That doesn’t mean last night wasn’t a success for the purple, however. Not only did Max Brosmer prove himself to be a legitimate QB2 candidate for JJ McCarthy, but head coach Kevin O’Connell and the rest of the coaching/scouting staff got help answering all sorts of depth questions facing them with cut day looming.

But as the MN Vikings and other NFL teams across the league work night and day to shave their 90-man training camp roster down to 53 players this week, the Nashville police department is working overtime the past 12-14 hours on an investigation that penetrates much deeper than Friday’s Vikings vs Titans game.

Familiar oblong object spotted at Vikings vs Titans

During last night’s preseason game in downtown Nashville, someone hurled a familiar-looking sex toy onto the Nissan Stadium field. Video of the sausage-shaped object was shot from multiple angles, before it was collected by a staff member for safe keeping.

LMAO a green dildo was thrown onto the field at the NFL Tennessee Titans football game. 🤣😭

https://t.co/D92l8X1e5q

— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) August 23, 2025

The first identified flying green object landed on a WNBA hardwood back on July 29, during a regular season game between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyrie.

Since its viral debut about three weeks ago, the neon sex toy has wriggled its way onto more than a handful of other WNBA courts; frustrating players, coaches and executives around the league, including Minnesota Lynx president of basketball operation/head coach, Cheryl Reeve.

Latest on Minnesota Vikings vs Tennessee Titans toy tossers

According to reports, in-stadium cameras got photos of the toy tossers, which they have handed over to Nashville police, in hopes it can help assist them in their investigative efforts.

To this point, at least three people have been arrested for throwing sex toys onto professional sports playing surfaces, all of which have apparently been part of some crypto pumping scheme. If more comes out on this fast-moving story, it will be added to this article.

Jaren Hall has another big day vs Philadelphia Eagles

But it was 3rd string QB Jaren Hall who stole the show. That was especially true in the first half, where he absolutely lit up the Eagles defense for 128 yards and two touchdowns, on 13 of 16 passing. He finished the day 17-of-25 for 189 yards and those two first half TDs.

He looked calm, cool and collected, which is exactly how you’d hope a young, talented QB would, vs 3rd and 4th stringers. And that’s why it was so good to see. In his sophomore season, anything less would mean he probably isn’t worth keeping. He left a bit earlier than expected, due to a hard hit, but he seemed to be OK after.

Jaren Hall back-to-back games with multiple TD passes pic.twitter.com/u0NYCwp8v5

— Hunter Miller (@MillerHHunter) August 24, 2024

N'Keal Harry! Jaren Hall looks sharp so far. pic.twitter.com/XkGkkayuOk

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 24, 2024

After today’s performance, Jaren Hall finishes his preseason 28-of-46 (61%) for 339 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Outside of a poor (but very short) appearance in exhibition game one, the 26-year-old has proven himself as a young QB who is very much worth a spot 53-man roster spot.

No chance Minnesota Vikings can sneak Hall to their practice squad now

Entering the weekend, there was a lot of questions over whether or not Jaren Hall would make the Vikings final roster, which will be presented on Tuesday. Was there any way to sneak him onto the practice squad? Not anymore

Related: Vikings’ Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Looking to Add More Draft Capital?

Kevin O’Connell has invested a lot of time and effort into developing Hall. If he wants to get him on the practice squad, he’d have to cut him first. Obviously, that would allow another team to come swipe him from under KOC’s nose. If they want to keep Jaren in Minnesota, it’ll have to be via the 53-man roster.

Good pocket presence by Jaren Hall here pic.twitter.com/dkOyV1bbGx

— DIE-HARD 🦅 REALTOR® (@Eaglesfans9) August 24, 2024

Jaren Hall in 3 preseason games: 28-46-339-4-0.

Good preseason stats are better than the alternative.

