Which offensive players will be on the Minnesota Vikings 53-man roster when the 2017 regular season starts? Here are the pre-training camp projections.
One of the most fun parts of the offseason is trying to figure out which players will be on the final 53-man roster. While the Minnesota Vikings have a ton of talented individuals, some will not make the cut to be on the regular season squad.
The offensive side of the ball has some very interesting battles which will be determined in training camp. There is plenty of drama with the quarterback position, wide receivers in odd situations, and offensive linemen trying to re-establish themselves.
Let’s take a look at each position on the offensive side of the ball: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive tackles, and interior offensive linemen, to determine who the best 53-man unit would be.
Of course, we’ll start things off with the men who throw the football, the quarterbacks.
Projected quarterbacks
The Minnesota Vikings need to find some big play power and consistency at the quarterback position. Last season, the team was hoping it would be Teddy Bridgewater who would continue developing, but a devastating injury forced the team to make a big play to get Sam Bradford from the Eagles. Now, the team has three quarterbacks with previous NFL starts on the roster.
#1. Sam Bradford
For now, this is Sam Bradford’s team. While the future of the quarterback position may be up in the air after 2017, Bradford is inked in as the starter for this year and based on his efficient and accurate passing attack with Minnesota last year, fans should be excited to see him take the next step with this offense.
#2. Case Keenum
With the uncertainty surrounding Teddy Bridgewater, the Vikings signed Keenum to be the team’s backup. That plan shouldn’t change when the 53-man roster is announced, since the team needs an experienced player to be ready if something happens to Bradford.
#3. Taylor Heinicke
If not for a lack of experience and missing a huge portion of last season, Heinicke might be the backup to Bradford this year. Sadly, the team should still want to see more from the young man before trusting him as a backup.
PUP – Teddy Bridgewater
Fans have been quite excited about the possiblity of Bridgewater returning to the team to take over as a starter, but the Vikings can’t be comfortable with letting that happen this year. Odds are that he will be put on the PUP list to evaluate his situation with him likely landing on IR for the season.
TOTAL QUARTERBACKS: 3
Projected running backs
To say that the run game of the Minnesota Vikings was disappointing in 2016 would be a huge understatement. In fact, the team looked to be in danger of setting NFL records for their lack or a rushing attack, and the team responded by making huge changes at the position, including letting superstar Adrian Peterson and Matt Asiata leave in free agency as well as acquiring rushers in free agency and the draft.
#1. Latavius Murray
One of the Vikings big splashes in free agency was the addition of Murray. In Oakland, he was an impressive player who has averaged 4 or more yards per carry since joining the league in 2014 and has scored 20 touchdowns compared to 6 fumbles. He will open as the favorite to be the starter, but that may not last long.
#2. Dalvin Cook
With their second round draft pick, Minnesota made the easy call of drafting Cook after he took a massive slide on draft day. Cook will likely be the running back of the future for the Vikings, but he will need to be acclimated to the NFL level and allowing that to happen in a split with Murray will be beneficial to both players.
#3. Jerick McKinnon
Speedy and shifty, McKinnon seems to be the forgotten man on the roster. Minnesota spent some good money bringing in Murray and used a high pick on Cook that McKinnon will need to fight hard for playing time and recognition. However, his inclusion on the roster will be extremely valuable in providing depth as well as a strong rotation to keep defenses on their toes.
TOTAL RUNNING BACKS: 3
Projected wide receivers
Former first round draft pick Cordarrelle Patterson has moved on to play for the Oakland Raiders and Charles Johnson took his talents to the Carolina Panthers. That opens up roster spots for several young players to compete for, making this position grouping one of the most debated for potential roster lineups.
#1. Stefon Diggs
Diggs exploded onto the scene as a rookie and flirted with 1,000 yards receiving last year. Entering 2017 with more familiarity with quarterback Sam Bradford and working on his already crisp route running should make him an even more dangerous target in 2017. He should be considered the Vikings top option.
#2. Adam Thielen
An amazing success story, Thielen worked his way from being an undrafted free agent to a regular starter through his tireless devotion to his craft. Now, he sets his sights on 1,000 yards in 2017 after signing a big contract to keep him in Minnesota. Like Diggs, Thielen is an excellent route runner who uses excellent acceleration and juke moves to gain separation from defenders.
#3. Laquon Treadwell
The Vikings let go of one former first round wide receiver this offseason and they will expect a big jump in production from another. Treadwell had a disappointing season hampered by injuries which found him only catching one pass for 10 yards. Now that he is healthy, he will need to prove he was worth the spot where he was drafted.
#4. Jarius Wright
There seems to be about a 50/50 chance Wright is on the Vikings roster to start the season. Sadly, that’s not much fault of his own. After signing a decent contract to stick with the Vikings for a while, Wright found himself on the sidelines for nearly all of the 2016 season and it may be tough for him to find playing time again in 2017. He could be trade bait, or then again the relationship between him and the team may be in trouble as well. However, he’s still a talented pass catcher who deserves to be on this list.
#5. Issac Freuchte
This spot will be a tossup between Freuchte and Stacy Coley. Both young men offer similar styles of play, but Minnesota has already shown they like Freuchte because he ended the 2017 season on the main roster and even got some playing time. He will need to play well to beat out the 7th round draft pick in training camp and the preseason.
#6. Rodney Adams
Adams is a favorite to win the job as the team’s kick return specialist, which means he would automatically be included here with the wide receivers as well. He also should be interesting to watch as a wide receiver, especially in preseason contests, since he can be amazingly explosive with the ball in his hands.
