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Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/25/23

October 25th, 2023 at 7:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: LB Donavan Mutin

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Jaguars Moved Close To Acquiring Vikings’ Danielle Hunter In Offseason

October 25th, 2023 at 11:44am CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings upset the 49ers on Monday and have only three games remaining against teams with winning records. Even without Justin Jefferson for a stretch, the 3-4 team has reason to view a second straight playoff berth as within reach. That would obviously impact the Vikings’ willingness to sell, introducing another Danielle Hunter complication.

Minnesota has until 3pm CT on Oct. 31 to trade Hunter, who leads the NFL with nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss. The Pro Bowl edge rusher is in a contract year and cannot be franchise- or transition-tagged next year, due to a contract reworking early in training camp. While the Vikings could lose Hunter for nothing in free agency, he obviously represents a vital part of their defense for the 2023 stretch run.

[RELATED: Vikings Not Expected To Trade Kirk Cousins]

Prior to reaching that August resolution with Hunter, the Vikings discussed him in trades. The Jaguars recently came up as a suitor, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano ties the AFC South team more closely to the current trade piece, indicating Jacksonville came close to finalizing an agreement to acquire Hunter during the offseason.

The Jaguars make sense as a buyer, having spent heavily to fortify their defense in 2022 and largely standing pat on that side of the ball this offseason. At outside linebacker in Mike Caldwell‘s 3-4 scheme, the Jags have Josh Allen and Travon Walker in place as starters. In a contract year, Allen is on pace for his most productive NFL slate. The former top-10 pick has seven sacks, 14 QB hits and two forced fumbles through seven games. No other Jaguar, however, has more than 2.5 sacks. Walker’s 2.5 QB drops do not completely define his season, as the 2022 No. 1 overall pick does rank 27th with 12 pressures. Allen’s 23 pressures sit second leaguewide.

Jacksonville also rosters underwhelming 2020 first-rounder K’Lavon Chaisson, whose fifth-year option the team declined in May. Dawuane Smoot recently made his season debut, coming off a torn Achilles sustained in Week 16 of last season. The two backup OLBs have combined for one sack and five QB hits. Having won four straight, the Jags have solidified their status as the AFC South favorite. They certainly make sense as a team that would be interested in a front-seven upgrade, with Trevor Lawrence still on a rookie contract.

Allen is tied to a $10.89MM fifth-year option, and Smoot is back on a low-cost deal (one year, $3.5MM); Walker and Chaisson are on rookie contracts. The Jags hold just more than $6MM in cap space. A team that would acquire Hunter past Week 8 would owe just more than $5MM. Of course, the Vikings would need to be interested in reopening Hunter trade talks. Prior to their Monday-night upset, however, the Vikes were taking calls on their soon-to-be 29-year-old pass rusher. While the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora expects Hunter to be dealt, the Vikings do face a complicated decision.

After talks with the Jags and other teams fell apart, the Vikings agreed to terms with Hunter one a one-year deal worth $17MM guaranteed. While Hunter’s incentives are classified as not likely to be earned, the three-time Pro Bowler’s torrid pace puts him on track to collecting additional cash. Hunter will receive $1MM for reaching 11 sacks, another $1MM for 12.5 and another $1MM for hitting 14. The former third-round pick posted 14.5 sacks in 2018 and ’19, but he is on pace for more this season.

Minnesota resides in the historically rare position of being unable to tag either of its top two 2024 free agents, with Kirk Cousins‘ 2016 and ’17 tags making a third tag untenable (thanks to the 2006 CBA introducing the 144% bump for a third tag; no team has tagged a player three times since the Jaguars and Rams respectively cuffed Donovin Darius and Orlando Pace in 2005). While Cousins expects contract talks to resume in 2024, Hunter having never hit the open market points to a high risk the Vikings lose the veteran pass rusher for nothing (perhaps a 2025 compensatory pick) next year.

With Bradley Chubb going for first- and fourth-rounders last year, the Vikings will likely be able to do better than the third-rounder that could come their way via the compensatory system. Minnesota’s upset of San Francisco makes it less likely the team becomes a deadline seller, Graziano adds. Still, Hunter’s trade value and the team’s playoff prospects will make for a fascinating decision before next week’s deadline.

Panthers Place S Jeremy Chinn, OLB Yetur Gross-Matos On IR, Activate G Austin Corbett

October 24th, 2023 at 4:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

Coming out of their bye week, the Panthers have made a number of injury-related moves. The team announced on Tuesday that safety Jeremy Chinn and pass rusher Yetur Gross-Matos have been placed on injured reserve. The same is true of tight end/special teamer Giovanni Ricci.

