Potential Vikings Cut Candidates
4. Kene Nwangwa, RB/KR
The Minnesota Vikings drafted Kene Nwangwu in the fourth round of the 2021 draft. In the three seasons since joining the Vikings, Nwangwu has seen limited playing time. As a running back, he has amassed 27 rushes for 88 yards and caught six passes for 30 yards across 60 offensive snaps. Despite not yet making a significant impact as a running back, he has shown promise as a potent kick returner, totaling 1,879 return yards and scoring three touchdowns on 68 returns.
While keeping Nwangwu for his kick return abilities wouldn’t be the worst idea, especially with the new kickoff rules, the running back room is crowded. Currently, Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler are the top two running backs, and pending a physical, Cam Akers will be back to compete for the third spot. With Akers likely to win that battle if he returns, keeping Nwangwu on the roster solely for kickoffs seems like a waste, even with the new kickoff rule.
3. Jalen Nailor, WR
The Vikings selected Jalen Nailor in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft because of his electrifying speed. However, Nailor has yet to be a major factor in the Vikings’ offense due to injuries and a lack of playing time. Nonetheless, Nailor remains a contender for the wide receiver three spots during training camp. If Nailor is unable to show he can be a reliable contributor to the Vikings’ offense during training camp, the Vikings may decide to move on from him.
2. Nick Mullens, QB
Nick Mullens is one of four quarterbacks the Vikings are carrying into training camp. Mullens has been a backup for the Vikings for the past seasons and was part of their quarterback carousel when Kirk Cousins went down last year. In the five games that Mullens played last year, he threw for 1,306 yards, seven touchdowns, and eight interceptions, which was arguably the best play from a backup the Vikings got. However, the reason Mullens makes this list instead of Jarren Hall is because of age. Since Mullens is older and has proven to be just a serviceable backup, teams might be less inclined to pick him up compared to the younger Hall. That means the Vikings could sign Mullens to the practice squad.
1. Lewis Cine, S/ST
Since being drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, Lewis Cine has barely seen the field. During his rookie season, Cine suffered a compound fracture in his left leg in Week 4 against the New Orleans Saints. As a result, he only logged 34 special teams and two defensive snaps during his rookie season. Although he was healthy this past season, he only played in seven games, totaling 84 snaps on special teams and eight snaps on defense. Given that Cine has only played ten total defensive snaps in two seasons with the Vikings, it might be difficult to earn more playing time during training camp. Therefore, the best-case scenario for both parties might be for the Vikings to cut Cine.
Main Photo: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
