4 Most Surprising Players to be Cut From Vikings Roster

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Lucky Jackson, Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

While the Minnesota Vikings are just under two weeks from kicking off their regular season, Tuesday was the busiest transaction day of the year. Teams had to cut rosters down to 53 players, and that meant more than 25 moves for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell to make.

Many roster moves are straightforward. Training camp bodies are brought in to compete during the preseason, but there is no real path to a roster spot. Not all of the moves work that way though, and sometimes players earn a surprising spot.

Chaz Chambliss
Credit: Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On the flip side, when someone takes a spot out of nowhere, it has a trickle down effect. The Vikings rostered a whopping seven undrafted free agents. These are the four most shocking names to miss the cut.

Gabriel Murphy, OLB

There are four players on this list, but none compare to the surprise cut that was Gabriel Murphy. He was a standout during training camp and the preseason last year. The undrafted free agent out of UCLA earned his way onto the field for a pair of games during the regular season as well.

This preseason Murphy racked up 1.5 sacks in limited action. He seemed like an edge rusher with the arrow pointing straight up. Then again, it’s a tough group to crack when Brian Flores boasts the best front seven in the league.

Ultimately the Vikings opted to carry undrafted free agent Chaz Chambliss instead. The Georgia product probably has more impact on special teams and that could be the difference. Murphy won’t be unemployed long, and it would hardly be shocking if he put up some good starting numbers.

It wasn’t even as though Murphy was next in line either. Austin Keys, another undrafted rookie, made the time as a linebacker also.

Taki Taimani, DL

An undrafted rookie last season, Taimani saw time on defense for Minnesota. He played in seven games and recorded three tackles on 70 defensive snaps. It’s not that he was a fixture or even a rotational player, but development would have suggested another step forward this season.

Of course that interior line is not the same group this team employs. Harrison Phillips and those patchwork pieces behind him are gone. Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave are here to wreak havoc. Taimani found himself bested by the competition and now he’ll look to stick elsewhere.

Nick Vannett, TE

It’s not so much that Vannett wasn’t kept for Minnesota. He was a late training camp addition and came about because the tight end depth had hit a snag. Rookie Gavin Bartholomew is going to miss the season, and he was set to be the third option behind T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver.

Rather than just go with Vannett, who has nine years of experience under his belt, Minnesota opted for undrafted free agent Benjamin Yurosek. Last season Vannett was active for all 17 games with the Tennessee Titans and drew 10 starts. He’s had more than 200 yards receiving in a season just once during his career, but he keeps seeing opportunities.

Yurosek, a Georgia product, had only 15 receptions for the Bulldogs last season. He turned them into 185 yards, but had just five career touchdowns in 48 collegiate games. This could be more of a special teams play as well.

Lucky Jackson, WR

When you have just five wide receivers make a roster, and only two of them are worthy of a starting role, it’s worth scrutinizing the position. Lucky Jackson wasn’t a surprise cut if you watched him fumble away the opportunity during the preseason. He was a surprise cut because a roster spot was his for the taking and he flopped.

Instead of Jackson, the Vikings will roll with undrafted free agent Myles Price, and uninspiring veteran Tim Jones. Price has utility as a returner and showed some nice chemistry with third string quarterback Max Brosmer. Jones played all 17 games each of the past three seasons for the Jaguars, but he has just 17 receptions to his credit.

Jackson could have been in line to push Jalen Nailor for reps at some point this season. Instead his untimely drops and uninspiring play left him on the unemployment line.

The Minnesota Vikings kick off their season on September 8 against the Chicago Bears. These surprise cuts will be looking to land deals elsewhere before then.

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