Oh, to go back to the offseason, when the Vikings’ tight end unit looked strong heading into 2021.
Minnesota had Irv Smith Jr. and Tyler Conklin as the primary tight end options. Then, Smith went down with what is likely a season-ending injury. Conklin became the main tight end option. Also, the team traded for TE Chris Herndon. Herndon, however, hasn’t lived up to the hype.
The Vikings’ tight end corps faces another setback this week. They lost TE Ben Ellefson to injury for the game against the Panthers. In light of that, Minnesota elevated TE Luke Stocker to the active roster for game day.
The Vikings signed Stocker to the practice squad this week. He’s a veteran who is similar to Ellefson — both players are better at blocking than receiving.
Minnesota saw a possible hole on its roster and has patched it up with a veteran player for Sunday. Overall, the team made a good move.