Suspended – Michael Floyd
Of course, Floyd was suspended for violating the terms of his probation after receiving a DUI earlier this year. He is slated to be suspended for the first 4 games of the season, meaning he will not count against the 53-man roster.
Total wide receivers: 6
Projected tight ends
For a while, it seemed as though the Vikings were collecting tight ends. Rhett Ellison and MyCole Pruitt are now on different NFL teams and the door is open for other tight ends to make a name for themselves.
#1. Kyle Rudolph
Coming off the best statistical season of his career, there is still plenty of room for Rudolph to become an even bigger part of the offense. Last year, he had 840 receiving yards and caught 7 touchdowns. With a healthy season and a better connection with Sam Bradford, those numbers should increase in 2017.
#2. David Morgan
Primarily a blocking tight end, Morgan can do some sneaky things. He has the ability to line up as a fullback and sneak out as a pass catcher, where he has shown to have soft hands at the college level. Meanwhile, when the team needs a powerful blocker to spring loose a ball carrier, Morgan’s number will likely be called.
#3. Bucky Hodges
More like a wide receiver than a tight end, Hodges will need to work on his blocking if he wants to be a more complete player at his position. Still, the 6th round draft pick offers the Vikings a lot of value in the pass game by using his 6’6″ frame and athletic ability to get separation and win jump balls.
Total tight ends: 3
Projected offensive tackles
The situation at offensive tackle last season for Minnesota was horrendous. The Vikings went through nearly every bookend they could during the 2017 season hoping to find anything that would stick, even reaching out to players from free agency start games. The team spent a lot of money to get solid starting options which should help both the passing and rushing game.
Riley Reiff
Coming over from the Detroit Lions, Reiff is inked in to be the team’s left tackle. He will be slated to protect Sam Bradford where many others struggled last year. Minnesota gave him a massive contract to hopefully solidify this position going forward after seeing a revolving door of players last year.
Mike Remmers
Much like the left tackle spot, Remmers is the Vikings attempt at finding a long term solution at a spot that was in turmoil last year. Remmers comes over from the Panthers, where he wasn’t an amazing player, but he was solid enough to encourage both Minnesota and its fans that he can do what is needed to hold down the spot.
Rashod Hill
One of the few bright spots among Minnesota rotating door of tackles, Rashod Hill held his own in a contest against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field last year. Plucked from the Jaguars practice squad, Hill will be an excellent emergency option at left tackle in the event that something happens to Reiff.
Jeremiah Sirles
Sirles will be the Vikings backup option for right tackle, but could play either one in a pinch. However, his talents are much better suited on the right side. In addition, he can be moved to the guard positions in the event of an emergency, making him an even more valuable addition to the 53.
Total offensive tackles: 4
Projected interior offensive linemen
Despite the chaos at offensive tackle, the interior of the line stayed somewhat consistent last season. Still, the Minnesota Vikings used one of their earlier draft picks to hold down the middle of the line and will see veterans locking down the other spots.
Alex Boone
Coming over from the 49ers, Boone became the left guard for the Vikings last season. “The Rhino” is expected to play that position again this year, where he should be able to play at a higher level with a more consistent offensive tackle next to him.
Pat Elflein
In need of a guard at the draft, the Vikings instead drafted a player who could be the franchise’s starting center for many years. Using Elflein as the team’s center during his rookie year opens up several other talented offensive linemen to compete for the starting right guard spot.
Joe Berger
Berger would have been fine as Minnesota’s starting center this year, but the Vikings were proactive in finding a long term answer. Now, Berger can shift outside to the right guard spot and provide stability for the young center and the new right tackle.
Nick Easton
Providing depth anywhere on the interior of the offensive line, Nick Easton proved to be a good center last year who is more than capable of playing either guard spot. He is still a young player honing his craft, and another season behind Berger might do the 25 year old some good.
T.J. Clemmings
Yes, Clemmings makes the team in 2017. He got a raw deal being thrown in as the starting right tackle as a rookie and got an even bigger challenge when he took on the task of being the team’s left tackle. Now, he moves his position to being a guard, where he doesn’t have to start and can finally have some time to develop without jumping around on the line.
Total interior linemen: 5
Offensive projections
All of these are guesses based on the talent and need at each position and will be debated by many fans and experts, but these kind of projections are always fun to get people talking about the talent available on the roster as well who might get significant playing time.
Here is the projected Vikings offensive players on the 53-man roster:
Quarterbacks:
- Sam Bradford
- Case Keenum
- Taylor Heinicke
- Teddy Bridgewater (PUP)
Running Backs
- Latavius Murray
- Dalvin Cook
- Jerick McKinnon
Wide Receivers
- Stefon Diggs
- Adam Thielen
- Laquon Treadwell
- Jarius Wright
- Issac Freuchte
- Rodney Adams
- Michael Floyd (suspended)
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Tight Ends
- Kyle Rudolph
- David Morgan
- Bucky Hodges
Offensive Tackles
- Riley Reiff
- Mike Remmers
- Rashod Hill
- Jeremiah Sirles
Interior Offensive Linemen
- Alex Boone
- Pat Elflein
- Joe Berger
- Nick Easton
- T.J. Clemmings
Next: Vikings' most intriguing storylines heading into camp
Do you agree with this projection of the Minnesota Vikings 53-man roster? Are there any players you feel will make the roster over those chosen in this article? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.