5 Vikings Who Look Like a Coin Flip for the Final Roster
Basically every offseason features players who exist on the roster bubble. The Minnesota Vikings are no different in July of 2025.
One wonders, then, about the key players who appear to be in the category, leading to this exercise that includes 5 Vikings who are sitting on the roster bubble. Gaining a broader view of what the roster could look like can involve taking a look at the 53-man roster projections on PurplePTSD and/or Vikings Territory.
5 Vikings on the Roster Bubble
Player #1 — Blake Brandel, Offensive Lineman
Mr. Brandel has a pile of attributes that Minnesota covets. He’s versatile and tough. Works hard and is selfless. Competes and has great size.
In short, Blake Brandel offers the team a lot, especially since he can play literally all five positions along the o-line. Gotta love that value when it comes time to dress players for Sunday.
The issue rests in the upcoming cap crunch. Can the team afford his cap charges given that things are already looking pretty snug for next offseason? Potentially, Mr. Brandel could bring a Day 3 pick back in return while freeing up some precious money. Note that the team has some upside youth in players such as Michael Jurgens (LG/C), Walter Rouse (OT/G), and Logan Brown (OT). Justin Skule (OT), too, is a near lock to get onto the team as a free-agent add.
Player #2 — Rondale Moore, Receiver
The receiver room is crowded. Making matters even worse is that Mr. Moore is coming off a serious injury. Can he still prove capable of snagging a 53-man roster spot?
Talent isn’t the issue. Picked at No. 49 back in the 2021 NFL Draft, Moore ran a blistering 4.28 forty. He could reasonably be the Vikings’ fastest receiver. The tough part is simply that Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, and Tai Felton are basically locked-in as roster players. The fifth (and possibly sixth) spots are going to be extremely competitive.
Player #3 — Ty Chandler, Running Back
A disappointment since getting drafted, Ty Chandler should nevertheless be considered the favorite to win the RB3 job.
He is very fast and is coming off a season where he was the KR1. He’ll be facing competition for each of those jobs — RB3 and KR1 — from various players. In all likelihood, he’ll need to prove capable of maintaining both spots. If, for instance, Tre Stewart jumps into the RB3 opening, then there may not be enough incentive to keep him around solely as the KR1.
Player #4 — Tavierre Thomas, Defensive Back
Tavierre Thomas confronts an issue: he’s competing for a roster spot against receivers, tight ends, linebackers, safeties, running backs, and other positions.
The life of a special teams ace isn’t easy. He needs to prove capable of fending off foes from all sorts of positions. Working against him, too, is that there’s a bit of financial incentive to cut him since Minnesota could put $1 million back into the budget by moving on. A trade — very unlikely — would mean saving $1.6 million. Does the depth defensive back earn a spot?
Player #5 — Levi Drake Rodriguez, Defensive Tackle
The defensive tackle position finds itself in a bit of a weird spot. At the very top are well-paid veterans who will earn most of the reps: Harrison Phillips, Jonathan Allen, and Javon Hargrave. At the bottom are cheaper young fellas who are offering value: Jalen Redmond, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Taki Taimani, and Levi Drake Rodriguez.
Rodriguez didn’t play much at all as a rookie. In some ways, that’s a bit discouraging given that the defensive tackles weren’t among the NFL’s best in 2024. The reality, though, is that he was a 7th-Round rookie coming out of a small school. Needing some time to acclimate and adjust was always the plan. Can he take a sophomore leap to snag the DT5 or DT6 job?
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
