Vikings Host Veteran Safety
Kevin O’Connell’s operation wants to repeat its magical 14-3 record from a year ago. The season starts on the road with a game versus the Chicago Bears on Monday, September 8th, in what will be J.J. McCarthy’s NFL debut. The Vikings have released their initial 53-man roster this week, but the front office is still seeking reinforcements.
Vikings Host Veteran Safety
On Wednesday, the major news was Adam Thielen’s return to his home state after two campaigns in Carolina. The Vikings also assembled the practice squad.
Almost as a side note among those items, the organization hosted veteran safety K’Von Wallace. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported, “Veteran safety K’Von Wallace is working out for the #Vikings on Thursday, per source. Wallace, who has 168 tackles over five NFL seasons, was last with the Giants.”
Wallace had signed with the New York Giants in July but didn’t survive the roster cuts and is now looking for a new employer.
Chris Pflum of the Big Blue Review wrote about the cut, “It was thought that Wallace was a real contender to make the Giants’ roster as the fourth safety thanks to his time with Shane Bowen at Tennessee and experience with the defensive scheme. Instead, he was one of the first 10 players cut, leaving Raheem Layne, Dane Belton, and rookie Makari Paige behind Tyler Nubin and Jevon Holland.”
Wallace just turned 28 years old. Coming out of Clemson, he was initially a Philadelphia Eagles draft choice in 2020. In college, he won a pair of championships, but with the Eagles, he lost the Super Bowl in 2022.
Still, he appeared in that game. In his regular-season Eagles career, he suited up 45 times, playing a minor role on defense and competing on special teams, not too unlike Joshua Metellus’ early career trajectory.
Unlike Metellus, however, Wallace was cut ahead of his fourth season. He then had stints with the Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks, and, recently, five weeks with the New York Giants. Last season’s stint with the Seahawks was cut short due to an injury that cost him the second half of the campaign.
Over his NFL career, Wallace has played in 71 games with 19 starts, logging one interception and 168 tackles in over 2,400 snaps (966 on special teams).
The Vikings employ five safeties on the 53-man roster.
- Harrison Smith
- Joshua Metellus
- Theo Jackson
- Jay Ward
- Tavierre Thomas
Additionally, Kahlef Hailassie — the star of the first preseason game since he had a couple of interceptions — was retained on the practice squad. He was moved to safety right ahead of that contest and is now listed as a safety.
Wallace hasn’t been signed, and it’s unclear whether that’ll change. Perhaps a spot on the practice squad is enough to lure him to the Twin Cities. If the Vikings want to add him to the 53-man roster, one of Ward and Thomas would likely be on the chopping block.
Those three defenders have a similar profile as special-teamers with potentially a small rotation role on defense.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.