Tag: A.J. Rose Jr.

Vikings waive RB A.J. Rose Jr. to make room for Albert Wilson

The Vikings free up a spot for Albert Wilson

In a follow-up move to the signing of veteran wide receiver Albert Wilson, the Minnesota Vikings announced on Wednesday they had waived second-year running back A.J. Rose Jr.

It was always going to be a long-shot possibility for Rose to even make the team after the Vikings spent a fifth-round pick on Ty Chandler in the 2022 NFL draft, along with picking up undrafted rookie free agent Bryant Koback.

It’s a long way to the top with the unit spearheaded by Dalvin Cook as the No. 1 option and Alexander Mattison handling lead backup duties.

Rose never saw the field in his rookie season, and the Vikings clearly felt there was more value in adding a veteran to their receivers room as another potential offensive weapon for quarterback Kirk Cousins.

The timing of the release is a bit rough for Rose considering all of the major roster movement is pretty much done for most teams.

But injuries and roster tinkering is an ongoing thing that could open the door of opportunity once more for the former University of Kentucky standout.

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Report: Minnesota RB A.J. Rose Jr. picks Vikings over Jets

Vikings RB A.J. Rose Jr. is back.

The Vikings faced the Bears on Monday, and the team needed a backup running back.

Minnesota still had Dalvin Cook as the primary back, but secondary back Alexander Mattison was in COVID-19 protocol. Rookie RB Kene Nwangwu stepped up in limited reps, going for 33 rushing yards on only three carries.

With Mattison activated off the COVID-19/Reserve list this week, it seemed like the team had plenty of depth at running back. The Vikings released A,J. Rose Jr. from the practice squad in the same week.

Then the team hit a snag. Minnesota had to place Cook on the COVID-19/Reserve list. Cook is unvaccinated, and he will miss the Week 16 matchup against the Rams.

According to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, Rose had some traveling this week. The running back flew out to New York in hopes of signing with the Jets practice squad. But when the Vikings had to put Cook in COVID-19 protocol, Rose flew back and signed with Minnesota instead.

Rose thrived for the team this preseason. He didn’t end up making the active roster, but the Vikings have a strong running back corps. If Rose can factor in on Sunday vs. Los Angeles, he could raise his stock in the process.

Vikings make several roster moves

The Vikings make a flurry of moves.

The Vikings activated WR Dede Westbrook and DE Danielle Hunter off the COVID-19/Reserve list on Tuesday.

Minnesota wasn’t done there. The team also activated practice squad WR Trishton Jackson off COVID-19/Reserve.

Additionally, the Vikings signed G Dakota Dozier to the active roster. The Vikings started Dozier every game in 2020. In 2021, Dozier played well near the end of the preseason and earned a spot on the practice squad. At this point, he can be a useful platoon lineman for the interior. He’s played 13 special teams snaps and no offensive snaps in 2021.

Minnesota also cut WR Darrius Shepherd and RB A.J. Rose Jr. from the practice squad. Rose was a preseason standout in 2021.

Rose didn’t make the active roster, and now that RB Kene Nwangwu has shown promise on offense, Rose appeared to be on the outside looking in. Maybe he can build off that success and find a new NFL team soon. Shepherd signed to the Vikings practice squad just last week.

PFF reveals Vikings’ highest- and lowest-graded rookies in preseason

Which Vikings rookie are you the most optimistic about for the future?

Minnesota was winless in the 2021 preseason, but the Vikings still had plenty of rookies thrive when given a chance with their new team.

Take A.J. Rose Jr. for instance. Rose, an undrafted free agent, ran through NFL defenses to finish as PFF’s top graded Minnesota rookie during the preseason slate. He earned an overall grade of 75.9 for his efforts.

Michael Renner of PFF wrote:

“Rose went into camp knowing there likely wasn’t going to be a roster spot for him, but that didn’t stop him from balling out anyway. He rushed for 151 yards on 37 carries for two scores with seven broken tackles. It was enough to land him a practice-squad position for the Vikings.”

