The Vikings have made four more roster moves to get down to 80 players ahead of the Tuesday afternoon deadline.
- Waived CB Harrison Hand
- Waived TE Shaun Beyer
- Placed LB Ryan Connelly on Reserve/PUP list
- Placed WR Blake Proehl on Reserve/PUP list
Hand is the most notable name here. A 2020 fifth-round pick who played his college ball at Baylor and Temple, there was a time where he seemed like a potential piece of the Vikings' future in the secondary. Hand appeared in 14 games and played 163 defensive snaps as a rookie, even starting the final game of the year. He finished the season with 17 tackles and three pass breakups, including an interception against Drew Brees and the Saints on Christmas Day. Hand also showed some value on special teams.
Heading into his second season, Hand started to gain some buzz with a strong performance in OTAs. But although he appeared in nine more games on special teams in 2021, he only played two total defensive snaps. This year, with a new coaching staff, Hand appeared to buried deep down the depth chart throughout the offseason. Similar to the Vikings releasing Albert Wilson on Monday, waiving Hand now gives him a little more time to potentially find a new team.
Beyer is a former Iowa tight end who went undrafted in 2021 and spent the year on the Broncos' practice squad. The Vikings signed him a month ago, but he was unable to move up the depth chart, even with Irv Smith Jr. getting hurt.
Connelly and Proehl have been recovering from ACL injuries for a while. For the last month, they've been on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list. This move just means they no longer count towards the active roster and must miss the first four games of the season. Neither player seems likely to spend any time on the Vikings' active roster during the regular season anyways, though Connelly's special teams abilities give him a chance if gets healthy.
The Vikings will make another round of roster moves next Tuesday to get down from 80 players to an initial 53-man roster. After that, they can fill out their 16-man practice squad.
More must-reads: