The Vikings will have a new long snapper this season. They informed their snapper of the previous four years, Kevin McDermott, he will be released, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).
McDermott was signed through the 2020 season, via a 2016 extension, but the Vikings’ offseason changes will lead him elsewhere. Minnesota drafted snapper Austin Cutting in the seventh round, doing so after hiring a new special teams coordinator in Marwan Maalouf.
This news comes hours after the team traded a fifth-round pick to the Ravens for kicker/punter Kaare Vedvik. Now, Vedvik, Dan Bailey and Matt Wile will catch snaps from the same player. McDermott and Cutting had been competing for the gig this offseason. This became a full-on competition in mid-July, when the rookie out of Air Force was cleared to play. The Vikings can turn their attention to their now-intriguing special teams competitions.
The Vikings’ new ST boss advocated for the Cutting pick, per KSTP’s Darren Wolfson (on Twitter), who adds Maalouf would be in favor of starting over completely on special teams. That would help explain the Vedvik deal.
McDermott, 29, played in every Vikings game since the start of the 2015 season. Initially, the UDFA out of UCLA caught on with the 49ers in 2013. He spent seven games with the Ravens in 2014.
Second round?
I know the Vikes are tight on the cap, but was the Pohlad (descendants of Mr. Cheap) family consulted on this move?
Get in the real world .
Just a Business decision .
Just a $$$$$ decision.
$$$$s Are a big part of any and all business decisions ..
Now now, if it was a Pohlad move they would have traded him along with Thielen and Harrison Smith for cash considerations.