As of @ Noon Tuesday, I show the roster at 71 assuming the following cuts have been recorded this morning:

Michael Gonzalez
Gabe Murphy
Ambry Thomas
Xazavian Valladay
Zemiah Vaughn

18 more to go today.

Didn't see that coming.......

This is an excellent article:

J.J. McCarthy’s Season Will Be Unprecedented. Are He and the Vikings Ready for It?
The second-year QB missed his rookie season with a meniscus tear, and now he’s inheriting a Minnesota team that won 14 games last year. What did he learn in his year away? And will that be enough against real NFL competition?

https://www.theringer.com/2025/08/26/nfl...n-oconnell

"Given the fleeting nature of success in the NFL, the risk Minnesota is taking is obvious. If McCarthy isn’t ready to play, this will feel like a wasted year for a team that could be in championship contention with just above-average quarterback play. If he is ready, the Vikings could run away with the NFC North. That makes the second-year passer, who hasn’t started a game that counts since he won a national championship with Michigan 19 months ago, one of the main characters of the 2025 NFL season."

A few excerpts: 

"All that work seems to have paid off, as was evident on the second day of joint practices. Following a shaky first day, McCarthy lit up the Patriots defense when the teams worked on red zone and two-minute situations. McCarthy’s handling of the offense before the snap was impressive, but it was his decisiveness after the snap that really stood out. He took chances downfield when they were there, connecting with Jordan Addison on countless plays. He hit his outlets when the downfield opportunities didn’t open up, and he scrambled when appropriate. At one point, McCarthy completed 12 passes in a row. “This is the one time it’s good that you guys were keeping some stats,” O’Connell joked after a reporter informed him of the feat. “It felt decisive. [He showed] an incredible amount of conviction in the decisions he made.”

“I think he’s handled that really well,” Greenard continued. “He’s always encouraging us to [push it further]. Like, ‘Hey, keep sending that shit. I need the reps.’ I love that.”

They better get their shit ironed out by noon on Saturday as Ohio State and Texas go at it or I'll lose my shit.

Jordan Schultz
@Schultz_Report
·
1m
Source: The #Cowboys are waiving rookie WR Traeshon Holden.

The former Oregon Ducks star had a great camp and preseason. Should be strong interest in him on the waiver wire.

Athletic enough to play at Alabama and Oregon. Crafty route runner, bigger at almost 6'3". Very good change of direction. Very doubtful he stays long enough on the waiver wire for Minnesota unfortunately.

...for a 6th round pick. Another bust...

Tick Tock Tick Tock....
===

BOMBSHELL: Vikings and Panthers Closing In on Massive Compensation Package for Adam Thielen Deal
Posted on August 25, 2025 - 3:26 pm 

In a stunning development that could reshape the Minnesota Vikings’ offense, negotiations are heating up between the Vikings and the Carolina Panthers to bring wide receiver Adam Thielen back to his home state, according to Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune. The Vikings, desperate to bolster their depleted wide receiver room, are reportedly deep in discussions to reunite with the fan-favorite veteran, and a deal could be imminent.

Speaking on the Access Vikings podcast Monday morning, Goessling revealed that the trade talks have centered on finding the right balance of draft pick compensation and salary allocation. “The wide receiver discussion has been going on, they’ve been looking into options at that spot,” Goessling said. “They have been talking with the Panthers about Adam Thielen for a trade. My understanding is at this point that it has been a matter of what’s the draft pick compensation going to be? Can they get to a spot where everybody is happy with it? Especially when you have to throw in the consideration of Thielen’s contract.”

Thielen, a Minnesota native and former Vikings star, carries a $10.1 million cap hit for the 2025 season, with a base salary of $6.25 million, per Over The Cap. The financial logistics are a key sticking point in the negotiations. Goessling speculated that the draft capital the Panthers receive could be adjusted based on how much of Thielen’s salary they’re willing to absorb. “How much of that do the Vikings pick up? They could afford to pick up all of it, but if you’re saying that to the Panthers, you’re probably saying, ‘Guys, that has to affect the level of the draft pick we’re sending back to you,’” Goessling explained. “I think the negotiations are kind of ongoing and being handled on those lines, along those terms.”

Sources suggest the trade could involve a Day 3 draft pick, likely in the fifth round, especially if the Vikings take on a significant portion of Thielen’s salary. Minnesota’s 2026 draft arsenal is well-stocked, providing flexibility to make this deal happen.

Goessling noted that the additional fifth-round pick from the Eagles could be the key to pushing this trade across the finish line. “The fact they have another fifth now I think matters in this. I think that could be part of what helps get that trade over the line,” he said.

Adding fuel to the excitement, Thielen is reportedly enthusiastic about the prospect of returning to Minnesota, where he spent the first nine years of his NFL career, earning two Pro Bowl nods and the adoration of Vikings fans. “I think there’s a lot of interest in doing it. I think Thielen is open to the idea, excited about the idea,” Goessling added.

As the Vikings aim to fortify their receiving corps and make a playoff push, bringing back a proven playmaker like Thielen could be a game-changer. With negotiations intensifying, all eyes are on Minnesota and Carolina to see if they can finalize a deal that satisfies both sides. Will the Vikings land their hometown hero? Stay tuned—this blockbuster trade could be just days away from becoming reality.

Panthers, Adam Thielen both asked to make $1 million sacrifices to get Vikings trade done 
originally appeared on The Sporting News

The Carolina Panthers and Adam Thielen both need to give up a large sum of money to get a trade done with the Minnesota Vikings. The Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, native has repeatedly been linked to his former team this offseason, and the Vikings’ need for a receiver amidst injuries and Jordan Addison’s suspension makes this a natural fit.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell acknowledged that while sharing the staggering totals that the Panthers and Thielen would have to relinquish financially.

