The Minnesota Vikings have been set on acquiring new talent and following their Wild Card defeat they already signed former Boise State defensive end Curtis Weaver.
Weaver was an edge rusher with Boise State and a fifth-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins. He still has not played in the National Football League, but he played in a game back in 2021 with the Cleveland Browns.
Weaver makes news since he is a notable player who made three dominant seasons at Boise State, where he racked up 48 tackles for losses, 43 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions.
The Browns picked him up in his rookie season back in August, where he waived an injury designation, thereby spending the rest of the season on the IR list. He spent the entirety of 2021 with the Browns practice squad.
Weaver made his debut with the NFL in Week 18 and recorded a tackle; he joined the practice squad again during the season and was released in early October. A year later, the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL drafted him.
The #Vikings have signed OLB Curtis Weaver to a futures contract.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 18, 2023
Minnesota Vikings New Players
The Vikings were able to sign six players on Monday just from the practice squads into future deals. Four of these players from the squad turned down their offers, while Hinton, the defensive lineman. Dan Chisena, the wide reliever, and safety T. J. Smith accepted new positions to join the team.
Former NFL defensive back Torin Dorn and his son might be looking at other options. However, sources claim Minnesota Vikings have not pulled their deal, which remains on the table, a situation eerily similar to Chisena’s.
On the other hand, the Vikings signed six of their squad players to future contracts. Wide receiver Blake Proehl, tight end Nick Muse, Linebacker Benton Whitley, Wide receiver Trishton Jackson, Josh Sokol, and Tay Gowan, who played center and back, have all signed their contracts.
Kyle Hinton signs with Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were able to sign Kyle Hinton in the future contract this Wednesday, and the 24-year-old guard was Minnesota Viking’s seventh-round pick who played in two career games. He makes the 29th player to reserve a spot with the Falcons.
Hinton had previously played with the Vikings in the 18th-week win against the Chicago Bears. He makes for a good stash with the Falcons, who will find his skill quite valuable down the line.
Hinton, who had spent three years with the Vikings, was offered a contract by his team but turned it down for a $100,000 signing bonus offered by the Falcons. This deal was too good to pass up.
Hinton made his first two regular games in the 2022 season, where he played the entire second half of the season at Chicago as the left guard. Hinton’s new team is set to increase his roaster as a decorated tackle who often uses his power and athleticism to overwhelm his opponents.
We have signed Kyle Hinton to a reserve/future contract pic.twitter.com/0XhWZCTXRT
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) January 18, 2023
Minnesota Vikings off-season
This season ended quite abruptly for the Vikings, who had set there on the Super Bowl, the Wild card loss to the New York Giants was as surprising as the 12 -4 record. However, this loss could be pivotal as it has the potential to open up a memorable off-season marked by player changes. The acquisition of Curtis Weaver and the loss of Kyle Hinton sets precedence for the offseason.
Characterized by limited capital and tight space, this offseason will be pretty unpredictable for the Vikings. As the defense was the cause of last year’s downfall, the Vikings are expected to have an overhaul of their defense.
Ed Donatell’s dismissal from his defensive coordinator role was the first change. More changes are set to follow in the off-season. Veterans such as Za’Darius Smith, Harrison Smith, and Eric Kendricks’ futures are flexible as the team looks for younger blood.
Over the cap, reports that the Vikings are $20 million over the salary cap for their next season. Contract restructures are often used to lower cap numbers or increase the money in the future. This excessive bill can be attributed to the team’s high-priced veterans who have recently declined their performance.
Theilen will most likely be eliminated owing to his recent disheartening performance and an unlikelihood of a comeback in the next season.
Limited Draft Options
The Minnesota Vikings have limited draft options; after these last trades acquiring T.J. Hockenson, Ross Blacklock, and Jalen Reagor, the team only remains with four picks in the upcoming drafting.
The team ought to trade veterans to gain picks, although trading them would be much trickier as they only fetch a little. These new trades will be the highlight of the Viking’s offseason.
Credits on Featured Image: Darb02, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
