5 Vikings to Watch: Preseason Week 4 vs. the Bills

Kris Boyd – CB

Kris Boyd needs a big game this Thursday just to make sure he sticks around in the NFL. This guy was that bad in his preseason debut against the Cardinals last week.

Boyd couldn’t cover anyone and if he was close to the receiver when they caught the ball, he struggled badly to bring him down. It’s rare you see a team pick on a corner in the preseason, but Arizona was throwing everything Boyd’s way during his time on the field.

He played so poorly that it gave some a reason to believe he doesn’t belong in the league at all. Maybe it was first game jitters, but he looked horrible. Boyd needs to bounce back on Thursday to even be considered for Minnesota’s practice squad this year.

At this point, there is no reason for the Vikings to keep Boyd. It’s probably a good sign for him that the team just released Bene Benwikere. But at this point, Minnesota keeping Nate Meadors or Duke Thomas seems like a better choice.

Boyd has to show that he can first cover an NFL receiver, even if that guy is fourth or fifth on his team’s depth chart. He then needs to show the ability to tackle a ball carrier.

If Boyd can do those two things against the Bills on Thursday, he may still get signed to a practice squad this season, whether it’s the Vikings or not.