The Vikings Pulled Off a Houdini Act
The NFL is a league that’s starved for pass rushing talent. So much the better if the pass rusher can get the job done for cheap (any sense at all that the league cares about money?).
One therefore wonders if the Vikings pulled off a Houdini act.
Sophomore edge rusher Gabriel Murphy didn’t get onto the team’s 53-man roster. In fact, there were some rumblings that Minnesota tossed him into the trade market, doing so very publicly via word from The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. In the end, though, Murphy is still around in Minnesota, finding a spot on the practice squad.
Vikings Pulled Off a Houdini Act
Worth noting, folks, that not all released Vikings went unclaimed. A pair — CB Reddy Steward alongside LB Dorian Mausi — got scooped up.
When it comes to Mr. Murphy, it’s fair to wonder why he didn’t get claimed. Did he just disappear from the sight of the other 31 NFL teams? Such a magical move would explain the decision to overlook someone who entered undrafted free agency last year with oodles of promise and intrigue.
Consider, for instance, what one scouting report had to say of the UCLA edge rusher leading into the 2024 NFL Draft.
Alongside a recommendation that Murphy should get snagged in the 5th, Lance Zierlein writes, “What Murphy lacks in size and length he makes up for with skill and production. He’s short-armed, which will worry teams on the pro level, but his hands are so sudden and polished that it tends to ease concerns. He works his hands and feet in perfect harmony to elude blockers like a shifty runner eluding tacklers.”
The analyst continues: “Murphy could struggle to survive against run blockers who square him up, but he typically finds a way to slither out of sustain attempts on the collegiate level. He failed to dominate one-on-one opportunities at East-West Shrine Bowl practices, but his ability to maneuver into the backfield as a run defender and pass rusher has merit and should give him a shot to become a solid 3-4 edge rusher.”
Other spots were impressed, too. Bleacher Report assigned a 5th-Round grade. PFF placed Gabriel Murphy at No. 149 — a pick that arrives in the 5th — on their board prior to the 2024 NFL Draft. On The 33rd Team, there was quite a bit of praise: “Overall, Murphy is a sudden, explosive, relatively refined and polished player with strong pass-rush traits who can line up in multiple positions in the defensive front. That is always in demand in the NFL.”
Note: the Vikings pulled Gabriel Murphy out of undrafted free agency, luring him to town with the promise of a payday that saw $245,000 locked in as guaranteed money.
Even more fascinating is that the Vikings cleared out veteran competition in the 2025 offseason. Jihad Ward and Patrick Jones were allowed to get away. The process involved rallying around the top twosome — the excellent Jonathan Greenard & Andrew Van Ginkel — while elevating Dallas Turner.
After those established three were young, unproven players. Murphy was joined by Bo Richter, an UDFA who played a key special teams role in 2024. And then Tyler Batty alongside Chaz Chambliss were added after the 2025 NFL Draft. All Gabriel Murphy had to do was fend off the advances of other undrafted players. Doing so would mean jumping into the EDGE4 job for 2025.
Most (all?) thought that Mr. Murphy had done so after his super promising preseason debut. The defender lived in the Texans’ backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks while laying a hit on the passer several more times. Goodness, Kevin O’Connell was even effusive in his praise for Gabriel Murphy, but that didn’t lead to a roster spot. Richter and Chambliss ended up earning the open jobs.
Most surprising of all is that the NFL again had a chance to snag him. Like the 2024 NFL Draft, the NFL collectively decided not to open a spot on their team for the pass rusher with promise.
Gabriel Murphy, 24, is listed at 6’2″ and 247 pounds. Presumably, he’ll be the one who gets called up to the active roster if there ends up being a need for another pass rusher.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap helped with this piece.
