Vikings claim former Giants linebacker from waivers

The Minnesota Vikings are already making adjustments to their 53 man roster.

This is a crazy time for NFL teams like the Minnesota Vikings. Not only did they have to trim their rosters to 53 players this weekend but they had to form a practice squad while trying to ensure they can have the best players possible on their team heading into the 2020 NFL season.

One way teams can get better is to watch who is released from other teams and make an attempt to add them either through waivers or as unrestricted free agents. In this case, the Vikings hit the waiver wire.

On Sunday, Minnesota put in a waiver claim on linebacker Ryan Connelly, formerly of the New York Giants according to the team’s official Twitter account. The 24-year-old started three games for the Giants, playing in four total before an ACL tear ended his 2019 season.

Even in that limited time, he was able to accumulate 20 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two interceptions, and one sack, showing that he has some great potential when he is on the football field.

Connelly was one of the most surprising cuts from teams trimming their rosters to 53 players, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that a team put forth a claim on the young linebacker to see if he can help their linebacker depth.

Minnesota can use his help since their linebacker grouping is currently struggling. Former starter Ben Gedeon will start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list while last year’s draft pick Cam Smith discovered he needed heart surgery during COVID-19 testing during training camp.

To make room for Connelly, the Vikings released linebacker Hardy Nickerson.

This is a low-risk signing for the Minnesota Vikings and one that could pay off in a big way if Ryan Connelly can come close to being the player he was before the ACL injury last year. Welcome to Minnesota, Ryan!