Vikings' roster remains a work in progress
The wide receiver and cornerback positions are both in need of additions, meaning some who made the 53 won't be staying long.
The Vikings cut their roster to the regular-season limit of 53 by the 3 p.m. deadline on Tuesday, placing 15 players on waivers, terminating the contracts of four veterans and putting fullback C.J. Ham and outside linebacker Tyler Batty on injured reserve with a designation to return.
But this doesn’t mean the Vikings’ roster is set for their Sept. 8 opener in Chicago. More changes will be made in the coming few days as general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks to add at a few positions.
This could be done by placing a waiver claim, signing a veteran who has been released by another team, or via a trade that could materialize now that much of the heavy lifting is done when it comes to roster construction.
Here are seven takeaways from version 1.0 of the Vikings roster for 2025.
HELP WANTED PART 1
The Vikings kept five wide receivers: Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, Tai Felton, Tim Jones and Myles Price. Jordan Addison was placed on the reserve list and will miss the first three games of the season as he serves an NFL suspension. Nailor is on the roster, but a hand injury could sideline him for Week 1.
Even if Nailor plays, the Vikings are in need of short-term help at this position. Felton was a third-round pick and remains a work in progress. Jones was signed as a free agent more for his abilities as a blocker and on special teams, and Price was kept to return punts.
The Vikings reportedly spent recent days trying to bring back Adam Thielen in a trade from from Carolina, but the Panthers asked for a higher draft pick than Adofo-Mensah wanted to surrender.
The Vikings have many options beyond Thielen — Washington released former Viking K.J. Osborn — so look for a move to be made on Wednesday.
HELP WANTED PART 2
The Vikings also are in need of help at cornerback. Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers will start and it’s expected Jeff Okudah will be used as an outside corner when Murphy moves inside in the nickel package.
The only other cornerback currently on the roster is 2024 undrafted free agent Dwight McGlothern. A day after trading 2023 third-round pick Mekhi Blackmon to Indianapolis, the Vikings jettisoned Zemaiah Vaughn and Ambry Thomas. Vaughn, signed as an undrafted free agent from Utah, likely will be signed to the practice squad, assuming he clears waivers.
While the assumption has been that Adofo-Mensah recently made three trades in order to accumulate draft picks to acquire a wide receiver, there’s a chance he would be willing to surrender more draft capital in a deal for an established cornerback.
The wide receiver conundrum is a short-term problem that needs fixing, but the cornerback issue has the potential to become a season-long headache. Last summer, the Vikings addressed the corner spot in late August by signing veteran Stephon Gilmore to a one-year, $10 million contract. Gilmore, who will turn 35 in September, has yet to sign with a team after expressing a desire to continue his career in July.
One name that might intrigue the Vikings is Noah Igbinoghene of Washington. The Commanders reportedly have been gauging trade interest in the veteran, who was taken in the first round of the 2020 draft by the Miami Dolphins. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores was coach of the Dolphins at that time.
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