As a result of the move, all three players will be forced to miss at least four weeks. In Chinn’s case, a quadriceps injury is expected to keep him sidelined for longer than that, so today’s move comes as no surprise. The 25-year-old is in the final year of his contract, but the injury likely took him off the board with respect to trade interest from outside teams.

Gross-Matos is dealing with a hamstring injury which has been deemed serious enough to interrupt an encouraging season. The former second-rounder has posted 2.5 sacks through six games, only one short of matching his career high. He has added three tackles for loss and six quarterback pressures despite seeing a drop in playing time compared to last year. Starters Brian Burns and Justin Houston will be counted on more heavily in the edge department given Gross-Matos’ absence. Ricci has a shoulder injury, per ESPN’s David Newton.

In more positive news, the Panthers activated guard Austin Corbett from the PUP list. This marked the final week of his 21-day return window, so today’s move was needed to avoid having him revert to season-ending IR. The 28-year-old suffered an ACL tear in Week 18 last year, and has been rehabbing ever since. His return will be welcomed on an offensive line which has used three different starters at both left and right guard this season. Corbett indicated (via Newton) that he may not suit up for Week 8 despite being brought back onto the roster. That move will did use up any of Carolina’s seven remaining IR activations, but bringing back Chinn, Gross-Matos and Ricci will.

To fill the other roster spots opened up by the IR moves, the Panthers have signed edge rusher Luiji Vilain off the Vikings’ practice squad. The 25-year-old Canadian has made four regular season appearances since signing in Minnesota as a UDFA. Likewise, Carolina has added offensive lineman Brett Toth from the Eagles’ taxi squad. The latter has made one start across his 17 total games played, all with Philadelphia.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/23/23

October 23rd, 2023 at 7:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

  • Signed off Panthers’ practice squad: RB Jashaun Corbin

San Francisco 49ers

This marks a New York return for Corbin, who went to training camp with the Giants. A UDFA out of Florida State, Corbin signed a reserve/futures contract with the Giants in January but did not make their 53-man roster. The Panthers had kept Corbin on their practice squad since early September. Rather than promote Corbin to their 53-man roster to block this New York return, Carolina will let him join the Giants’ 53. Corbin joins Saquon Barkley, Gary Brightwell and fifth-round rookie Eric Gray as running backs on Big Blue’s 53-man roster. Both Brightwell (hamstring) and Gray (calf) suffered injuries in Week 7, creating a need at the position.

Vikings LB Jordan Hicks Drawing Trade Interest

October 22nd, 2023 at 7:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings have been connected to plenty of trade talk centered on quarterback Kirk Cousins recently, but the team has a few defenders who could be attractive to interested teams. One of those is edge rusher Danielle Hunter, but another is inside linebacker Jordan Hicks.

The latter has drawn “outside interest,” per Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson. Hicks earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after the Vikings’ Week 6 win over the Bears, part of his strong performance so far this season. The 31-year-old has posted 53 tackles, one interception and a fumble return touchdown through six contests, proving his continued ability to fill the statsheet.

Hicks joined the Vikings on a two-year, $10MM pact last March after finding himself as a cap casualty of the Cardinals. He reworked his pact this past offseason to stay in Minnesota and move his 2023 salary to $3.25MM. An acquiring team would take on a prorated portion of that figure in any possible trade. Dealing him would create $3.5MM in cap space for the Vikings.

The former Eagles third-rounder has eclipsed 100 tackles in each of the past four seasons, and he has reached double-digits in that regard four times already this year. A resurgence in pass coverage relative to the past several campaigns has resulted in a standout 80.3 PFF grade, something which could add further to his value for contending teams. As Robinson notes, however, Hicks’ age, position and status as a rental would put a firm limit on the value the Vikings could receive in draft capital in a swap. As such, it would come as little surprise if they turned down offers.

The same may not be true for Hunter, who entered Week 7 with the league lead in sacks. Positional value would no doubt help Minnesota extract more draft assets in a trade involving Hunter, but Hicks’ play should have him firmly on the radar of teams in search of low-cost additions in the middle of their defense. Minnesota (2-4) has not committed to a seller’s stance in advance of the October 31 deadline despite their slow start and Justin Jefferson‘s absence, though, so it will be interesting to see how willing they could be to part ways with Hicks.

Vikings OLB Danielle Hunter Generating Extensive Trade Interest

October 20th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Danielle Hunter missed the bulk of the previous three seasons due to injury, and his contract has come up frequently during this span. But the ninth-year Vikings edge rusher has rocketed out of the blocks in his contract year. Hunter’s eight sacks pace the NFL through six games.

The Vikings are 2-4 and have their top player on IR. Justin Jefferson is a non-starter in trades, and Kirk Cousins is not expected to waive his no-trade clause. But teams are monitoring the Hunter situation, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the veteran edge rusher would have a big market if made available.

Minnesota discussed Hunter in trades this offseason, doing so as a contingency as his latest round of contract talks had created uncertainty. But the parties huddled up and agreed on another adjustment, a one-year, $17MM deal that put the Pro Bowler in a contract year. Nearly three months after the new agreement, however, Fowler adds the Vikings are not shopping Hunter. The defending NFC North champions are not yet throwing in the towel on this season, keeping their top non-Cousins trade chip off the table for the time being.

If the Vikings were to make Hunter available, one exec suggested (via Fowler) a first-round pick could be necessary to pry him from the Twin Cities. Hunter also leads the NFL with 11 tackles for loss. After shaking off the neck and pectoral injuries that sidelined him for all but seven games from 2020-21, Hunter returned to the Pro Bowl with 10.5 sacks last season. The youngest player to reach 50 career sacks, Hunter turns 29 later this month. He is on the verge of creating a strong free agency market in 2024.

The Jaguars loomed as a team connected to Hunter during the preseason, per Fowler, but they have seen Josh Allen display consistency in his contract year. Jacksonville has Allen and 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker anchoring its edge. Walker, however, has not played up to his draft slot just yet; 2020 first-rounder K’Lavon Chaisson has not come especially close to living up to his, either. Ex-Vikings GM Rick Spielman, in a piece for The33rdteam.com, mentioned the Jags as a logical trade destination for the player he drafted in the 2015 third round.

As for the Vikings, they swapped out 2022 Hunter sidekick Za’Darius Smith for Marcus Davenport in free agency. Minnesota signed Davenport to a one-year, $13MM deal and dealt Smith to Cleveland. Davenport is now on IR, and Kevin O’Connell said (via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert) surgery remains a possibility as the ex-Saints first-rounder rehabs a high ankle sprain. With Davenport out for at least four games, the Vikings moving Hunter would gut their pass rush. Hunter is stampeding toward his fifth double-digit sack season. In the official sack era (1982-present), only Hall of Famers John Randle and Chris Doleman have finished with more 10-plus-sack seasons than Hunter as Vikings.

The Vikings did make a seller’s trade involving an edge rusher in 2020, sending Yannick Ngakoue to the Ravens despite acquiring him from the Jaguars that summer. The Ravens sent third- and fifth-round picks to the Vikes for Ngakoue; the Vikings were 1-5 at that time. Hunter is attached to a $10MM base salary, which teams would likely not view as prohibitive given the start he has put together.

As the Rams’ Von Miller pickup in 2021 showed, a standout edge rusher can make a considerable impact during a Super Bowl push. The Vikings have no real edge rusher certainty beyond 2023, with both Hunter and Davenport due for free agency, so the position will be a top-tier need in 2024 regardless of where Hunter calls home come November. Minnesota also has longtime defensive staple Harrison Smith tied to a pay-cut agreement, clouding his post-2023 Minnesota future. The Vikes will be one of the most interesting teams at the trade deadline, but for now, they have yet to truly engage.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/23

October 18th, 2023 at 7:08pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s practice squad updates:

Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Vikings Place OLB Marcus Davenport On IR, Activate KR Kene Nwangwu

October 18th, 2023 at 9:37am CST by Sam Robinson

Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter–Marcus Davenport edge-rushing partnership hit a snag with a Davenport injury. That will lead to a paused season for the free agency pickup.

The Vikings placed Davenport on IR on Wednesday, shelving the former Saints first-rounder until at least Week 11. Davenport is battling a high ankle sprain. In addition to the Davenport transaction, the Vikings activated running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu from IR and designated wide receiver Jalen Nailor for return from IR.

While Nwangwu represents Minnesota’s first IR activation this season, Davenport will be on track to join him later. The Vikings gave Davenport a one-year, $13MM deal this offseason, bringing him in to replace Za’Darius Smith. This move led to uncertainty at Minnesota’s edge positions, with Smith remaining on the roster for several weeks ahead of a trade to Cleveland. While Smith is now part of a top-tier Browns defense, the Pro Bowler has yet to record a sack. Davenport, who notched a half-sack despite playing 15 games last season, has two through six Vikes contests.

