A day that looms large for many players in the NFL is fast approaching: the deadline to cut rosters down to 53 players is Aug. 31.
So the battle for roster spots is in full swing, and there are at least two veterans who appear to be in danger of hitting the waiver wire—punter Matt Wile and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell.
As the Vikings regular season opener on Sept. 8 approaches, here’s a look at their precarious situations:
1.Wile and the Vedvik trade: Vikings GM Rick Spielman and Coach Mike Zimmer shook up camp and the special teams last week by trading for Kaare Vedvik who can be a punter or a place kicker. GMs don’t trade fifth round picks for a player unless they expect him to make the team so either Wile or Dan Bailey figure to be the odd man out. Zimmer tipped his hand by saying “I really like Dan Bailey” and then blamed some of the inconsistency of Bailey in camp on too much changing up of snappers and holders.
So room was made on the roster for Vedvik by releasing veteran snapper Kevin McDermott and giving the job to seventh round pick Austin Cutting. There also are rumblings that the team isn’t thrilled with Wile’s holding last season and in early camp so Chad Beebe has been working as the primary holder this week and Vedvik also will be tried at the spot.
In last Tuesday’s practice, Vedvik was the punter in special teams drills and handled kickoff duties too. Meanwhile Bailey had a perfect 7 for 7 day kicking field goals including 50 and 54 yarder. It looks like the trade for Vedvik may have gotten Bailey’s attention and early on, he’s responded well, hitting a successful field goal and extra point against Seattle.
Wile had a good first season punting for the Vikings in 2018, which was his first full NFL season after trying out with five other teams in recent years. His 45.2 gross average ranked 14th in the league while his net average (factoring in return yardage) was 9th best at 41.5. He also ranked 13th with 27 punts downed inside the 20. But the NFL is a "What have you done for me lately," league and with his holding concerns plus competition from Vedvik, who hit booming punts with good hang time in camp last week and in the Seahawks game, it looks like Wile is under serious pressure to keep his roster spot.
The wild card is that Vedvik also is a fine place kicker and made all four of his field goals for the Ravens in their preseason opener, including a 55 yarder. If Bailey falters, Vedvik could step in and while Zimmer said it was unlikely, he didn’t rule out the possibility of Vedvik handling both the place kicking and punting duties.
Treadwell and the battle for receiver spots on the roster:
Chad Beebe is turning into a jack of all trades with his new holding duties on top of currently running as the No. 3 wide receiver and top punt returner. Seventh round pick Bisi Johnson caught a touchdown pass in the preseason opener against the Saints and has had an impressive camp receiving and he’s a potential return man.
Beebe and fourth year player Jordan Taylor (who played for Vikings offensive advisor Gary Kubiak in Denver) are listed as the second team receivers behind Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. Second year man Brandon Zylstra is a fine receiver with a great track record in the Canadian league who is a good special teams player.
That puts former No. 1 draft pick Treadwell far down the pecking order as a third or fourth stringer thus far in camp. With his history of dropped balls and limited production (only 56 catches over his first three seasons), he needs to make a big impact over the next couple weeks or I see the team cutting him which also would save them $655,000 on his salary, minus the $480,000 they would pay Johnson under his rookie salary if he makes the team. That $175,000 savings is nice for a team that is tight against the cap. Treadwell did have a good performance against Seattle last Sunday with four catches for 47 yards but it was against backups and Zimmer admitted he was “showcasing” Treadwell which means they’d like to trade him if possible.
The competition for a limited number of roster spots every season is an intrinsic part of the league. Bailey and Treadwell knew what they were signing up for, and players learn to adapt to the stress.
Bailey was a Pro Bowl kicker for Dallas in 2015 but he missed seven field goals last season after joining the Vikings in Week 3. When asked about Vedvik joining the team, he was sanguine.
“That’s just the nature of this league—you’re always competing for a spot. In my position, all you can do is control what you can control. Today I had a good day, kicked well, we had a good day as a unit and we’ll just keep moving forward in a positive direction,” he said.