The Viking Age
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Minnesota Vikings shuffling the roster due to injuries and surgeries

By Adam Carlson

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The one thing you don’t want to see as a team during the preseason is injuries.  The Minnesota Vikings can overcome some poor play, bad decisions and other things, but losing a top player because they are too hurt to play makes a major impact on the team.

Oct 26, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Minnesota Vikings tackle

Phil Loadholt

(71) walks on the sidelines against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

Sadly, we’ve already seen too many Minnesota Vikings players go down.  Offensive tackle Phil Loadholt, linebacker Casey Matthews, and wide receiver Gavin Lutman are all listed on the team’s Injured Reserve list on Vikings.com with cornerback Josh Robinson given the Physically Unable to Perform designation.  Not even included on that list is offensive lineman Carter Bykowski, who recently had shoulder surgery that would end his season.

Those are just the major incidents.  We still have others, like center John Sullivan leaving practice yesterday with spasms, defensive lineman Shamar Stephen having knee surgery, tight end MyCole Pruitt dealing with an ankle issue, and safety Antone Exum struggling with his hamstring.

So far, the Minnesota Vikings aren’t having the kind of luck that you want to see headed into a season where the team is expected to be impressive.  At this point, the goal for the rest of the preseason should be to remain healthy while getting in as much practice as possible in these glorified scrimmages.

With all these injuries piling up, it’s hard to believe that Minnesota has only played two of their five preseason contests.  With three games to go, the team better be knocking on wood, carrying a rabbit’s foot, picking four leaf clovers or doing whatever they feel will help give them the luck to keep healthy.

In the meantime, we should see more young guys who are fighting for a roster spot being shuffled into the rotation to take the place of those unable to play.  And the more time those guys spend on the field, the more time the starters are sitting on the bench and we can all relax.

Next: Minnesota Vikings 2015 Game By Game Previews

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