I say “convinced” somewhat facetiously of course. Had Cam not taken the pay cut he would’ve just been released, and there’s a good possibility no one else would’ve picked him up. There are probably lots of fans who wish Camarillo had simply been shown the door, especially those who are disappointed Manny Arceneaux ended up on the practice squad instead of the roster.

Camarillo is currently no better than 4th on the receiver depth chart. Fellow wide-out Bernard Berrian also took a pay-cut this offseason as the Vikings scrambled to get under the cap.

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Today the time came for Dugan and fellow Viking veteran fixture Heath Farwell. Dugan was actually thought to be fairly safe after the Vikings dumped fullbacks Ryan D’Imperio and Matt Asiata, the thinking being that Dugan and Jim Kleinsasser could pick up reps at fullback along with their tight end work, but obviously the coaching staff had different ideas.

The Farwell release is less surprising given his inflated 2011 cap number and the fact that, with the new kickoff rules, return team specialists like him are not valued as highly as in previous years.

These two moves also make it clear that the Vikings are committed to getting younger. The Farwell release opens the door for UDFA Larry Dean to make the squad as a back-up linebacker/special teamer, while Dugan’s dismissal clears a spot for UDFA Allen Reisner (though the Vikings could still opt to use Dugan’s slot on a free agent fullback and slip the talented Reisner onto the practice squad).

A lot of fans are probably feeling a little pang of sadness over the losses of these two well-liked blue-collar guys, but the truth is that neither man had huge value on the team. The younger players taking their places have a lot of promise, and I think the time was right for both Dugan and Farwell to move on.

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This story is intriguing because it confirms our suspicions that the Vikings are not 100% satisfied with their current array of fullback options. Ryan D’Imperio came into camp as the presumptive starter, but hasn’t done anything to particularly impress anyone so far in the preseason, a circumstance that has allowed UDFA Matt Asiata to sneak into the conversation.

Ultimately the Vikings might opt for neither D’Imperio nor Asiata, choosing instead to give tight ends Jeff Dugan and Jim Kleinsasser extra work at fullback. Both Dugan and Kleinsasser have experience as blocking backs and both are better receivers than either of the full-time fullbacks currently on the roster. This option would free up a roster spot which the Vikings could then use on tight end Allen Reisner, a UDFA who has turned heads since the start of camp.

Had the Vikings been awarded Felton, they would’ve gotten themselves a solid blocking back who would not have necessarily represented an upgrade from their current stable of fullbacks in the receiving department. Obviously the Vikings are looking mostly for blocking from that position and don’t think D’Imperio or Asiata is getting it done. In the end, I have a sneaking hunch they will opt for the two-headed Dugan/Kleinsasser monster at tight end/fullback/h-back given those players’ proficiency at run blocking and their ability to occasionally pull in a pass on a sneaky play action play in short yardage.

Keeping Reisner would give them another receiving tight end option who, if you believe the mild hype, could ultimately become the #2 tight end behind Kyle Rudolph.

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