Unlike Rose, Zach Davidson struggled during the preseason. Davidson, seen as a raw prospect coming into the league, finished with a PFF grade of 40.5.

Now, both Davidson and Rose are on the Vikings’ practice squad. Rose has a chance to find a roster spot either with Minnesota or another NFL team, and possibly contribute in 2021. Davidson is a project who could pay off down the road. Overall, both offer something to the team, regardless of how they did this preseason.

Vikings practice squad tracker: Who will the team sign?

Here is how the Vikings practice squad is looking so far:

Minnesota cut its roster to 53 players on Tuesday, but the Vikings will not be done making moves there.

For starters, the Vikings have to sign players to their practice squad for 2021. Many of the players Minnesota cut yesterday will be available after clearing waivers. The Vikings will still get to retain some enticing talent for 2021.

Here is a list of the players who have signed with the Minnesota practice squad so far:

Minnesota Vikings roster cuts: Tracking the path to 53 players

Looking at how the Vikings’ 53-man roster is taking shape.

For the Vikings and every other team in the NFL, it’s cut day.

Minnesota has to whittle its roster down to 53 players by before 4 p.m. on Tuesday. As of now, that leaves a lot of decisions left to be made.

The Vikings had some fringe roster players step up this offseason. Will the team carry more running backs than usual? Will it elect to go deep on defensive tackles? Just how many undrafted free agents will end up making the cut? These are all things that will be decided in the upcoming hours.

So Vikings Wire elected to make a comprehensive list. Here’s a look at Minnesota’s latest cuts.

Vikings roster bubble: Who helped their case before 53-man roster cutdown?

Here are some players on the roster bubble who helped their case:

Minnesota has to cut its roster down to 53 players on Tuesday.

So it’s important to see who helped their case against the Chiefs in the preseason finale. The Vikings had a winless preseason, but plenty of fringe players on their roster made their case for why they should make the team.

Here are a list of a few who had good performances against Kansas City:

Stock up, stock down from the Vikings’ preseason loss to the Chiefs

See the stock report from the Vikings’ loss to the Chiefs.

The Vikings could not keep up with the Chiefs on Friday, securing a winless preseason for 2021.

OK, so Minnesota should be a little concerned about some of the things that happened this preseason. The team’s defensive back unit did not look as good as you would hope. The special teams could also improve.

Overall, though, the Vikings shouldn’t hit the panic button. There were plenty of players whose stock rose after strong preseason performances. And of course, there were some whose stock fell in the defeat.

So here is the final Vikings stock up, stock down report of the preseason:

Minnesota Vikings vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Everything we know

The Vikings finish the preseason 0-3. Here is everything we know from the team’s loss to the Chiefs.

Cornerback Bashaud Breeland had a tough start to his reunion in Kansas City.

Breeland, after playing for the Chiefs, signed with the Vikings this offseason in free agency. As a corner for Minnesota, he was beaten by Tyreek Hill one-on-one for the Chiefs’ first touchdown of the game at Arrowhead Stadium on Friday.

For the Chiefs, that touchdown was the first of four. Kansas City ended up pulling away from Minnesota to send the Vikings home with their third consecutive preseason loss. Yes, yes, it’s the preseason, but the Vikings still had some weaknesses exposed that might transfer over to the rest of 2021.

Here is everything we know from the game:

Making five predictions for the Vikings’ preseason game against the Colts

Here are five predictions for the Vikings’ preseason game against the Colts on Saturday.

The Vikings’ first preseason game featured hardly any notable players on their roster. It also featured a lot of room for improvement.

Denver routed Minnesota 33-6 on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Broncos outplayed the Vikings on offense, defense and special teams. Turns out, it’s hard to keep a game close when that happens.

So the Vikings will try to bounce back against the Colts in Week 2 of the preseason. Here are five predictions for that game: