Three Vikings veterans in danger of being cut before Week 1

The Minnesota Vikings spent much of the offseason purging the roster of expensive veterans.  Dalvin Cook, Patrick Peterson, Za'Darius Smith, Eric Kendricks, and more were all shown the door. The team did reach a deal with Danielle Hunter, however, perhaps indicating the team isn't in full teardown mode.  Due to some standout performances from younger […]

Bryce Lazenby
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The Minnesota Vikings spent much of the offseason purging the roster of expensive veterans. 

Dalvin Cook, Patrick Peterson, Za'Darius Smith, Eric Kendricks, and more were all shown the door. The team did reach a deal with Danielle Hunter, however, perhaps indicating the team isn't in full teardown mode. 

Due to some standout performances from younger players, however, there are still a few veterans who could be purged before Week 1. 

Greg Joseph, K

Joseph is looking to hold on to the Vikings’ kicker job for the third season in a row. However, it appears that the veteran has strong competition so far. UDFA Jack Podlesny has performed well this summer and opened up the competition. 

In 2022, Joseph performed worse than in 2021 in almost every category. The kicker made just 78% of his kicks and just 87% of his extra-point attempts. Those numbers were down from 86 and 90% respectively in 2021. If Podlesny can prove his consistency on extra points, he could beat the veteran out. 

Troy Reeder, LB

Reeder may have an inside track on a job due to his familiarity with Kevin O’Connell. KOC and Reeder were both in Los Angeles with the Rams from 2020-2021. However, rookie UDFA Ivan Pace Jr. has been a star in camp and has even received first-team reps. The team also likes Troy Dye, who has been a valued member of the team for three seasons now. 

Additionally, Reeder only got $100,000 guaranteed this offseason so cutting him wouldn't hurt financially. If Reeder can't hold off the young Pace or Dye, he will be looking for a new team soon. 

CJ Ham, FB

This one would be a surprise. Ham is a fan-favorite, homegrown Pro Bowler. However, we can’t ignore that he plays a dying position. 

Fewer and fewer teams carry a true fullback in 2023. Is it possible that KOC sees a better use for Ham's roster spot? The team may keep four RBs, which could mean there's no room for a FB. 

Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler, DeWayne McBride, and Kene Nwangwu have all looked great this summer. Would the team keep Ham over one of them? I'm not so sure. Chandler will likely be the primary backup, McBride is a rookie with explosive speed, and Nwangwu is a special teams ace. All could contribute more than Ham. 

Featured image via © Brad Rempel | 2023 Aug 3

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