Davenport, 27, and Hunter are together for now, but the Vikings’ edge situation is not settled from a long-term standpoint. Neither starter is signed beyond 2023, and Hunter profiles as one of this season’s top trade candidates. The ninth-year Viking has eight sacks thus far, pacing the NFL. Davenport’s injury weakens the Vikings’ pass rush and likely prevents them from dealing the 2018 first-rounder. The Vikes did make a seller’s trade involving an edge rusher three years ago, trading Yannick Ngakoue to the Ravens. But Davenport’s injury probably squashes his market, with the trade deadline Oct. 31.

The team considered Hunter trades this offseason, and with Kevin O’Connell‘s squad starting 2-4, it will be interesting to see if the defending NFC North champions consider moving on. But Hunter may still be in Minnesota’s long-term plans. For Davenport, this injury hurts his chances of putting quality production on film for a potential 2024 free agency push. It also hurts Davenport’s hopes of showing he can provide consistency. His up-and-down New Orleans tenure led to a “prove it” deal in March.

Nwangwu returned to practice Oct. 11. The Vikings have not used the third-year back much in the backfield, but the Iowa State alum has been one of the NFL’s best kick returners during his career. Nwangwu is the only NFLer to have tallied three kick-return touchdowns since the start of the 2021 season. Nyheim Hines is the only other player with even two kick-return scores. Nwangwu, 25, will stand to give the Vikings a boost on special teams.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/23

October 17th, 2023 at 9:17pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed off Giants practice squad: S Alex Cook

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Philadelphia Eagles

Rams Reunite With Darrell Henderson, Add Myles Gaskin Off Vikings’ Practice Squad

October 17th, 2023 at 4:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:05pm: Henderson’s path back to the Rams’ 53-man roster is no longer as smooth as it looked. In addition to moving Freeman up on a full-time basis, the Rams are signing Myles Gaskin off the Vikings’ practice squad, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. A four-year Miami contributor, Gaskin caught on with the Vikings after an August Dolphins release. Gaskin, who led the Dolphins in rushing in 2019 and ’20, has played in one Vikings game this season.

2:35pm: Stung by running back injuries, the Rams will complete a reunion to help the cause. With Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers injured, Darrell Henderson is coming back to the Rams.

The Rams are adding Henderson to their practice squad. The former third-round pick, who played for the team from 2019-22, has not been on a roster since last season. In addition to bringing back Henderson, the Rams are signing Royce Freeman to their 53-man roster. Freeman had played in three Rams games this season, doing so as a practice squad elevation. Sean McVay said Monday both Williams and Rivers would miss time; Rivers is an IR candidate after suffering a PCL sprain.

Henderson worked as the Rams’ starter for much of their 2021 Super Bowl-winning season, but injuries and a COVID-19 contraction slowed his momentum and led to Sony Michel and then Cam Akers taking over the starting role. Henderson suffered a thigh injury late in the 2021 season, and after the COVID bout, he sustained an MCL sprain. While the Rams activated Henderson for Super Bowl LVI, he has not recaptured the momentum from the ’21 regular season.

With Akers and the Rams at odds early during the 2022 season, Henderson filled in as a seven-game starter. But the Rams encountered a number of offensive line injuries and were eventually playing without Matthew Stafford. Henderson finished his abbreviated 2022 with 283 rushing yards (4.0 per carry); the Rams waived him in late November. While the Jaguars stepped in with a claim, they moved on without using Henderson in a regular-season game. Summer workouts for the Patriots and Colts did not lead to a signing.

Henderson, 26, produced back-to-back 600-yard rushing seasons from 2020-21. Akers became the Rams’ go-to back down the stretch in 2020, but after he suffered an Achilles tear in July 2021, the eventual championship team rolled with a Henderson-Michel duo. Zach Evans came into Tuesday as the only healthy back on Los Angeles’ 53-man roster. Freeman will now join him, though Henderson certainly is familiar with McVay’s system and would make sense as a roster elevation for Week 7.

Freeman, 27, joined the Rams just after this year’s training camp. The former Broncos third-round pick, whom Phillip Lindsay displaced as a starter during each’s rookie year (2018), spent last season with the Texans. Houston re-signed Freeman, a 2021 waiver claim, but did not use him much on offense. Freeman has not eclipsed 200 rushing yards in a season since 2019. The Rams cut Freeman after this preseason slate but kept him on their practice squad, rolling with first- or second-year backs on their active roster following the September Akers trade. Evans has taken four handoffs this season; all of Freeman’s 2023 snaps have come on special teams.

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