Vikings roster cuts, reports and rumors

The Minnesota Vikings must finalize their 53-man roster by 3 p.m. CT Tuesday. Some cuts have already been announced by the Vikings and more are on the way. Let's dive into the latest facts, reports and rumors…

Undrafted rookie cornerback Dwight McGlothern of the Vikings has made the initial 53-man roster, according to Alec Lewis. The former LSU and Arkansas star had a great training camp.

Duke Shelley, the 5-foot-8 cornerback and fan favorite for the 2022 season, has been released, according to Aaron Wilson. The Vikings signed the sixth-year veteran at the start of training camp following Mekhi Blackmon's injury.

Undrafted rookie linebacker Dallas Gant had a strong preseason for the Vikings, but will still be released today, according to Darren Wolfson. It will be interesting to see what happens with Brian Asamoah II.

According to Aaron Wilson, the Vikings are waiving OLB Bo Richter and G Tyrese Robinson. They likely hope to get both of them on the practice squad. Richter was a star in the preseason and Robinson played well at both guard positions this month.

The Vikings are reportedly releasing DT James Lynch and veteran DB Bobby McCain. Lynch's release was expected (he could end up back on the practice squad), but McCain is a bit of a surprise given his familiarity with Brian Flores.

According to Tom Pelissero, the Vikings are parting ways with running back and kick returner Kene Nwangwu. That's a surprise! Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler are now the only RBs on the roster. Nwangwu was also effective in the preseason. That was unexpected.

The Vikings are without edge rusher Andre Carter II, who recorded two sacks in the final game of the preseason. They will likely try to sign the Army product to their practice squad. Mike Garafolo was there.

As expected, the Vikings released experienced running back Myles Gaskin (according to Adam SchefterHe had 128 rushing yards in the preseason and could be brought back to the practice squad if he doesn't sign elsewhere.

The Vikings took Jaquelin Roy, a defensive tackle from LSU, in the fifth round last year. He will be among the players being eliminated today after playing sparingly as a rookie (95) and being passed over in this year's rankings by players like Levi Drake Rodriguez and Jonah Williams. Tom Pelissero is included.

NFL insiders report that tight end TJ Hockenson will begin the season on the PUP list, meaning he will miss the first four weeks before returning in Week 5 against the Jets. But with Minnesota having a bye in Week 6, a Week 7 return would make the most sense.

Undrafted rookie edge rusher Gabriel Murphy will begin the season on short-term injured reserve and will miss the first four weeks of the season.

Risner will begin the season on the injured list, meaning he will miss at least the first four weeks of the regular season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. If the Vikings place tight end TJ Hockenson on the injured list to start the season, both IR spots will be filled and undrafted free agent Gabriel Murphy will likely be a casualty of roster cuts.

Jaren Hall will make the team. It's now clear that Tom Pelissero has reported that the league has informed teams that the emergency rule for the third quarterback on the 53-man roster must apply and cannot simply be promoted from the practice squad. That's good news for Hall and bad news for someone else who might have otherwise made the team.

The first set of cuts has been announced and includes QB Matt Corral, RB DeWayne McBride, TE Sammis Reyes, RB Mo Ibrahim, CB Jaylin Williams, TE Neal Johnson, WR Justin Hall, OLB Owen Porter, OL Chuck Filiago, OL Doug Nester, OL Matt Cindric, OL Spencer Rolland and DL Tyler Manoa. Minnesota also terminated the contract of CB AJ Green III.

These 14 reduce the squad from 91 to 77 players. This means that 24 important decisions still have to be made.

At this point, it's probably just logic, but Alec Lewis of The Athletic mentioned in his 53-man roster prediction that Minnesota “could try to trade linebacker Brian Asamoah before the deadline.” He also says cornerback Akayleb Evans is a logical trade candidate.

Minnesota's cornerback roster seems to be in constant flux, and after playing 15 snaps in the last preseason game against the Eagles, he could be a surprising candidate for cut, according to Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press during a postgame podcast with Coller.

“The only other thing I found a little interesting was that Akayleb Evans has been playing quite a bit. Are we sure he's not a surprise candidate for ejection?” Mizutani speculated.

Stephon Gilmore, Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaq Griffin are safe cornerbacks. Other cornerbacks who could be on the verge of being traded include Duke Shelley, Fabian Moreau, Evans, Dwight McGlothern, AJ Green III and Nahshon Wright. Jay Ward has also moved to cornerback, but his flexibility could help him make the 53-man roster.

Is it possible that McGlothern, an undrafted rookie, was so good in training camp and the preseason that he made the team ahead of Evans?

Could the 2022 first-round pick be traded before Tuesday's deadline? ESPN's Bill Barnwell thinks he's a logical candidate for a fresh start elsewhere.

“At this point, a change of scenery would benefit Cine, who is unlikely to see significant action in Brian Flores' defense,” Barnwell writes. “It would be a surprise if any team was willing to pay even the $4 million guaranteed remaining on his contract, so the Vikings may have to shell out some money to get a draft pick for him. Given Cine's injury history, a trade may not be possible.”

Alec Lewis of The Athletic believes there are seven surefire players on the offensive line. The seven, in Lewis' eyes, are Christian Darrisaw, Blake Brandel, Garrett Bradbury, Ed Ingram, Brian O'Neill, David Quessenberry and rookie tackle Walter Rouse. The question will be how many linemen the Vikings will keep, with most experts saying they will start with nine or 10.