Minnesota’s decision to waive CB Holton Hill is a bit puzzling
By Adam Patrick
The Minnesota Vikings decided to part ways with the young corner on Tuesday.
Following the conclusion of the 2018 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings decided to take a chance on former Texas cornerback Holton Hill.
Hill ended up going undrafted and this had more to do with his off-the-field behavior rather than what he actually did with a helmet on. Mike Zimmer and the Vikings thought they could straighten this kid out and turn him into someone who could help the team’s defense.
Well, after only appearing in 12 games for Minnesota since the start of last season, the team announced on Tuesday that they had waived Hill from injured reserve. Prior to the Vikings waived him, Hill had been dealing with a foot injury that had kept him off the field since Week 4.
Is Holton Hill done with the Minnesota Vikings?
With Minnesota only having four games left on their regular-season schedule, it seems like an odd time to waive a player who would’ve become a restricted free agent next year. With Hill’s troubles in college and his multiple suspensions in 2019, it’s fair to wonder if there was an off-the-field incident that resulted in his departure.
But the Vikings could’ve also just looked at their current cornerback depth and decided to move forward without Hill. Jeff Gladney, Cameron Dantzler, and Kris Boyd have all been playing significant snaps during Minnesota’s last few games and the team’s secondary has been improving as each week passes by.
In addition to Boyd, Dantzler, and Gladney, the Vikings also have Chris Jones and Harrison Hand as a part of their cornerback depth chart. And don’t forget about Mike Hughes who has been out since Week 6 with a neck injury.
Even if Minnesota re-signed Hill in 2021, the chances of him not making next season’s roster were going to be fairly high considering how much competition he would have to deal with.
It’s possible that the Vikings could still sign Hill to their practice squad before the end of the season. But eliminating his restricted free-agent status for 2021 in order to move him to their practice squad doesn’t seem like something that Minnesota would actually do.
In the end though, Hill’s lack of production during his time with the Vikings is what played a large part in the team’s decision on Tuesday. He showed some flashes as a rookie in 2018, but his performance trended in the wrong direction last season and during his four appearances this year.
Unfortunately, Hill wasn’t able to live up to his potential in Minnesota. Perhaps he can figure things out if he lands with another team, but it appears that his time with the Vikings has come to a close.