More important: He remains on track to be the Vikings' No. 3 QB.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 24, 2024

Jaren Hall was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 5th round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He walked into rookie camp and prepared early on as a depth piece whose only job on game days would be to hold a clipboard and learn behind Kirk Cousins and Nick Mullens.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Complete First Round of 2024 Roster Cuts

Remember, Jaren has regular season experience too

But that changed pretty quickly when Nick Mullens was put on injured reserve with a back injury. Suddenly, the Minnesota Vikings were one Kirk Cousins injury away from forcing their 5th round rookie out of BYU into action.

Hall made the final 53-man roster, and the beginning of his NFL career went as planned. Kirk played, Nick backed him up and Jaren was activated on Sundays as the emergency QB, meaning he didn’t have to count against the game day roster.

Sidenote: That rule is now changed, per Tom Pelissero (NFL Network), meaning there’s really no chance Jaren is left off the final roster now

Important note as teams construct their initial 53-man rosters:

NFL teams were informed that the NFLPA vetoed the revised Emergency 3rd Quarterback rule that would have allowed teams to elevate a bona fide QB from the practice squad an unlimited number of times.

So, the rule…

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 26, 2024

Then, as we all know, that’s exactly what happened. Cousins tore his ACL in week 8 vs Green Bay and it was Jaren Hall who was thrust under center. He played well, too. After going 3-of-4 for 23 yards to finish off the Packers, he went into Atlanta in week 9 and went 5-of-6 for 78 yards.

Related: Jaren Hall Still Has His 53-Man Doubters

Unfortunately, Jaren was smashed into concussion protocol by a goalline collision during his second drive vs the Falcons. That ended his bid as Minnesota’s QB1 just as quickly as it began. Hall got another chance in week 16. He finished his 2023 rookie season 13-for-20 for 168 yards, 0 TDs and 1 INT.

After how he performed in the final two preseason games, there is no chance Jaren Hall would make it through waivers. Teams in the NFL are desperate for young quarterbacks who have shown any sign of competency at this level. Not only did he play well during meaningless preseason games, but he has real NFL experience, too.

Nonetheless, there were some notable items sprinkled in throughout the game. For example, we saw another chapter of the right guard battle play out. Incumbent starter, Ed Ingram, was on the field into the 2nd quarter.

Meanwhile, the rest of the starting offensive line didn’t play. They were posted up on the sideline, chewing sunflower seeds and sipping Gatorade. That includes new starting Blake Brandel.

Ed Ingram still fighting to get his job back

What does this mean for the 2022 2nd round pick? Well, it’s more of what we saw last weekend. And in NFL preseason non-verbal coach speak, Ingram being left in the game as long as he was is a clear sign for everyone paying attention, including Ed Ingram, that the RG1 spot is still up for grabs.

Ed Ingram being out there with the twos to open this game tells you his starting job is not guaranteed

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 17, 2024

Unfortunately, Ingram’s inability to secure a job he has held down for two-straight seasons, wasn’t the saddest part of his day today with the Minnesota Vikings’ 2nd team.

There were multiple times vs the Browns’ 2nd unit where the 2022 2nd round draft pick failed his assignment. And when an interior offensive lineman screws up, it’s usually really bad news for whatever play his team is running. That was indeed the case on Saturday.

Ed Ingram and David Quessenberry failed to pick up the stunt here pic.twitter.com/8bzhgMndpZ

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 17, 2024

Last season, Ed Ingram finished with mediocre, at best, grades over at Pro Football Focus. His overall grade of 59.5 finished 2nd to last of the five Vikings OL starters in 2023. Dalton Risner was the only starter who was worse. His 60.9 pass block grade was 2nd to last, too. Only Garrett Bradbury was worse, in that department.

Minnesota Vikings interior offensive line is still a problem

In other words, the Minnesota Vikings need more out of their interior offensive line. That’s why Blake Brandel has taken over the starting spot on the left side of Garrett Bradbury. Speaking of the former 1st round center out of North Carolina State, his job is certainly not in danger.

