Vikings Surprise Roster Cuts? Here Are 5 Candidates.
When the preseason nears its end, many players on NFL rosters await to learn their fate as the roster cut-down day looms. Some players are guaranteed to make the roster due to their status on the team, while others find out if their efforts have paid off in training camp enough to warrant a roster spot.
There are also players who were previously thought to make the roster that end up being surprise cuts. Though there are only a handful of surprise cuts each season, they are usually some of the more unpredictable moves a team will make. The Minnesota Vikings may see some of these surprise cuts when cutdown day arrives on August 27th, 2024. So, who could some of these more surprising cuts be?
1. Brian Asamoah II
Players might perform well in camp but ultimately end up being left off the roster due to the numbers crunch each team has to go through in each position group. This could end up being the case for Brian Asamoah II, depending on the direction the Vikings go with their final roster.
A third-round pick in 2022, Asamoah II looked like a potential starting linebacker in the league. His first two seasons were up and down, as injuries and inconsistent play limited his time on the field for the Vikings.
Entering training camp in 2024, many viewed this season as a “prove-it” year for Asamoah II. And he has performed quite well thus far. So why could he be a surprise cut? In front of him, the Vikings have budding star Ivan Pace Jr. and recently-signed Blake Cashman entrenched as starters entering the 2024 season.
They also picked up free agent Kamu Gruger-Hill, who has also played well in the preseason and has great special teams value. Asamoah II looks right now to be fourth in the linebacker room. Should the team keep four linebackers, he would likely make the roster.
However, there are other directions they could go. For example, they could choose to keep an extra safety, knowing veteran Josh Metellus has the versatility to move inside the box, which could force them to roster only three linebackers. This could also be the same if they decide to roster an extra edge rusher. In either scenario, Asamoah II might be a roster cap casualty.
2. Brandon Powell
Entering the 2024 offseason, Brandon Powell was penciled in as the third receiver on the depth chart. Though not the flashiest receiver, Powell has proven to be Mr. Reliable for the Vikings since they signed him in 2023. Providing stable play as a third receiver and in the punt return game, many viewed him as a lock for the 2024 roster.
Powell hasn’t done anything poorly to warrant a change in this status. However, the players around him may have made his case for a roster spot less secure. Jailen Nailor, the Vikings’ 2022 sixth-round pick, has flashed throughout training camp and the preseason. He is finally showing consistent health, and many view him as the Vikings’ WR3 entering the season.
Trishton Jackson has also had some moments this preseason and currently leads the Vikings and the league in preseason receiving yards. At this point, it seems incredibly likely he will make the roster as the fourth or fifth wide receiver. Should the Vikings view Powell above Jackson on the depth chart or just a bit below him, both will likely round out the receiver room.
However, Trent Sherfield Sr. could have a case to make the active roster. An adept blocker in the run game, Sherfield Sr. has also played well this preseason. The Vikings could value his skillset over Powell’s, leaving Powell the odd man out of the room.
There is still a solid chance he ends up on the roster, but Powell could also end up being one of the more surprising players waived on August 27th.
3. Jaquelin Roy
The defensive line room for the Vikings has a lot of possibilities in 2024. Thus far, it looks as if projected starters Jonathan Bullard, Harrison Phillips, and Jerry Tillery are the only locks to make the roster.
Levi Drake Rodriguez, this year’s seventh-round pick for Minnesota, will also likely make the team as a rookie. Free agent signing Jonah Williams has flashed as a pass rusher and will likely back up Tillery as a defensive end.
With only six defensive linemen likely making the roster, this only leaves the backup nose tackle spot available. Jaquelin Roy has occupied that spot throughout camp, and though the second-year player has performed well so far in his career, he’s also had some rough moments.
There has also been a new player on his heels during the preseason in Taki Taimani. Taimani, an undrafted free agent from Oregon, has had a solid preseason for the Vikings thus far, showing he can handle opposing offensive linemen and swallow up running backs. The Vikings could view his abilities to fit their scheme better than Roy’s.
They might also believe he may get poached by another team if cut. These beliefs could lead them to keep Taimani on the roster, which might lead to Roy being a surprise cut when the cut-down day comes around.
4. Lewis Cine
Roughly a week ago, hearing that Lewis Cine might be cut would not be surprising to Vikings fans. A first-round pick in 2022, Cine has underwhelmed throughout his short career. That was before last week when, in a preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, Cine had a bit of a coming-out party. He was arguably the best player in that preseason contest, racking up ten tackles and one sack while also picking off Dorian Thompson-Robinson for an interception.
Though it was a preseason game, it was the type of performance one would call elite and showed what Kwesi Adofo Mensah and Kevin O’Connell saw in him when they drafted him. However, it may not be enough for him to make the final roster. This is mostly because he currently sits sixth in a stacked safety room.
Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum, and Metellus headline the Vikings’ safety group, while Theo Jackson has become a coaches’ favorite and the essential fourth safety on the roster. Jay Ward, the likely fifth safety, is a versatile player who is able to play both safety and cornerback.
On a team that has questions surrounding their cornerback depth, that versatility could be a necessary asset as the Vikings hope for a long and successful season. Should these five players make the roster, there may not be room for Cine. He could end up being a trade candidate, but if the Vikings cannot find a team to take him, the former first-round pick could be cut after just two seasons.
5. Akayleb Evans
This would be one of the more surprising roster cuts to occur due to the depth in the cornerback room, but Akayleb Evans’ seemingly downward trajectory on the depth chart could leave him off of the roster in 2024.
Evans was drafted in 2022 by Minnesota and saw time on the field early in his career. He played well in 2022, making fans believe he could be a starter in the future. His play in 2023, however, was a roller coaster. Though there were good moments, he was prone to mistakes that would make him unplayable at times.
Entering the offseason, he was slated as the fourth cornerback on the depth chart. Following the injury to Mekhi Blackmon, some believed he could start in Week 1. During the preseason, his up-and-down play is still apparent, which was likely part of the reason the Vikings brought in Stephon Gilmore to solidify the starting cornerback group next to Byron Murphy and Shaq Griffin.
Also in the room are consistent veterans Fabian Moreau and Duke Shelley, vying for roster spots. Undrafted free agent Dwight McGlothern has also made a strong case to be a Viking in 2024. Should the Vikings only keep six CBs, Akayleb Evans might be one of the more surprising players left off this year’s roster.