Vikings position battles entering final preseason game, cutdown day

The Minnesota Vikings wrap up the preseason Friday night against the Tennessee Titans and the 53-man roster will be solidified by 3 p.m. CT Tuesday. Then it's off to the races as the regular season begins Sept. 8 at Soldier Field against the division rival Chicago Bears.

While Adam Thielen and wide receiver trade rumors are dominating the headlines, there are a lot of jobs on the line Friday in the Vikings-Titans matchup at Nissan Stadium. Here are the position battles we'll watching closely

Brosmer, Howell and Rypien

It's unclear if all three will play, but it's a good bet that Brosmer will get plenty of action. J.J. McCarthy and Sam Howell were the only quarterbacks to participate in Wednesday's scrimmage, which could indicate that Howell is a lock to make the team. If so, that could mean that Brosmer is battling Rypien for the QB3 job. However, it wouldn't be all that crazy for Brosmer to play himself into the backup role eventually.

Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips was asked how important "experience" is for a backup quarterback and his response might've been a subtle nod to Brosmer, who is an undrafted rookie from the the Gophers.

"I feel like over the years I've been with some guys that maybe aren't the older guy in the room, maybe not the journeyman quite yet, but just have a great instinct for the game, are really smart and work really hard at it," Phillips said when asked how much "experience' will factor in the backup QB decision.

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Wide receiver depth

It's possible that the No. 2 wide receiver (Hey, Adam Thielen) while Jordan Addison is serving a three-game suspension isn't on the roster right now, but the competition for two or three roster spots at wide receiver appears to be between Lucky Jackson, Tim Jones, Jeshaun Jones and Myles Price. Whoever makes the cut will join Jefferson, Addison, Jalen Nailor on the 53-man roster, although adding someone like Thielen through a trade would muddy the situation for the fringe guys.

Ty Chandler vs. Zavian Scott for RB3

Scott has looked lik e the more dynamic of the two this preseason, but Chandler knows Kevin O'Connell's offensive system inside and out. This really does appear to be a true competition and one that Scott could steal. However, in an interview with Kay Adams this week, veteran running back Aaron Jones didn't mention Scott when talking about Minnesota's running back room with him and Jordan Mason leading the way.

"Excited to have (Mason) here, have a running mate in him — and Ty Chandler's going to be ready as well," Jones said. Simple oversight or does he know something?

Punter competition

Ryan Wright and Oscar Chapman are "neck and neck," according to special teams coordinator Matt Daniels. This preseason, Wright has punted four times for 204 yards (51 average), with a long of 56 and a lower net average (38.8) due to one big return against him in last weekend's game. Chapman has punted three times for 157 yards (52.3 average), with a net average of 49.3 and a long of 58.

Punt and kickoff returner

Myles Price made himself look like the favorite for both jobs with a pair of silky punt returns and an 88-yard kickoff return that came up just short of a touchdown last week against the Patriots. The question is if Minnesota is willing to take someone like Price as the sixth wide receiver and return specialist when they might be able to get quality return reps out of someone like cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, which would open up a roster spot for a fringe player the Vikings don't want to release.

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