Related: Vikings’ Starting Cornerback Will Be Ready for Week One

The 29-year-old Bradbury hasn’t been the career-long pro bowler Minnesota hoped he would be, when they drafted him No. 18 overall back in 2019. But the Vikings aren’t looking to replace the 5-year NFL veteran. Instead, head coach Kevin O’Connell has put more pre-snap responsibilities on Garrett’s plate.

Kirk Cousins is no longer running the show. That means Bradbury has been tasked with helping Sam Darnold and the rest of the offense get into their best possible alignments and play calls, prior to the ball is snapped.

One thing Ingram has going for him…

There’s one thing that Ed Ingram has working in his favor, when it comes to keeping his RG1 job. The Minnesota Vikings don’t seem to have any better options. It’s clear, even when healthy, KOC doesn’t trust Dalton Risner to flip sides and take over, in seamless fashion.

That’s why he had to sign a veteran tweener-type contract, to get back on the roster. The Vikings like 2022 undrafted free agent, Tyrese Robinson, but asking a guy who didn’t have a job in football just 1.5 years ago to hold down the starting right guard spot is probably not something Minnesota would prefer to do.

Related: Is Tom Brady Staying in Football Shape So He Can Save the Minnesota Vikings Season?

But training camp cuts are coming up soon enough, so it isn’t just the guards on this roster that Ed Ingram has to worry about. No doubt general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will be working the phones over the next few weeks, to see if he can make an upgrade at RG.

He quickly bounced back to show those in attendance and watching from afar why his football brain and mentality is just as exciting as his physical talent. He knew what he did wrong, dumped the emotions before they scarred his judgement, and moved onto the next drive.

JJ McCarthy looked good in his first game as a Minnesota Vikings QB

In the throws that followed his interception, the 2024 No. 10 overall pick looked sharp, accurate and showed off his rocket-arm multiple times. When the dust settled, McCarthy finished 11-of-17 for 188 yards, 2 touchdowns and just the one early INT.

Highlights of JJ McCarthy's preseason debut pic.twitter.com/ywRbZnSw6F

— Jake B 〽️ (@MichFootballBEL) August 11, 2024

Related: Drastic Changes Coming to Jordan Addison’s Contract with Vikings, if Suspended

Just about everybody watching the Minnesota Vikings vs Las Vegas Raiders game on Saturday came away impressed by what they saw from JJ McCarthy. And that’s not limited to fans or coaches who were cheering and/or wearing purple.

Las Vegas Raiders impressed by McCarthy too

According to Albert Breer (SI), the Las Vegas Raiders left U.S. Bank Stadium praising what they saw from the Vikings’ rookie QB too. Specifically, Raiders officials told the well-respected NFL insider that JJ’s athleticism and decisiveness stood out most.

Raiders folks thought [JJ McCarthy] played really well against them. In particular, his athleticism and decisiveness stood out, good signs since the biggest questions facing the 10th pick in April’s NFL draft concerned how he’d look outside a Michigan scheme that leaned heavy on a dominant run game.

Albert Breer – Sports Illustrated

Given everything we have heard, and seen, from McCarthy through his first few months as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, fans may be able to exhale slightly. We still do not know what the Michigan product will become, or how we will see him 10 years from now.

Related: New Name Emerging in Minnesota Vikings RG Battle?

But after one preseason game, and months of practices under his belt, I think it’s safe to assume we have avoided worst case scenario with this 1st round rookie QB. He is not Christian Ponder. That doesn’t mean he is going to be the next Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen… but he doesn’t appear to have a lot of “bust” in him either.

We saw Sam Darnold for one drive, and he looked pretty good. Then, we got two quarters of JJ McCarthy. He started slow but finished in elite fashion (see more below), before he was removed in the 3rd quarter, and replaced by Jaren Hall.

On defense, it didn’t take long to find out how desperate the secondary is for cornerback help. Gardner Minshew threw all over the Vikings’ first team defense. In the first half, he looked like a prime Rich Gannon, throwing up and down the US Bank Stadium field.

