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Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors

Raiders Claim CB Jack Jones

November 14th, 2023 at 7:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:15pm: The Vikings also put in a claim for Jones, a source told ESPN’s Field Yates. The Raiders landed the cornerback by virtue of having higher waiver positioning.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifer wonders if Akayleb Evans‘ calf injury influenced Minnesota’s claim. The Vikings cornerback exited Sunday’s win, leading Mekhi Blackmon to see more playing time and secure the first interception of his career.

3:20pm: Although Mark Davis cut ties with the Patriot Way leadership he hired just last year, the Raiders will be the team that gives recent Patriots cut Jack Jones a second chance. Jones will head to Las Vegas after the team submitted a successful waiver claim, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.

While this is yet another ex-Patriot joining the now-Antonio Pierce-led roster, he arrived as a 2022 draftee — after Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler were in Nevada. The Pierce tie is more relevant here than the Patriots component. Pierce has an extensive background with Jones, having coached him in high school (at Long Beach Poly) and in college (at Arizona State). This past made the Raiders a natural suitor for Jones, who the Patriots waived after multiple benchings.

Pierce was head coach at the Southern California high school from 2014-17. This overlapped with Jones’ tenure. The 25-year-old corner was a five-star recruit coming out of Long Beach Poly. While he signed with USC, off-field issues led him to the junior college ranks. By the time the 5-foot-11 corner was back on the Division I radar, Pierce was in place as Arizona State’s linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator under Herm Edwards. Jones signed with the Sun Devils in 2019 and fared well enough to warrant a fourth-round draft investment.

The Patriots drafted Jones in 2022 and used him as a regular. Jones played 54% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps last season; Pro Football Focus rated him 17th overall among corners. This year has proven rockier for Jones — on and off the field. PFF rates Jones outside the top 100 at the position, and the talented cover man has only played 121 defensive snaps in his second season.

An accumulation of performance-related issues and other matters contributed to Jones’ New England exit, per SI.com’s Albert Breer. Bill Belichick still referred to Jones as a talented player, via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed, and The Athletic’s Jeff Howe adds the Pats did not view Jones as a bounce-back candidate this season. The team benched Jones in Week 9, along with J.C. Jackson, and used him on just 10 defensive plays in their Germany matchup. Belichick had said the Pats were not planning to bring Jones back on the practice squad, had he cleared waivers. While that is a moot point, the Raiders are taking a chance on a corner with notable baggage.

Jones was booted off the USC squad for academic reasons, leading to him playing at Moorpark (Calif.) College for the 2018 campaign. That season, Jones was arrested following an incident at a Panda Express, and he served 45 days of house arrest after pleading guilty to commercial burglary, which is a second-degree misdemeanor. In June, Jones was arrested on a number of charges in connection with bringing two loaded guns to an airport and attempting to board a plane. A deal with prosecutors led to the charges being dropped, but Jones still began the season sidelined, suffering a hamstring injury in an early-September practice.

The Raiders rebooted at corner this offseason, letting 2022 starters Rock Ya-Sin and Anthony Averett walk in free agency. The team took a few fliers in the spring, but none became regulars. Marcus Peters, who signed during training camp, leapfrogged the spring additions. Ditto Jakorian Bennett, who went from fourth-round rookie to starter. But the Raiders benched Bennett, using third-year defender Amik Robertson opposite Peters. Robertson, however, left the Raiders’ Week 10 game with a head injury.

Jones has worked primarily as an outside corner as a pro. He finished with two interceptions, a forced fumble and six passes defensed as a rookie. The Pierce-led Raiders would seemingly represent Jones’ best chance to salvage his NFL career. The 5-5 team will give him that chance.

Vikings Place LB Jordan Hicks On IR

November 14th, 2023 at 6:38pm CST by Ben Levine

After undergoing leg surgery on Sunday, Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks is set to miss at least the next month. The Vikings announced that they’ve placed Hicks on injured reserve, meaning the veteran will be out until at least Week 15.

