Vikings Rumors: Tajae Sharpe not a lock to make 2020 roster

Among the latest Minnesota Vikings rumors is that their recent free-agent addition, Tajae Sharpe, is not guaranteed to make the team’s final 2020 roster.

Following the NFL Draft, a whole new set of Minnesota Vikings rumors are beginning to take shape. Instead of the rumors being about who the Vikings will be taking in the draft though, now the focus has shifted to things relating closer to how the team’s roster will look during the upcoming season.

During the three days of this year’s NFL Draft and the day after, Minnesota added around 30 players to their roster. The Vikings won’t have room to keep everyone for the 2020 season, so some people are going to be left looking for work elsewhere.

Someone whose chances of making Minnesota’s roster might be lower after this year’s draft is actually a recent addition, Tajae Sharpe. The Vikings signed Sharpe shortly after trading Stefon Diggs and most assumed that he would compete for the team’s second or third receiver roles in 2020.

However, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell doesn’t think that Sharpe making Minnesota’s roster this year is as much of a guarantee as some might believe.

Barnwell recently listed some of the players from around the league he thinks will be cut or traded following the outcome of this year’s NFL Draft and for the Vikings, he selected Sharpe and offensive lineman Aviante Collins.

Minnesota’s decision to draft Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn last week is what led him to this train of thought. Barnwell also mentions the fact that Sharpe doesn’t play special teams isn’t going to help his chances of making the Vikings roster for next season.

Minnesota signed the former Tennessee Titans receiver to a one-year, $1 million deal back in March. If the Vikings were to release Sharpe this summer, it would only cost them $675,000 in dead money.

Minnesota adding Jefferson, Osborn, and undrafted free agent Quartney Davis is certainly going to make things tougher for Sharpe to remain with the team. A solid preseason and training camp is going to be extremely important for the veteran receiver if he wants to be a part of the Vikings next season.