Justin Jefferson goes crazy for teammates during Minnesota Vikings preseason game

At the start of the 2nd half, with Minnesota down 20-7, Justin Jefferson joined the broadcast booth, from the sideline. And just like that, everything in Saturday’s preseason game changed. Momentum swung fully in the purple’s direction. At least for a little bit.

Moments after Jefferson cracked the mic, McCarthy, who had struggled up until that point, threw an absolute dime deep ball to the left sideline, perfectly laid over two defenders, and dropped right into the bread basket of Trishton Jackson.

The @Vikings mic'd up Justin Jefferson on the sidelines and his reactions were priceless 😭 @JJettas2 pic.twitter.com/9sekaK2xcx

— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024

“”LET’S GOOOOO!! LET’S GOOOOO!!” You could hear Jefferson’s microphone cracking because he was screaming so loud into it. In that moment, he completely forgot that he had Paul Allen and Pete Bercich in his ear. Both were just laughing and cheering along with him, anyway. It was a great preseason moment.

Related: Left Guard No Longer a Weakness for Vikings?

A couple drives later, we got more of the same. This time, McCarthy executed a beautiful play action fake handoff, where he fooled the entire Raiders defense. Then, the rookie 1st round pick easily laid it up for a wide open Trent Sherfield, for another TD.

A+ teammate grade

On both plays, McCarthy’s superstar wideout was on the sideline, mic’d up, without pads, and proving that he is just as good of a teammate as he is football player. You can see in the video below, it was difficult for Paul Allen & Co to ask Justin Jefferson questions, because he was too tuned into the game.

Not only was Jefferson cheering on the big plays, like McCarthy’s touchdowns. But Jets was also engaged while the Vikings were on defense. He could be heard screaming at Lucky Jackson, “LET’S GO LUCKY!! LET’S GO LUCKY!!”, after a great play his WR brother made on special teams.

.@Borichterr gets another one!

📺: @FOX9 | @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/fT8do6lHbe

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 10, 2024

In general, Justin Jefferson was focused on the game and interacting with teammates, as if it meant as much to him as week one vs the New York Giants. Not only is Minnesota’s 25-year-old phenom WR the best in football (no matter what Madden says), but he might be the best teammate in football too.

Related: ‘Pretty Clear Favorite’ Emerging in Minnesota Vikings’ WR3 Race

If a football franchise is going to pay any non-quarterback $30+ million per year, there is no better player it could be than Justin Jefferson.

That’ll almost certainly be Sam Darnold. He was listed as QB1 on the team’s first “unofficial” depth chart of the preseason, released Tuesday. The 27-year-old, 6-year NFL veteran was signed over the offseason to help keep the Vikings’ offensive carriage on the road, for as long as needed.

Meanwhile, the 21-year-old rookie will incubate naturally, under the watchful eye of QB guru head coach, Kevin O’Connell. But that doesn’t mean we won’t see plenty of JJ McCarthy this weekend.

Plenty of JJ McCarthy coming up vs Raiders

KOC met with media on Thursday, and unveiled Darnold as the starter on Saturday, followed by McCarthy. Earlier in the week, Dane Mizutani (Pioneer Press) told Brandon Mileski (KFAN) on the radio, “you’ll get a lot of JJ McCarthy run [Saturday].” The head coach echoed that today.

Kevin O’Connell said the #Vikings will play the majority of their players in the preseason opener. Sam Darnold will start at QB, and then J.J. McCarthy will get “a significant amount of work,” O’Connell said.

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) August 8, 2024

Related: Vikings Insider Projects Undrafted Rookie as Surefire 53-Man Roster Candidate

This isn’t surprising. Of course, O’Connell wants to bring McCarthy along slowly and ease him into life as an NFL player. At the same time, JJ is a competitor. And now, he competes for a living. So you have to let the kid compete. No doubt he wants to be on the field as much as possible.

How long will Minnesota Vikings play JJ McCarthy, Sam Darnold?

How much will we see the rookie Saturday? I would imagine he gets at least half of the contest. Kevin O’Connell and Sam Darnold will have small, very specific and intentional goals for the QB1 vs Vegas.

As soon as Darnold hits whatever benchmarks set for him, the Vikings will want to bring in McCarthy. Not just to see where the youngster is at, as to not risk injury for Sam either. At most, I expect Darnold to play the entire first half, but even that feels like too much. He’ll likely get one full quarter, at least.

Related: Vikings Owner Suggests 2024 Could be ‘Prove It’ Season for Current Regime

Whenever Sam is removed from the game, whether that’s in the 2nd quarter or 2nd half, the Minnesota Vikings will go to McCarthy. They are well aware of what Nick Mullens is made of.

Even if Nick ends up being named QB2 for week 1 of the regular season, that won’t be the case Saturday. After Darnold, it’ll be McCarthy who comes in vs Vegas. After JJ, they’ll give the ball to Jaren Hall.

JJ McCarthy has been SHOWING OUT at Vikings training camp 😳

McCarthy has reportedly been “cutting up” the Vikings first team defense.

And even had a red zone period where he scored 4 TD’s on 5 drives.

Many NFL scouts reportedly believe McCarthy will be the “QB1” by week one.… pic.twitter.com/Nj7EaSHjYL

— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) July 31, 2024

Will that be in the 1st quarter, 2nd quarter…. 3rd quarter? I’d throw a dart somewhere into the 2nd quarter and feel pretty good about anywhere I land. At the latest we’ll see our future franchise quarterback to start the 2nd half.

Will Kirk Cousins play in the preseason?

But Cousins all but gave away the answer to one question that’s been floating around Minnesota Vikings fans and media members recently. Will the 11-year veteran step on the field for any of the team’s three preseason games. According to Kirk, Kevin O’Connell’s plan currently calls for him to sit the preseason out but plans could change, depending on how their joint practices with the Tennessee Titans (this week) and the Arizona Cardinals (next week) unfold.

Barreiro: “I’m assuming you aren’t going to play at all during the preseason, is that fair to say?”

Cousins: “Yeah, I think we’re kind of week-to-week. I don’t think Kevin wants to be held down to anything. But the key is these joint practices with the Titans and Cardinals. That we get a lot out of those four days (two with each team). So, that’s really where the focus is. Those two practices each week have to be really strong to get the work we need. If we can get to the end of those practices and feel like we got what we needed out of them, I think that’s where Kevin [O’Connell] is heading.”

Dan Barreiro Show – KFAN

It’s possible the Vikings play Kirk Cousins on Saturday night, in the team’s 2nd preseason game vs the Titans, should O’Connell find himself disappointed with what the offense shows during joint practice Wednesday and Thursday (also vs the Titans).

Sitting Cousins makes the most sense.

Still, I imagine things would have to go pretty poorly for the Vikings to parlay a frustrating joint practice into a Kirk Cousins appearance on Saturday night, in a much less controllable environment, just 50-ish hours later. And if Kirk doesn’t play in the 2nd preseason game, I highly doubt we’ll see him in the preseason finale vs Arizona next weekend. Especially after they do two more joint practices with them earlier in the week.

Clearly, coaches across the league would rather get work in for their most important starters through joint practices with opposing teams. The strategy makes sense. This way, they can blow the whistle to stop play or make a change instead of the entire event play out with strict rules like a preseason game.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Kwesi isn’t done either. The Vikings still have holes in their depth chart. Defensively, the purple could use depth help on the interior of their line. And on offense, Kevin O’Connell and Kirk Cousins would appreciate a better starting center than Garrett Bradbury.

Vikings Looking to Improve in Trenches

According to Darren Wolfson (KSTP, SKOR North), the Minnesota Vikings’ front office is keeping close tabs on free agent defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh, who would be the perfect addition for Ed Donatell. The problem point, with Suh, continues to be his price tag. Suh is still demanding an exorbitant $9M per year.

Wolfson couldn’t name names, when discussing what interior offensive lineman the Vikings have been in contact with. But apparently, he’s from the AFC and can play both guard and center (00:45 mark – Transcribed Below).

“The Vikings would happily take Suh, at a very low number. He reportedly is looking for upwards of $9 million, to play this year. The Vikings are not paying Ndamukong Suh $9 million, or anywhere in that ballpark, from what I can gather. Would they take him at a much much much lesser number? Yeah, I do believe they would. The Vikings continue to kick the tires, I hear, on at least one AFC offensive lineman who has position flexibility. So, he could play center.” – Darren Wolfson – The Scoop Podcast

Training Camp Hookie

I like Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s methodical approach to improving the Minnesota Vikings roster. If Ndamukong Suh would rather sit out of training camp and preseason, than make reasonable contract requests, then let him.

If Suh wants to play football in 2022, and all reports claim he does, then he’ll eventually sign a reasonable declining player contract and suit up. Like most NFL veterans, he probably doesn’t like training camp or preseason. Hopefully, Suh’s free agency price will drop significantly next week. Then, we will see if his interest in Minnesota is real.

Bradbury in Trouble

For Garrett Bradbury, the writing appears to be on the wall. Much like Kellen Mond and Sean Mannion, he’s been deemed by new leadership, as not good enough. So, with rosters cutting from 85 to 53 next week, I expect the Minnesota Vikings to make an upgrade at center. Whether that will be via trade or a veteran who’s been cut for financial reasons, we’ll soon find out.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The NFL is trying to officially shorten the 2020 preseason. Instead of playing the usual four games, the league is trying to cut it down to two. The players are all about less preseason games too… but the two games proposed by the NFL might still be too many.

As is the case quite often these days, the situation is in flux. The NFLPA is meeting tomorrow morning to discuss what they want to do. They could agree to the shortened preseason proposal or they could counter with their own offer of a one or even ZERO-game preseason 2020.

Updated NFL preseason schedule:
July 28: Nearly all NFL teams report to training camp
23 day acclimation period begins
Preseason Week 1: August 20th-24th
Preseason Week 2: August 27th-31st

September 10th: Chiefs vs. Texans. The games begin ?.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 1, 2020

While the expectation for weeks has been the NFL goes to two preseason games, the NFLPA hasn’t signed off. and some in union leadership continue to question whether it’s smart to play ANY preseason games, sources tell me and @TomPelissero. Board of reps call Thursday. Stay tuned.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 1, 2020

Be ready for 1 or 0 preseason games. Won’t be 2 https://t.co/b8cCB5dTRg

— Brandon McManus (@thekidmcmanus) July 1, 2020

This offer, which the union hasn’t signed yet, pulls the 1st and 4th week of preseason play. That means the originally scheduled Vikings games vs the Houston Texans on 8/14 and the Seattle Seahawks on 9/3 are all but cancelled, with more changes likely coming.

Anything Could Happen

Anything could happen with the schedule, from here… except playing > two games. For the Minnesota Vikings, both of the remaining games were originally scheduled to be on the road.

I highly doubt most “househould names” are playing in any preseason this year. These changes will mostly affect players on the roster bubble. As for fans, we’ll have to wait until August 21st for live Vikings football, at the earliest. Usually we don’t like preseason but, at this point, most fans would take whatever they can get.

At the end of the day though, it’s about having an NFL season. If the league and NFLPA feel that zero, one, two, or eight preseason games are needed, to get ready for football in the age of coronavirus, then so be it. We’ll see what the vote is tomorrow.

Here is Mike Garofolo (NFL Network) with more on the situation:

From @NFLTotalAccess: NFL teams would like to play two preseason games to get a read on their rosters and get ready for Week 1, though the NFLPA hasn't signed off on that and is wondering if it's wise to start mixing teams for games that don't count in the standings. pic.twitter.com/bHAFsAde8v

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 1, 2020

Second part of the report on the preseason from @NFLTotalAccess: The NFLPA has been vocal about the health and safety of their players, and not just publicly. The union will continue to discuss whether it's safe to play any preseason games. pic.twitter.com/ZVcBW28hfy

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 1, 2020

Skol

Cameron Thompson | Minnesota Sports Fan

Thursday, August 30th will be the conclusion of the Minnesota Vikings preseason. With final cuts just two days later, where coaches will be tasked with trimming the roster down from 90 players to just 53, I wanted to take a look at the ones that you may want to pay attention to. These players are either on the roster bubble or vying for a starting spot.

