Vikings Daily Opener, August 31st, 2023: The Day After Signings

The Minnesota Vikings have been making a number of interesting roster moves in the lead-up to the 2023 NFL season. Several notable players have been cut, while others have been signed to bolster the team's depth in key positions. One of the most surprising moves was the release of veteran cornerback Joejuan Williams, who had opened training camp as a member of the first team in the Vikings' nickel defense. However, rookie third-round pick Mekhi Blackmon replaced Williams in the nickel and made the most of his opportunity. Williams had his contract terminated on Tuesday, leaving many fans stunned. On the other hand, the Vikings made a smart move by signing former Miami Dolphins running back Myles Gaskin to bolster their running back room. Gaskin is a versatile player who can play on all three downs, and he had his best season under the guidance of his former head coach Brian Flores in 2021, racking up 946 all-purpose yards and seven touchdowns. With Gaskin's addition, the Vikings now have four running backs on the roster, which is great news for the team's depth. The Vikings also signed veteran offensive tackle David Quessenberry to bolster their offensive line depth. This move comes as no surprise, given that the Vikings only kept eight offensive linemen on the initial 53-man roster. With Chris Reed staying on the non-football injury list, the Vikings needed to take action quickly. Quessenberry is a seasoned NFL player, having been drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft. He started all 17 games in 2021 with the Tennessee Titans, including a grade of 79.1 overall, which shows his experience and skill level. In addition to these signings, the Vikings have also made some cuts, including waiving wide receiver Jalen Reagor. While Reagor showed potential in the past, he struggled mightily in 2022, with four muffs on the year and trouble finishing routes. The Vikings tried to find a trade partner for Reagor but ultimately decided to waive him. The team reportedly didn't receive any offers that were worth what they felt was necessary to cover a likely increase from a 5th round pick owed to the Eagles to a 4th rounder if Reagor balled out and met the requirements of the trade contract when they acquired him. Finally, the Vikings signed 12 players to their practice squad and are reportedly looking at adding some veteran offensive linemen to the squad, including Hakeem Adeniji, Henry Byrd, and Tyrese Robinson. Byrd, who played left tackle at Princeton, impressed during the preseason and graded out well. With a few more signings on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how this squad comes together. Overall, the Vikings have been making some smart moves to bolster their roster depth and build a stronger and more reliable team. Fans are eagerly anticipating the upcoming season opener, which is now just 10 days away. What do we say? SKOL VIKINGS! Hosted by Dave Stefano @Luft_Krigare. Join the conversation! Fan with us at Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL and with our podcast partner Fans First Sports Network @FansFirstSN where you get sports takes for the fan, from the fan! 🚨🚨🚨 Are you a fan of the Vikings or any other NFL team? Would you love to attend your favorite team's Week 1 game? Well, you're in luck! Fans First Sports Network is giving away 4 FREE TICKETS to the Week 1 NFL game of YOUR CHOICE UP TO $5,000!! The rules to enter are simple. Go to contest.fansfirstsports.com and fill out the appropriate information That's it! Once you've done that, you've been officially registered to win the 4 FREE TICKETS to any Week 1 NFL game?! What are you waiting for? Go enter for your shot at seeing your favorite team in action! Contest ends on September 4th. 🏈 Good luck! 🍀 ⭐️ Our YouTube live shows can be found here! - https://www.youtube.com/@vikings1stskol92 ⭐️ Our Twitter can be found at @Vikings1stSKOL ⭐️ At Fans First Sports Network - https://www.ffsn.app/teams/minnesota-vikings/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices