First Roster Cuts: At a Glance

Bradley Randle highlights the biggest surprise during the Vikings first round of roster cuts. Daniel House explains all of the cuts and more in his latest post.

 

The Vikings announced the release of 13 players and placed WR Greg Childs on the reserve/PUP list, which means he can be activated after week 8. Below is the first round of cuts, which reflects Christian Ballard and Greg Childs roster exemptions. This all means during the next roster cuts, the Vikings will only need to cut 20 players instead of the normal 22.

 

WAIVED

Player                           POS.                 EXP.                  COLLEGE

 

LaMark Brown............... WR..................1... Minn. State - Mankato

Erik Highsmith................ WR...................... R............ North Carolina

Chris Summers.............. WR........................ 1........................ Liberty

 

-Summers isn't a surprise to me, but with the talk of WR coach George Stewart, I thought Brown and Highsmith would still be around for the second round of roster cuts. Rodney Smith and Joe Webb emerged at the end of the preseason and have drawn a chance. I was surprised Adam Thielen made the first round of cuts, just because he has seen limited playing time in the preseason. With all of this, I believe there could be a chance Brown and Highsmith clear waivers and are placed on the practice squad, when the list is formulated.

 

James Vandenberg........ QB...................... R........................... Iowa

 

Vandenberg was brought in for a courtesy look into the NFL. He was steps behind McLeod Bethel-Thompson, which means Vandenberg really never had a chance from the start.

 

Bradley Randle............... RB...................... R......................... UNLV

Jerodis Williams.............. RB...................... R...................... Furman

 

-The early cut of Bradley Randle is easily the most surprising move during this group of roster cuts. Randle, a 'scat-back' with tons of potential, could have easily become a third down back. He has versatility on special teams and I firmly believe he will land somewhere in this league, if not on the Vikings practice squad, with another team in this league.

 

-Jerodis Williams was a non-factor and received little playing time, which signaled it was only a matter of time.

 

Tyler Holmes..................... G....................... 1.......................... Tulsa

Camden Wentz.................. C...................... R.................. N.C. State

 

-Absolutely no question marks here, just because the tier two and three offensive lineman have been so bad in their time on the field. Both of these players struggled and weren't ready for the NFL. Holmes received a second training camp invite, but failed to prove he has developed.

 

Lawrence Jackson.......... DE....................... 6........................... USC

Marquis Jackson............. DE...................... R............ Portland State

 

-Lawrence Jackson was brought into the mix with the thought he would bring veteran stability to the defensive. The real key was the Kevin Williams injury, which means the Vikings will need to keep an extra defensive tackle, to supplant Williams' absence. I thought he had a chance to make it through the first cut, but the coaches evidently saw all they needed to. To add, Marquis Jackson had no chance with the amount of depth at the defensive end position.

 

Stanford Keglar................ LB....................... 4....................... Purdue

 

-Keglar was signed during OTA's and was released before training camp began. He was added again when the Vikings parted ways with Nathan Williams during training camp and now he hits the market again, which probably signals the end of a short career for Keglar.

 

Greg McCoy................... CB....................... 1........................... TCU

Roderick Williams........... CB....................... 1............... Alcorn State

 

-McCoy showed flashes during training camp, but never solidified himself in a group that requires versatility. In addition, the Vikings have "struck out" on CFL products, as Roderick Williams was released. Solomon Elimimian, Emmanuel Arceneaux, and now Williams create the "swing and a miss." Williams did nice things in coverage during practice, but wasn't versatile enough to make this roster, especially on special teams.

 

The Vikings next roster cut comes on August 31st, when the league requires 53-man rosters to be aligned. We will have all the latest, including whether any of these players will be placed on the practice squad after they clear waivers this afternoon.