Vikings finally address an area of need ahead of joint practices with Ravens, but questions still remain
When you look at the Minnesota Vikings roster, center is a key area of need, and they have added someone at the position.
During the course of training camp, snapping has been an issue for the Minnesota Vikings. It’s something that you take for granted until it starts to become a problem.
Unfortunately, Blake Brandel has not been consistent enough. The hope was he would be able to use the offseason to improve consistently as a snapper. It hasn’t happened fast enough, and the Vikings have brought in some form of competition.
Minnesota Vikings add a center
The Vikings haven’t rested in trying to find improvements to the roster, as they’ve signed Joshua Gray to the 90-man roster. In turn, they have released defensive tackle Eric Johnson II.
Gray was a UDFA out of Oregon State in 2025 where he signed with the Atlanta Falcons. He played 135 snaps for hem in the preseason in 2025, but didn’t play during the regular season. This year, Gray played 24 snaps with the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 of the preseason before they chose to release him.
It’s an intriguing signing, mainly due to the athletic profile he has. Where things get interesting is with Gray’s size, as he’s 6-5 and around 300 pounds.
There is a really nice athletic profile for the Vikings to work with, but will there be strength issues at play? His scouting report from NFL.com highlights average pop when run blocking and poor timing, which could be an issue.
I’m really intrigued by the signing, but the level of which it will matter is still unknown.
