The Minnesota Vikings announced that the team has parted ways with two of their interior offensive linemen: Brandon Fusco and Mike Harris.
Offseason in the NFL is both a wonderful and a horrible time. NFL teams like the Minnesota Vikings have a chance to bring in new faces to help push their franchise to the next level while other players find themselves pushed aside and released.
Sadly, two former contributors for the Vikings got the news recently that they have been cut from the team. Even more interesting is that the two names come from the struggling offensive line, which is in desperate need of upgrade.
The news was broken on the official Twitter account of the Minnesota Vikings on Friday, February 10, 2017 that guards Brandon Fusco and Mike Harris were no longer part of the team. Here is that tweet:
We have released Brandon Fusco and Mike Harris.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) February 10, 2017
📰: https://t.co/fXP8Atv8th pic.twitter.com/MIANLmgYT4
Fusco had been with the Vikings for 6 seasons and was part of the offensive line that assisted Adrian Peterson in nearly breaking the NFL regular season rushing record. However, injuries have plagued him recently, putting his effectiveness into question.
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The Vikings still owe Fusco approximately $2.4 million in guaranteed money from his 5 year, $24.25 million contract, but will save the team approximately $13.9 million over the next two seasons according to Spotrac.
Meanwhile, medical issues kept Mike Harris on the shelf for the 2017 season. At one time, the offensive lineman seemed like a valuable option as either a starter or a backup, but struggled to be available.
Both players have the potential to latch on somewhere else if they can get healthy and prove themselves.
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Best of luck to both Brandon Fusco and Mike Harris on their futures in the NFL. Both should be thanked for their time and efforts with the franchise and contributions to the team in the past.