The Minnesota Vikings have made some moves in free agency that could put some returning players on the chopping block entering the 2023 NFL season.
Free agency is always an interesting time for NFL teams like the Minnesota Vikings. Players are signed by the team and players are released by the team, all in hopes of bettering the future of the franchise.
Sometimes the new players signed to contracts make a lot of sense and are able to slide right into a role. That means that other players may have to have a decreased workload or find themselves looking for a new team.
The business side of the NFL can be a brutal place. Teams are always trying to get better, younger, and cheaper at every opportunity that sometimes players who used to be fan favorites or major contributors end up on the hot seat.
Let’s take a look at four players whose place on the Minnesota Vikings roster could be in danger after the moves that have been made by the team so far and why they could be in for some trouble moving forward.
Za’Darius Smith, Edge
Can a player who requests a trade still be considered to be on the hot seat? If so, the arrival of Marcus Davenport in Minnesota could be a sign that the Vikings are ready to move on from edge rusher Za’Darius Smith.
Smith was off to an incredible start to the season last year, keeping pace with the league leaders in sacks until he was slowed by an injury that impacted his effectiveness to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Minnesota doesn’t seem to want to outright release Smith, but trading him is apparently not as easy as it should be for an accomplished pass rusher. This means he could be a candidate for a draft day trade or after the 2023 NFL Draft is completed.
Meanwhile, Davenport will be on what is essentially a two-year test drive to see if he will be a good fit for the team. Smith will likely not be on the Minnesota Vikings roster, meaning Davenport will probably be a starter this upcoming season.
Nick Muse, tight end
The Minnesota Vikings baffled a lot of fans when they signed Josh Oliver to a 3-year, $21 million contract despite having T.J. Hockenson as the clear starter and a solid producer in Johnny Mundt behind him.
Oliver won’t force either of those guys out and blocking tight end Ben Ellefson has a solid chance to stick around but there isn’t as much hope that Nick Muse will make the roster and the team will carry five tight ends and a fullback.
A major weakness of the Vikings last season was their pass blocking. That is an area where Josh Oliver excels. Considering how aggressive Minnesota was in acquiring him, he should be close to a lock for the roster.
Muse will likely be the odd man out since the team just re-signed Ben Ellefson. The details of his contract haven’t been revealed. so it’s hard to know if he could be let go with little to no penalty but that tight ends room is awfully crowded.
Jalen Reagor, punt returner
When the Minnesota Vikings traded for wide receiver Jalen Reagor, it was because the team was looking for a punt returner who also had some upside as a speedy pass-catcher to help out the offense.
Newly signed receiver and returner Brandon Powell is coming off his best season as a receiver and will immediately enter into a competition with Reagot for punt return duties during the 2023 NFL season.
That means that Reagor may have to make the Vikings’ roster based on his skill and potential as a receiver. He has never had more than 400 receiving yards or two receiving touchdowns in a season, making some concern that he may not be a reliable offensive weapon.
After the release of Adam Thielen, Minnesota does need depth at receiver but whether or not the Vikings’ front office wants to keep moving forward with Jalen Reagor will be an interesting story to watch leading up to the season.
William Kwenkeu, linebacker
If you’re not familiar with the name William Kwenkeu, that’s totally understandable. He only saw action on defense in Week 17 for the Minnesota Vikings last season against the Packers. He did play in six total games last year.
Kwenkeu has two tackles from last year’s campaign after he was an undrafted free agent out of Temple in 2022. The Cameroon native is lucky to be in a position where the Vikings lack depth heading into the upcoming season.
The addition of Troy Reeder will make things a little more difficult for Kwenkeu to stay on the roster. Reeder, along with Jordan Hicks and Brian Asomoah should top the interior linebacker depth chart, leaving the rest to battle for one or two spots.
Minnesota has Troy Dye and possibly a draft pick that will be contending for spots, but that doesn’t mean that Kwenkeu is dead in the water. However, he will have to fight for his career against some tough competition.