Vikings Welcome a Young Pass Rusher Back Into the Mix and Sign Upside Defensive Tackle
No rest for the weary.
The NFL trade deadline has just passed, but that doesn’t mean Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can take time off. For the most part, it was a quiet day for the Vikings despite some speculation about pulling off a third trade prior to the deadline.
But while a player didn’t get added via trade, the Vikings have still opted to enhance their roster with some additions. Earlier in the day, Minnesota welcomed a pass rusher back into the mix for practice — UDFA Gabriel Murphy — while announcing various other decisions, such as signing an intriguing, young defensive tackle.
Vikings Announce Moves, Welcome Pass Rusher Back
First, the clear-cut facts.
Minnesota’s official social media announced the various decisions. Take a look:
The #Vikings have announced the following roster moves
– Signed DL Jalen Redmond to the 53-man roster
– Signed K John Parker Romo
– Signed LS Jake McQuaide and DL Travis Bell to the practice squad
– Designated OLB Gabriel Murphy to return to practice
Now, a few notes to clarify where we’re at. Since yesterday, it’s been known that there would need to be some help at kicker and long snapper. After all, Will Reichard and Andrew DePaola have been placed on the IR, opening up a pair of roster spots in the process.
Getting Romo back functions as a one-for-one replacement at kicker. The other roster slot is being devoted toward Jalen Redmond, someone who has played well at defensive tackle.
Indeed, rookie draftee Levi Drake Rodriguez has been a bit of an afterthought, at least partly due to Redmond’s strong play. The defensive tackle has great athleticism, running a 4.81 forty leading into the draft while tossing up 27 reps on the bench press. The upside in his game has been evident in limited snaps (49 for Brian Flores). In his time on the field, Redmond has 3 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFLs, and 1 QB hit.
Tucking McQuaide on the practice squad is about making the numbers work for the 53-man roster. On Sunday, he’ll get bumped up to the active roster to function as the long snapper.
Hidden within those names is Travis Bell, a defensive lineman who is on the purple practice squad. Bell, 26, is 6’1″ and weighs 305 pounds. He got scooped up at No. 218 in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He has also spent some time with the Bengals but will now try to make a good impression on Minnesota’s coaching staff.
Now, Mr. Murphy.
Coming out of the draft and the UDFA signings, Gabriel Murphy received plenty of praise. The outside linebacker had a productive final season in college. His 2023 season at UCLA involved 38 tackles, 8 sacks, and 16 TFLs. He even tossed on a pair of passes defended for good measure.
After the 2024 NFL Draft, there was no shortage of optimism about Murphy. The NFL’s website listed him as the top edge rusher among the undrafted players. Meanwhile, The 33rd Team placed Murphy as the second-best UDFA overall.
Unfortunately for the rookie, an offseason injury has kept him in the sidelines for the duration of the 2024 regular season.
At this rate, cracking the lineup will be tough given that Minnesota’s top five edge rushers — Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Jihad Ward, and Patrick Jones II — have all remained healthy and been productive. Another hurdle is that Bo Richter has received some run on the active roster and Andre Carter II is still hanging around the practice squad.
Regardless, the good news is simply that Gabriel Murphy is recovering. In time, perhaps, he’ll see the field and begin fulfilling on some of the prophecies about Minnesota getting a steal after the draft.
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.