QB:

Trevor Siemian – Honestly, we haven’t seen much from Siemian this preseason, but our coach sees him as our back up QB. So, I’m not fully sure if this is really a competition but it certainly would be seen as one, had Zim not come out in favor of Siemian already. Lets hope he can prove himself vs lesser competition on Thursday.

Kyle Sloter – “The Closer”, as he has become known in the Vikings locker room, would seem pretty safe to make the 53, if looking in from a distance. However, the bottom of this roster is strong… really strong. Could the Vikings choose to only keep 2 QBs, in order to jog another roster spot elsewhere? I personally doubt it. Sloter seems to be vying for the backup QB spot, rather than just a roster spot, so it’s hard to imagine the Vikings cutting him loose. How the Vikings decide to split reps between these two QBs could be very telling in multiple ways.

This Sloter throw last week though….

Kyle Sloter should make an NFL roster, two straight years of looking awesome in preseason. Honestly should be looked at over Siemian as Vikings QB2.
pic.twitter.com/EgD7N60dlH

— Rob Paul (@RobPaulNFL) August 25, 2018

RB:

Mike Boone – Boone got most of the second-team reps vs the Seahawks and seems to have locked up the 3rd RB spot. His status would come into question only if mistakes are made tomorrow night. If Boone can run a clean game, the job should be his.

Roc Thomas – If Boone does slip up, can Thomas take advantage? He has the skill to be on an NFL roster. Could this just be his audition tape for other teams? Is there any way the Vikings could luck out and sneak him onto their practice squad, without another team sniping him off of the waiver wire on his way there? Probably not… but we can cross our fingers and hope he fumbles a few times or something…

Here is some tape from the Jags game that has a couple nice runs from both of these guys:

I like these young Vikings rookie running backs, Mike Boone (video below) and Roc Thomas. The Vikings front office have some tough decisions to make. I doubt either of them would make it to the practice squad. pic.twitter.com/chg2H5lqsa

— Football Dungeon (@DuaneLively) August 18, 2018

WR:

Kendall Wright – Wright’s experience may give him the edge here. Even though he hasn’t been playing well in the preseason thus far, the Vikings could opt for overall experience, over players with higher upside. With OC John DeFilippo’s praise of how Wright has progressed, it seems more likely than it did a week ago, that he makes this roster. He will still need a strong showing Thursday, though..

Stacy Coley – “You can’t make the club in a tub,” that’s what our coach says. Hopefully Coley can make it on the field Thursday, but it appears that’s unlikely to happen.

Not practicing for #Vikings today and some reserves unlikely to play Thursday: Stacy Coley, Tarvarres King, Mackensie Alexander, Josh Andrews, Tray Matthews, Marcus Sherels, Jack Tocho, Chad Beebe and Devante Downs.

— Andrew Krammer (@Andrew_Krammer) August 28, 2018

Brandon Zylstra – This is his big opportunity. After being injured during the first two preseason games, Zylstra didn’t show much  vs. the Seahawks. I, along with many others, hope he can make this roster after the buzz he has gotten during the offseason.

Chad Beebe – His late game heroics against the Seahawks may have earned him a spot on the 53. However, if he can’t play this Thursday, it’ll be tough to hand that spot to him. Even if he weren’t to play, he’d be a prime candidate for the practice squad. He was the one who caught sloter’s game-winning touchdown pass last week in the video above.

TE:

Tyler Conklin vs Blake Bell – Only one can make the roster. Who can make the better impression. Neither have stood out thus far so this could be the deciding game.

