Vikings Cut a Playmaker
The Vikings haven’t been gun-shy with the backend of their roster since the draft nearly four weeks ago, adjusting the depth several times. Undrafted linebacker Scooby Williams was ultimately dropped because of a failed physical, while edge-rusher Jordan Botelho was axed to make room for wideout Terrill Davis.
Now, the third player from the initial undrafted rookie class is out. Wide receiver Shaleak Knotts, a playmaker from Maryland, was waived on Tuesday.
It’s not too unusual for undrafted rookies to lack staying power and have short stints with their new franchises, but rarely do teams mix up their undrafted rookie class this quickly.
Knotts spent the past four seasons at Maryland as a teammate of last year’s third-rounder, Tai Felton, and long-time practice-squad member Jeshaun Jones. Minnesota’s latest ex-player provided depth at Maryland for three of those four campaigns, with a total of 246 yards and one touchdown.
Last year, his numbers finally took off, as he secured 44 receptions for 717 yards and six touchdowns. At 6’3″ and 194 pounds, Knotts is a big-bodied receiver. The once highly-touted recruit couldn’t live up to the hype in college, but the late breakout kept the NFL dream alive.
Now that he’s off the team, Knotts is looking for one of the other 31 to give him a chance to showcase his skill set. Organizations often shuffle their roster during the preseason, which might be his best shot.
The Vikings, meanwhile, have a fascinating problem: They are one player short. In theory, they could add another high-profile player, as they did in the receiving room when Jauan Jennings joined.
The outside linebacker position immediately comes to mind, where Jadeveon Clowney and Leonard Floyd could give the Vikings the third edge defender they undoubtedly need following Jonathan Greenard’s exit. Ashtyn Davis could provide some safety help in case Harrison Smith isn’t coming back and rookie Jakobe Thomas isn’t deemed ready. Center Ethan Pocic could give the Vikings an established ball-snapper.
Minnesota is still loaded at receiver, despite Knotts’ exit. A few weeks ago, the unit lacked a third pass-catcher with NFL experience behind top stars Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Promoting Tai Felton to WR3 felt like a tall ask after his three-catch rookie year.
Jennings’ arrival answered the WR3 question, and it certainly is a great answer. The depth is still in question, though. Last year’s rookies, Felton and Myles Price, have shown their prowess on special teams, but barely saw the field on offense.
That could open the door for all the undrafted rookies and remaining depth from last year to enter the rotation with a good summer.
Terrill Davis, Luke Wysong, Marcus Sanders Jr., and Dillon Bell are undrafted rookies. The latter could be a decent underdog bet going into training camp. Jeshaun Jones and Dontae Fleming return from last year’s practice squad, while freak athlete Joaquin Davis was signed a few months ago. He was an undrafted rookie with the Broncos last year and could be another guy to watch.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.