[RELATED: Vikings, LB Anthony Barr Agree To Deal]

Hicks briefly left Sunday’s game during the first quarter before returning and playing 23 defensive/special teams snaps. He left the game for good in the third quarter with what was described as a shin contusion.

Per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Hicks’ knee swelled up after the game and necessitated a trip to the hospital. Doctors suggested immediate surgery after diagnosing Hicks with compartment syndrome, which is when swelling in a bruised area reaches “dangerous levels” (per Seifert). Hicks was released from the hospital today and posted an encouraging update on X.

“Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me the past few days and for all of your continued prayers,” Hicks wrote. “The surgery was a huge success and I’m grateful for all of the doctors, nurses and medical staff who treated me. Looking forward to getting back out there with the guys soon!”

Hicks hadn’t missed a start since joining the Vikings prior to the 2022 campaign. After finishing his first season in Minnesota with 129 tackles, the 31-year-old collected 87 stops through 10 games this season. Seifert writes that undrafted rookie Ivan Pace Jr. is expected to take Hicks’ role on defense and should also inherit the defensive signal-caller role.

The Vikings also added some depth at the position yesterday. The team signed old friend Anthony Barr to the practice squad, and it shouldn’t take long for the veteran to find his way on to the 53-man roster.

Marcus Davenport Undergoes Ankle Surgery

November 14th, 2023 at 2:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Winners of five straight, the Vikings are threatening to become the second team this century to move from 0-3 to the playoffs. They will need to continue without their top Danielle Hunter sidekick for a while, however.

Although Marcus Davenport is now eligible to return from IR, no such transaction appears imminent. Davenport ended up undergoing tightrope surgery to repair the high ankle sprain he sustained in October, Kevin O’Connell said. The free agent signing is still in play to return this season, per ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert, but does not sound like a near-future re-emergence is on tap.

O’Connell indicated Davenport, 27, has a chance to come back before season’s end. Many players who sustain high ankle sprains are ready to come back from IR when first eligible, if an IR stint commences at all, but no two injuries are alike. Tony Pollard suffered a broken leg and a high ankle sprain in last season’s divisional round; the Cowboys running back ended up needing surgery — the tightrope procedure Davenport underwent — for the ankle injury. Cooper Kupp also underwent a tightrope procedure last year. He did not return for the Rams, though they were in the process of sitting their injured stars amid a disastrous Super Bowl title defense.

This injury has effectively doomed Davenport’s effort to vault back into free agency and secure a better contract. An inconsistent Saints tenure led to Davenport accepting a one-year, $13MM deal from the Vikings in March. The Falcons also pursued Davenport, but the $10MM guaranteed the Vikings proposed likely represented the top option available. Davenport signed with Za’Darius Smith still on the roster, but it soon became apparent the Vikings were planning to jettison the latter. They did so via a May trade with the Browns.

A 2018 first-round pick, Davenport posted nine sacks in 2021 and six in 2019 and registered 16 QB hits in both seasons. His even-year production: less good. Davenport’s 2022 contract year featured a half-sack in 15 games, leading to the modest market and the “prove it” deal. As it stands now, another “prove it” pact — this one potentially less lucrative — would be in store for the sixth-year vet. Davenport did tally two sacks in four Vikings games, going down after 17 snaps in Week 4. A late-season comeback would give the edge defender an opportunity to make a late impression, but this will also be the third season in the past four featuring at least five missed games. Davenport also missed Weeks 1 and 3 due to injury.