OL:

Brett Jones – How will he integrate after being traded here, just days ago? And, what position with they play him at? As we talked about the other day, when the trade happened, he’s played most of his career at center but can also (and has) play guard. We expect him to play center while Elflein is out but we hope Elflein will avoid the regular season PUP list, which means the team expects him to play within the first 6 games (likely sooner).

Some Brett Jones snaps from 2017. PFF’s 15th graded C at 68.6 (82.1 pass/60.0 run).

(Also the only time #Vikings fans are going to see Tavarres King score a TD) pic.twitter.com/6FSDSs8GuT

— Andy Carlson (No Relation to the Jabroni Kicker) (@AndyCarlsonShow) August 27, 2018

Tom Compton and Danny Isidora – Both need to step up if they want a starting roll. A well-played game by these two would go a long way in building confidence, around the fan base, that things might be okay along the line.

Colby Gossett – There doesn’t seem to be room for him on this roster right now, but a strong performance could help his case. The practice squad is likely.

DL:

Stephen Weatherly – If the Vikings aren’t able to keep 10 defensive lineman, I believe Weatherly could be on the chopping block. He needs to play well, in order to show he’s worth keeping, along with 10 defensive lineman.

LB:

Antwione Williams – If the Vikings keep 5 LBs, the 5th LB spot may be taken by someone not currently on the roster. But, if they do keep a current player around as that 5th guy, it will likely be Williams. He needs to play VERY well. No matter what happens, he’ll always have this to remember:

Vikings LB Antwione Williams was fined for this today ?pic.twitter.com/hA4Usz0niY

— LeadingNFL (@LeadingNFL) August 24, 2018

Reshard Cliett – Another name to keep in mind for that 5th roster spot is Cliett. Courtney Cronin has him as the one staying in that spot. Again, he needs to play well to even have a chance though.

Devante Downs – Probably just playing for a spot on the practice squad, but if he shows up, there is an outside chance he could earn a role.

CB:

Marcus Sherels – I know, I know. He is making the roster, but his injury is something to keep an eye on. Could he be put on IR to free up a roster spot?

Holton Hill – The skill set is there. He hasn’t done anything wrong in the preseason, but also hasn’t done anything flashy, to earn a spot. He should make this roster on just potential alone, but there could be an outside shot the Vikings top brass believe they can sneak him onto the practice squad (I’d be shocked if he made it through).

Craig James and Horace Richardson – Both will be either auditioning for other teams or hoping for a spot on the practice squad.

S:

Jayron Kearse – Do the Vikings have the roster space to keep 5 safeties? After the acquisition of George Iloka, Kearse may be fighting for his 53-man life.

George Iloka – Speaking of Iloka, I will be keeping an eye on him as well. According to reports, Iloka has been getting some reps at LB. This could be a way for the Vikings to only hold onto 4 LBs and thereby hold onto 5 safeties. If the Vikings do plan on giving Iloka reps in a hybrid LB spot, will they give it away in the last preseason game?

K:

Daniel Carlson – He needs to get his confidence back. I’m not sure the Vikings fan base will ever fully believe in a kicker again, but the guy needs to at-least believe in himself…

ST:

Mike Hughes – With Marcus Sherels likely not playing on Thursday due to injury, I would like to see more out of Hughes in the return game. Let’s see some of that lightning we were hearing about before the preseason started, and he constantly showed at UCF.

Film of new #1 draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings, Mike Hughes, DB and returner from UCF. @_Bigmikee1 #vikings #nfldraft pic.twitter.com/NZXtrybmin

— VikeFans (@VikeFans) April 27, 2018

There are a lot of players fighting for their job and a lot of position battles to keep our eyes on. Many think the 4th and final preseason game isn’t important because most of the starters won’t play BUT, this is my favorite preseason game because this is where your team is truly formed. This is where you build your depth. And diamonds happen to form out of this rough. Let’s all remember the start of Adam Thielen’s career, where he came to camp undrafted and had to earn a spot just to the practice squad…. crazy.

Ian Parrague @SuperSkolFan
Minnesota Sports Fan