The Vikings would need to give up draft capital from their recent Harrison Phillips trade with the New York Jets.

“The problem is Thielen's $6.25 million base salary. The Vikings obviously would prefer the Panthers cut the 34-year-old and pick him up for free, but Carolina already paid Thielen a $1.5 million roster bonus earlier in the offseason, suggesting it expected to have him. His salary isn't yet guaranteed, but it will become so if he's on the roster in Week 1, leaving the Panthers until then to make a decision. If he does get released, he isn't likely to get anything close to $6.25 million from another team, so he also is facing some uncertainty,” Barnwell wrote.

“All sides involved probably would need to give a bit to make a mutually advantageous deal work. The Panthers would eat $1.5 million of Thielen's contract, getting two of the three picks the Vikings got from the Jets in the Harrison Phillips trade in return. Thielen would take a $1 million pay cut in return for having the remaining $3.8 million guaranteed. The Vikings cleared out almost exactly that much when they made the Phillips trade, allowing them to absorb what's left of Thielen's contract as part of the deal.”
===
Sounds like a Mexican standoff until Tuesday cut down day?  In the meantime, valuable time is being wasted to get Thielen back up to speed with this tweaked version of KOC offense.

I'd rather forget!!  Saw a new ESPN ranking, had Hamilton at #17.  UGH!!


The Vikings have the biggest draft screwup nobody talks about

Safety Lewis Cine was released by the Philadelphia Eagles over the weekend as the team prepared for the Tuesday cut down deadline. It likely ends an unceremonious three year NFL career that began with hopes that Cine could be heir apparent to a franchise legends in Minnesota, and quickly turned into a mess.

We all know the legendary draft screwups of the NFL: The Saints trading their entire class for Ricky Williams, the Chargers taking Ryan Leaf, and the Raiders making JaMarcus Russell a No. 1 pick — while what the Vikings did in 2022 isn’t close to that level of infamy, it’s still one of the most impressive draft screwups of the modern era. One that began with the team being in a spot to get an All-Pro defensive back, and winded up with Minnesota getting a handful of magic beans, making their rivals better in the process.

The trade that started it all
It was fairly clear what the Vikings needed to add in the 2022 NFL Draft. The team was in dire need of defensive back help, and save that a need to strengthen their interior offensive line. The stage was set at No. 12 for Minnesota to get the steal of the draft, with Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton stunningly still on the board after garnering Top 5 hype and being widely regarded as the best safety to enter the draft in years.

The Minnesota Vikings have traded the 12th overall pick to the Detroit Lions …

It was stunning, albeit slightly understandable when the Vikings first traded back in the first round. This was a deep class at DB, and the prevailing wisdom is that more picks are always better than fewer. The most surprising part is that Minnesota traded with one an in-division rival, and made a poor deal at that. The Vikings traded the No. 12 and No. 46 picks for No. 32, No. 34, and No. 66. Perhaps the team had a different internal calculator that the rest of the league, but it’s widely accepted under every public model that Minnesota lost their trade from anywhere to 200 to 400 points — while the Lions got WR Jameson Williams, who just posted his first 1,000 yard season after missing portions of the last two years due to off-field issues.

Kyle Hamilton was picked by the Baltimore Ravens at No. 14. He has been named an All-Pro in each of the last two seasons.

The Vikings finally get … a guy
As soon as Minnesota took Lewis Cine at No. 32 it raised questions. If the Vikings wanted a safety then why not take Kyle Hamilton instead of their trade back? Did they really have a board which dictated that so many first round talents would still be available when they picked at 32 and 34?

Nobody thought Cine was remotely on the same level as Hamilton as a prospect. Nobody. This isn’t some revisionist history coming out. At every point in the process Hamilton was a Top 10 pick, Cine was a fringe 1st round player (at best). The best trait Cine had was that he hit hard, playing more like a light linebacker in the secondary than a true safety — but this also made him below-average in pass coverage. In taking him the hope would be that you could coach up his coverage ability, and lean into his ability to deliver a big hit to play him up in the box. That’s a very hopeful plan, as it requires a young defensive back to try and learn to more difficult, nuanced part of their game upon entering the NFL.

In any event the Vikings took Cine, and then moved onto their next pick.

More trades
The N0. 34 pick was on the clock and Minnesota was poised to take another bite of the apple — then they traded this pick again. This time in a deal with another division rival in the Packers, this time getting No. 53 and No. 59. Once again an NFC North team got a receiver because of the deal, with Green Bay taking Christian Watson with the pick. He’s been an okay player for the Packers, not outstanding, not terrible — but part of the WR rotation.

Minnesota then decided to trade back up, this time with the Colts. They took CB Andrew Booth Jr. at No. 42, giving up picks 53, 77, and 192.

Two more trade backs later in the 4th round and the snowball that began at No. 12 finally finished. The entire trade was complete and we saw the “haul” the Vikings were able to get by giving up their ability to get one of the best safeties in football.

S Lewis Cine

CB Andrew Booth Jr.

OG Ed Engram

DE Esezi Otomewo

RB Ty Chandler

It can’t be overstated how awful these picks were. Cine was just cut by the Eagles, Booth Jr. is 8th on the Cowboys depth chart at corner, Engram is the Texans’ backup RG, Otomewo is buried on the Steelers depth chart, and Chandler ran for 182 yards last season. The only guy who managed to still stick on this roster is a 4th string running back. Meanwhile the Ravens got gifted Kyle Hamilton, the Lions got a starting WR, the Packers got a solid rotational receiver, and even the Colts won their trade, netting starting WR Alec Piece as part of their 2nd round trade.

It’s rare to find a team make this many picks and whiff on so many, while others around them got so much better as a result.

The Aussie punter via Auburn was cut.
So much for the international roster exemption.