Hunter has cruised along unfazed, pushing his league-leading sack count to 11 last week. The Vikings will have a decision to make with Hunter, but it will take a big offer to keep the nine-year veteran off the market. Because of a late-summer agreement, the Vikings cannot use their franchise tag on Hunter. The team has seen D.J. Wonnum produce five sacks. A 2020 fourth-round pick, Wonnum is also in a contract year. Minnesota will have many questions to answer at its outside linebacker spot. For now, the team will hope to have Davenport back to help secure a playoff spot.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/13/23

November 13th, 2023 at 8:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Carolina Panthers

Minnesota Vikings

Philadelphia Eagles

Myles Gaskin is back in Minnesota following a brief stint in Los Angeles. The running back spent the beginning of the season with the Vikings, seeing time in a single game. He was snagged by the Rams in October and got into one game with his new squad before getting waived. Now, the RB is back with the Vikings, and he’ll provide some depth at the position while Alexander Mattison deals with a concussion.

Vikings, LB Anthony Barr Agree To Deal

November 13th, 2023 at 4:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

In need of a replacement for the injured Jordan Hicks, the Vikings are turning to a familiar face at the linebacker spot. Anthony Barr has agreed to a deal with Minnesota, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Barr will initially be joining the Vikings’ practice squad, per ESPN’s Ben Goessling.

Hicks was injured during yesterday’s win over the Saints, and he was taken to hospital due to compartment syndrome, head coach Kevin O’Connell said on Monday. The veteran remained in the hospital overnight and will be sidelined for at least one game, he added, via Schefter’s colleague Kevin Seifert.

With a hole at the LB position, Minnesota will bring back Barr after he spent his first eight years in the league as a Viking. The former first-round pick earned four Pro Bowl nods during his stay in Minnesota, and he sits 15th on the franchise’s all-time tackles leaderboard.

Barr was limited to two games in 2020 thanks to a torn pectoral muscle, and knee surgery the following offseason played a role in him appearing in only 11 games in 2021. That led to the end of his tenure with the Vikings, and he ended up signing with the Cowboys prior to the 2022 campaign. He was productive during his lone season in Dallas, finishing with 58 tackles in 14 games (10 starts).

Barr was connected to the Giants and Saints during the offseason but didn’t end up signing with either team. His market was apparently heating back up, as NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported earlier today that the linebacker worked out for the Eagles.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Injured Reserve Return Tracker

November 11th, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a 2022 rule change, teams can activate up to eight players from injured reserve. That has reintroduced some strategy into how franchises proceed with their activations, and teams will again need to be cognizant of their activation counts in 2023.

The NFL had reintroduced IR-return options in the 2010s, after a period in which an IR move meant a player’s season was over. But the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the league to loosen restrictions on IR from 2020-21. Teams were permitted to use unlimited activations to start the decade, but roster math is again a consideration.

Players who land on IR after cutdown day must miss at least four games. Once a team designates a player for return, the activation clock starts. Clubs have 21 days from a player’s return-to-practice date to activate that player. If no activation commences in that window, the player reverts to season-ending IR.

Here is how the NFL’s remaining two IR situations look for Super Bowl LVIII:

Kansas City Chiefs

Activated:

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 3

San Francisco 49ers

Designated for return:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 4

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/23

November 11th, 2023 at 9:06pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL’s minor moves, including gameday callups for Sunday of Week 10:

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/23

November 11th, 2023 at 7:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s only practice squad move:

Minnesota Vikings

With linebacker Nick Vigil getting signed to the active roster today, Day finds his way back to the Vikings’ practice squad. After initially coming to Minnesota in December of last year, Day was with the team until being released from the practice squad earlier this week.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson Out For Week 10

November 11th, 2023 at 6:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 11: As expected, Jefferson will indeed be out for Week 10, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. While his ramp-up period continues, the Vikings remain hopeful Jefferson will be able to suit up before their Week 13 bye, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. That comes as little surprise given the timing of their decision to open his practice window, but a relatively quick return would of course be a welcomed development for a shorthanded Minnesota offense.

NOVEMBER 9: When speaking publicly for the first time since returning to practice, Jefferson confirmed he gave no serious consideration to sitting out the remainder of the season (h/t ESPN’s Kevin Seifert). He added, to no surprise, that he will not suit up at less than 100%, pointing further to a Week 10 absence being likely.

