Looks Like 1 Vikings Newcomer Isn’t Promised a Roster Spot
The Minnesota Vikings have acquired numerous potential contributors in the recent free agency period. Most focus on defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave as well as their offensive counterparts Will Fries and Ryan Kelly. Those four standout signings will surely be on the 53-man roster.
Looks Like 1 Vikings Newcomer Isn’t Promised a Roster Spot
One guy whose future might be a little more in jeopardy is Rondale Moore, the shifty receiver. His contract shows that he hasn’t secured anything beyond training camp.
His one-year deal is worth $2 million, but only 12.5%, or $250,000, of that is fully guaranteed.
For the average person, that is a ton of money, but in the eyes of the executives in the front office, that is basically nothing. They regularly strike deals in the millions; even the cheapest minimum deal a rookie can sign is $840,000.
Moore received a $250,000 signing bonus, which nobody can take away from him. His $1.1 million base salary isn’t guaranteed at all. He will likely get an additional $50,000 via a workout bonus. Another $600,000 is tied to per-game roster bonuses.
This means that if the Vikings cut the man in August, he will be $300,000 richer, but the club can save the other $1.7 million.
The opposite example is cornerback Jeff Okudah, whose one-year deal of $2.35 million is fully guaranteed, and it would take a truly disastrous performance in training camp for the Vikings to say goodbye to him ahead of the season.
PurplePTSD’s Kyle Joudry noted, “One wonders about the level of competition to sign Jeff Okudah. Put differently, the amount of teams that were calling in free agency. The total compensation isn’t huge but the fully guaranteed nature of the deal says something. Did Minnesota get the corner because it was willing to ensure every dollar that’s promised in the contract actually ends up in his pocket?”
Back to Moore, it is fair to question whether he was as high in demand as Okudah, considering his deal. He visited the Vikings and left without a deal to check in with a couple of other franchises. Ultimately, he returned and signed with the purple franchise. Perhaps the other teams didn’t feel as comfortable with his knee or offered even less guaranteed money?
Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury in last year’s training camp with the Falcons, and he previously had a lengthy injury history that cost him the better part of his last two college seasons at Purdue.
He was a highly-touted player coming out despite missing an alarming number of games in college, and the Cardinals pulled the trigger in the second round of the 2021 draft. Moore spent three seasons there, catching 135 passes for 1,201 yards and three touchdowns, primarily playing in the slot as a short-yardage pass-catcher.
Then, the Cards shipped him to the Falcons for backup QB Desmond Ridder, where he was supposed to join Kirk Cousins’ receiving crew in the final year of his rookie deal. The knee injury prevented him from ever suiting up for the Falcons.
In Minnesota, his competition behind safe players Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor are special teamer and depth receiver Tim Jones, as well as last year’s practice squad players Lucky Jackson, Jeshaun Jones, and Thayer Thomas. However, the club will add more to the room via the draft or in free agency.
If healthy and back to full speed, Moore should be considered likely to be on the 53-man roster, but it’s not guaranteed to happen. The best evidence is his contract.
Moore will turn 25 in June.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
6 Vikings Breakout Candidates in 2025
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