HEADLINES

Josh Robinson (CB)

Vikings Trim Roster To 75 Players

September 1st, 2015 at 9:10am CST by Rob DiRe

TUESDAY, 9:10am: The Vikings are now down to 75 players, having waived/injured quarterback Mike Kafka, according to the team (Twitter link). He’ll land on the team’s injured reserve list if he clears waivers.

MONDAY, 2:13pm: The Vikings have announced two more moves today, removing another two players from their active roster. According to a team release, Minnesota has waived/injured tackle Carter Bykowski, who will be out for the year with a pectoral injury, and placed cornerback Josh Robinson on the reserve/PUP list, meaning he’ll miss at least the first six weeks of the season.

SUNDAY, 6:30pm: The Vikings have moved closer to securing their 75-man roster, announcing that they’ve cut 11 players:

  • Joe Banyard, RB
  • Brandon Bostick, TE
  • Jalil Carter, CB
  • Justin Coleman, CB
  • DaVaris Daniels, WR
  • Stephen Goodin, OT
  • Josh Kaddu, LB
  • Jordan Leslie, WR
  • Caesar Rayford, DE
  • Chrishon Rose, DT
  • DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB

They currently have 78 men on the roster, and will need to cut an additional three players in time for the Tuesday deadline.

Josh Robinson Tears Pectoral Muscle

July 4th, 2015 at 1:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

A year after pectoral injuries besieged the Vikings’ offensive line, Josh Robinson looks set to miss time due to a similar ailment, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.

The fourth-year corner, who has started 21 games, has a partially torn pectoral muscle, suffering the malady just before minicamp, per Goessling. Robinson served as the nickel corner behind Xavier Rhodes and Captain Munnerlyn in Minnesota last year.

The Vikings’ depth chart this season appears more equipped to handle an injury, with Terence Newman arriving as a free agent and Trae Waynes coming in as the No. 11 overall draft pick.

Robinson’s potential recovery time frame is unclear, especially with it being just a partial tear, but Darren Wolfson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press said the injury is likely not season-ending (Twitter link). Regardless, Waynes figures to receive a chance to contribute sooner than expected after working with the second team throughout minicamp.

A 2012 third-round pick slated to earn $1.52MM this season, Robinson received the second-highest grade among Vikings corners, behind Rhodes, from Pro Football Focus last season.

Minnesota placed right tackle Phil Loadholt and guard Brandon Fusco on injured reserve last season due to torn pectoral muscles.

2015 Proven Performance Escalator Raises

January 16th, 2015 at 8:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time in said snaps for the duration of his first three years in the league. If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s restricted free agent qualifying offer — that figure was $1.431MM last year, and will inflate commensurate with the salary cap increase. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.

Here are the players who will see their 2015 salary rise due to the PPE, courtesy of Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap.

Bengals: George Iloka, S; Mohamed Sanu, WR

Bills: Nigel Bradham, LB

Broncos: Malik Jackson, DL; Danny Trevathan, LB;

Browns: Billy Winn, DL

Cardinals: Bobby Massie, T

Chargers: Johnnie Troutman, G

Colts: Dwayne Allen, TE; T.Y. Hilton, WR

Dolphins: Lamar Miller, RB; Olivier Vernon, DE

Eagles: Brandon Boykin, CB; Nick Foles; QB

Falcons: Lamar Holmes, T

Jets: Demario Davis, LB; Antonio Allen, DB

Packers: Mike Daniels, DL

Panthers: Josh Norman, CB

Patriots: Alfonzo Dennard, CB

Raiders: Miles Burris, LB

Rams: Chris Givens, WR; Trumaine Johnson, CB

Ravens: Gino Gradkowski, C

Saints: Akiem Hicks, DT; Corey White, CB

Seahawks: J.R. Sweezy, G; Russell Wilson, QB

Steelers: Kelvin Beachum, T

Texans: Brandon Brooks, G; Jared Crick, DL; Ben Jones, G

Titans: Coty Sensabaugh, CB

Vikings: Robert Blanton, S: Rhett Ellison, TE; Josh Robinson, CB; Jarius Wright, WR

Washington: Alfred Morris, RB

Draft Updates: Wednesday

December 31st, 2014 at 7:05pm CST by Luke Adams

NCAA underclassmen have a little over two weeks to declare for the 2015 NFL draft, and several have done so already. Our list of 2015’s early entrants can be found right here, and we have some more names to add to that list today. Here’s the latest on college players forgoing their remaining NCAA years and heading to the NFL:

  • Simon Fraser University standout wide receiver Lemar Durant has declared for both the CFL and NFL Draft, according to TSN.
  • LSU cornerback Jalen Collins will enter the 2015 NFL draft, according to Jim Kleinpeter of The Times-Picayune. Collins received a favorable draft grade from the NFL Advisory Committee, which indicated that he should either project as a first- or second-round pick.
  • LSU linebacker Kwon Alexander will enter the 2015 draft, according to Scott Griffin of CBSSports.com and FOX 6 Birmingham (Twitter link). Alexander figures to be a mid-round pick in the spring.
  • Stanford cornerback Alex Carter has decided to enter the NFL draft, writes Tom FitzGerald of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I talked it over with my family, and we decided it’s time,” Carter said following Stanford’s Foster Farms Bowl victory over Maryland. The corner will likely be a day-two pick.

Earlier updates:

  • Mississippi State running back Josh Robinson announced today on his Instagram that he’ll be entering the 2015 draft, according to the SEC Network (via Twitter). Robinson had a breakout junior year for the Bulldogs and is expected to be a mid-round pick in the spring, per WalterFootball.com.
  • Word is circulating that Houston wide receiver Deontay Greenberry has chosen an agent and is entering the draft, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. While Pauline says he likes Greenberry’s game “a lot,” WalterFootball.com’s assessment of the young wideout suggested he should return to school for his senior year. Still, he looks like a potential second-day pick.
  • Rutgers tight end Tyler Kroft has opted to enter the 2015 draft, passing up his final year of college eligibility, coach Kyle Flood announced on Tuesday, according to Keith Sargeant of NJ.com. “I just had a meeting with Tyler Kroft and his dad a little while ago and Tyler is going to declare for the NFL Draft and we couldn’t be more excited for him,” Flood said. “We thank him for all of his contributions and everything that he’s added to our program over the last four years. He has four credits left to graduate, which he should be able to get that done this spring, and we’re looking forward to him having a great career in the NFL going forward.” Kroft is projected as a potential third- or fourth-round pick by CBSSports.com and WalterFootball.com.
  • Shortly after his Penn State teammate Donovan Smith announced he was entering the draft, defensive end Deion Barnes confirmed that he would also forgo his final year of college eligibility, per a team release. “I talked with my family and we believe it’s best for me to move forward and forgo my fifth year,” Barnes said. The young defensive end has upside, but had an up-and-down college career and will have to perform well in workouts and at the combine to improve his draft stock.

Injury Updates: Sunday

September 21st, 2014 at 8:43pm CST by Rob DiRe

The NFL is almost through another week of football, and the injuries are piling up yet again. An unfortunate reality of the league is that no team will leave healthy from week to week.

Zach Links and Luke Adams have already discussed some of the bigger names to go down. Matt Cassel‘s foot injury paved the way for Vikings‘ first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater‘s NFL debut. Dennis Pitta left the Ravens‘ win with a dislocated hip, and Chargers‘ tailback Danny Woodhead could miss the rest of the season with a high ankle sprain and fractured fibula.

Here are some other injury notes from around the NFL: