tabulated eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss last season at UCLA.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said about the rookie before his injury after he had flashed in camp:
Super versatile, a guy that can rush on the edges, he rushed inside in the dime group. What’s been really cool is just seeing his impact even in the run game, from a physicality setting the edge standpoint, and he’s got some versatility like what we’ve tried to build in that edge room of guys that can maybe play off the ball as well.
He’s extremely physical and had a few days where he’s had some bumps and bruises but Gabe’s had a great training camp and is in alignment with what we want out of the undrafted free agent class; guys that you’re bringing here to hopefully have a chance to make your 53 (-man roster) and Gabe has put himself very much so in that conversation. It’s going to be competitive all the way down to the very end but Gabe just needs to focus on doing the things he’s been doing and he’ll be alright.
The journey to the field in Minnesota’s crowded outside linebacker room is hard. With Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, the Vikings have one of the better duos in the league. Backup Patrick Jones has been excellent, and rookie Turner is on the hunt for snaps, too.
Brian Flores, the guy calling the shots on defense, also praised Murphy during training camp: “The thing that stands out is just his football IQ. He’s very bright. It’s very important to him. We were in a staff meeting the other day, and (someone) said that Gabe Murphy despises bad football. That’s a good thought for a coach to say about a player. He’s done a [really] nice job. I’m excited to see him moving forward in preseason games. We’ve got a long way to go, but he’s off to a good start.”
The Vikings could elevate Murphy to the gameday roster in any given week, but barring an injury, the competition will likely prevent that from happening in the near future.
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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