Vikings experiment with former first-rounder already over

A few weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings decided to give free-agent wide receiver N'Keal Harry a chance to make their 2023 roster. Harry was selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, and since then, he's struggled to find success at the pro level.

Well, his search for success in the NFL will have to take place somewhere else, as the Vikings announced on Thursday that they have released the 25-year-old wide receiver. To fill his spot on their roster, Minnesota also signed free-agent safety Jake Gervase.

In his lone preseason appearance with the Vikings in their exhibition matchup against the Seattle Seahawks back on August 10th, Harry hauled in two passes for 24 yards.

He didn't appear in Minnesota's most recent preseason contest against the Tennesse Titans after reportedly sustaining a lower-body injury during the warm-ups before the matchup.

Since entering the NFL in 2019, Harry has now had stints with the Vikings, Patriots, and Chicago Bears. During his tenure in the league, he's only managed to accumulate a total of 64 catches, 714 yards, and five touchdowns in 40 appearances.

Harry's departure on Thursday could also be an indicator that Minnesota wide receiver Jalen Nailor is back on track to be ready for the start of the regular season. Nailor had been dealing with a leg injury for the last few weeks and he returned to the practice field on Monday.

As for Gervase, the guy who is now filling Harry's former spot on the Vikings' roster, he joined the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa in 2019. He ended up appearing in a total of 19 games for the Rams between 2019 and 2022, with most of his snaps coming on special teams.

Minnesota's need for a safety increased earlier this week when Lewis Cine left practice with an injury. With the addition of Gervase, don't expect to see Cine on the field during the Vikings' preseason finale on Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals.