3 players Vikings could regret leaving off the 53-man roster for the 2024 season
By Adam Patrick
On Tuesday, the official Minnesota Vikings 53-man roster for the 2024 NFL season was released by the team, and while many agree with a bunch of the players who were selected, there are still some questions about a few of the choices that were made.
For starters, the Vikings currently only have two running backs on their roster after cutting Kene Nwangwu, Myles Gaskin, and DeWayne McBride. Minnesota will probably add another running back before the start of the regular season, but it just seemed like an odd decision, especially when one of the members of the position group is someone who isn't known for being that durable recently in Aaron Jones.
Nwangwu didn't add much as an actual running back during his time with the Vikings, so his departure probably won't make much of a difference. But who are some of the players let go by Minnesota on Tuesday that the team might look back in a few weeks and wish they kept on the 53-man roster?
Players the Minnesota Vikings could regret leaving off the 53-man roster
Bo Richter - OLB
An undrafted rookie out of Air Force, Bo Richter finished the 2024 preseason ranking second among all Vikings defenders in total pressures generated.
As a rookie, Richter still has plenty of things to fine-tune, and Minnesota would probably like to keep him on the practice squad this year if they can. But the Vikings shouldn't be surprised if another team claims him on waivers or signs him off of their practice squad at some point this year because, at the very least, he's shown he can already make a difference in the league as a pass rusher.
Tyrese Robinson - OG
Minnesota can't really have enough offensive guards on its roster, so it was a bit odd that they didn't keep Tyrese Robinson after he finished the preseason with the second-best PFF offensive grade among all Vikings interior blockers, behind only Dan Feeney.
Like Richter, Robinson is someone who Minnesota will also attempt to sign to its practice squad. But after a solid preseason, he might want to see if he can land a spot on another team's active roster before the start of the regular season.
Robert Tonyan - TE
Despite T.J. Hockenson remaining on the physically-unable-to-perform list for the start of the 2024 campaign, the Vikings only kept three tight ends on their 53-man roster, and none of them have caught more than 22 passes in a single season.
Robert Tonyan, on the other hand, has had multiple years in his NFL career with more than 50 catches, and he would have been a solid option for Minnesota to keep around, at the very least, until Hockenson returns.