NOVEMBER 8, 2:19pm: Kevin O’Connell confirmed the Vikings have a timeline planned for Jefferson’s return, and the second-year Vikings HC admitted (via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Ben Goessling) a return this week would be on the aggressive side. As it stands, the Vikes’ Week 11 tilt in Denver stands to be Jefferson’s earliest return window.

12:25pm: Some murky updates have come since Justin Jefferson landed on IR with a hamstring injury. While the All-Pro wide receiver is no lock to be ready by Sunday, the Vikings will see him back at practice.

Minnesota opened Jefferson’s practice window Wednesday, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, starting his activation clock. The Vikings will have until Nov. 29 to activate Jefferson or see him revert to season-ending IR. With the team still in contention for a playoff spot, Jefferson has a reason to return. Of course, the superstar receiver’s contract stands to affect his timetable.

The Vikings and Jefferson negotiated this summer, talking right up until Week 1. But the sides could not agree to terms, pushing talks to 2024. In the fifth-year option era, no team has extended a wide receiver with two seasons of rookie-contract control previously, and while the Vikings aimed to be the first, they still have another offseason to do so before the franchise tag comes into play. But the failed talks will point to Jefferson waiting until he is 100% recovered from the injury he sustained in Week 5.

As such, Jefferson is not expected to play this week. This timetable would make Week 11 — against the Broncos — the fourth-year playmaker’s first opportunity to come back. But Wednesday sets a clear timeline for Jefferson’s activation. The parties could also opt for a long runway here. Minnesota’s bye arrives in Week 13, which opens the door for a possible extended buildup in which Jefferson spends the full three weeks on IR and receives an extra week of recovery time before a Week 14 return. While that might be overkill, it is important to note some recent hamstring setbacks that have affected other standout pass catchers.

Both Keenan Allen and Darren Waller sustained setbacks during their recoveries, leading to extended hiatuses. Allen ended up missing seven games with his hamstring malady, while Waller missed eight. The latter, who had already signed his Raiders extension when he attempted to return too soon last season, is on IR with another hamstring malady as a Giant. New York also saw left tackle Andrew Thomas aggravate his hamstring injury during recovery this season, and while Thomas is not a skill-position player, the All-Pro lineman needed another month before returning thanks to the aggravation.

The Vikings have won each of their games without Jefferson, and the team’s contender status loomed as a factor in the wideout’s comeback. The Vikes are aiming to become only the second team this century (after the 2018 Texans) to rally from 0-3 to the playoffs. Although, three of the Jefferson-less victories came with Kirk Cousins at the controls. The longtime Minnesota quarterback is out for the season with a torn Achilles. The team received a boost from trade pickup Josh Dobbs last week, and while the eight-game Cardinals starter will start for the Vikes in Week 10 against the Saints, the team’s offense will lack the capabilities it had with Cousins.

Minnesota’s QB setup may also affect Jefferson’s timetable, but in the grand scheme, his price tag is unlikely to drop if a hamstring aggravation occurs. Though, the Vikings would risk losing Jefferson for the season if that transpires. The 2020 first-rounder, who shattered the NFL record for receiving yards through three seasons, still leads the Vikings with 571 receiving yards. Jordan Addison has shown growth during Jefferson’s absence, creating an enticing setup for the resurgent team should it activate its aerial ace this month.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/10/23

November 10th, 2023 at 6:32pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s practice squad moves heading into the 10th weekend of the NFL season:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Minnesota Vikings

Seattle Seahawks

  • Released: NT Matthew Gotel

Morgan was signed on Wednesday to serve as an extra arm in practice amid the season-long loss of Kirk Cousins and with backup quarterback Jaren Hall still in concussion protocol, leaving only Sean Mannion behind recent acquisition Joshua Dobbs at quarterback. The undrafted free agent rookie was originally signed by the Steelers, but after not making the initial 53-man roster or practice squad to start the season in Pittsburgh, Morgan returned to his alma mater at the University of Minnesota in order to serve as an offensive analyst on the Golden Gophers staff.

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