Vikings' 53-man roster projection goes heavy on defensive depth

[Ralphie]

(Phew)...well, that's settled!  Thanks, ESPN! 
WIDE RECEIVER (5): Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, Laquon Treadwell, Stacy Coley, Chad Beebe
No position battle is as difficult to narrow down for Minnesota than flushing out the receiving corps. There hasn’t been a specific role for any receiver behind Thielen and Diggs dating back to last season. The Vikings hope Treadwell’s flashes of excellence, particularly in the red zone, will set him apart this season as the No. 3. Coley, Brandon Zylstra and Tavarres King missed time in the preseason with injuries, making this group difficult to evaluate. Kendall Wright came on slower than expected and hasn't been a factor on special teams. Beebe's late-game heroics have turned heads and might earn him one of the final spots. Minnesota liked what it saw from Coley in the first preseason game, and his value as a returner helps his case despite being sidelined. If Coley's injury keeps him out for an extended period of time he could be a candidate for injured reserve, thus freeing up the spot allotted for him in this projection for someone else. If the Vikings waive Zylstra, they could try and get him on the practice squad. This group could go with either five or six players, depending upon needs elsewhere, but keep in mind Cayleb Jones, who is suspended the first four games of the season, could be someone the Vikings want to activate ahead of Week 5.

http://www.espn.com/blog/minnesota-vikin...-cuts-2018

[Guest]

10 DEs and 11 DBs? This seems like an article that says, "I don't really know who is doing well among the tightly-contested positions so I won't actually predict."

IMO it would be a mistake if the Vikings keep 10 defensive linemen: we have 3 prospects at DE (Weatherly, Bower, Odenigbo) supposedly looking for time behind 3 veterans. It's time for the coaches to figure out which, if any, of the 3 youngsters are actually able to contribute and put 1 or 2 in the rotation. The writer said, "If the Vikings are serious about creating a defensive line rotation, they need to keep more bodies around." But we had bodies on the roster last year - Zimmer and Patterson just didn't use them.

[Guest]

I could see them going with just four LBs, and stashing one on the PS.  This would allow them to keep 10 OL.

Another option would be to start the season with Elf on PUP.  Would suck to not have him for the first six games, but he should be more healthy and stronger when he does come back.

And I dunno about Sherels and five WRs....

[Guest]

@Jor-El said:
10 DEs and 11 DBs? This seems like an article that says, "I don't really know who is doing well among the tightly-contested positions so I won't actually predict."

IMO it would be a mistake if the Vikings keep 10 defensive linemen: we have 3 prospects at DE (Weatherly, Bower, Odenigbo) supposedly looking for time behind 3 veterans. It's time for the coaches to figure out which, if any, of the 3 youngsters are actually able to contribute and put 1 or 2 in the rotation. The writer said, "If the Vikings are serious about creating a defensive line rotation, they need to keep more bodies around." But we had bodies on the roster last year - Zimmer and Patterson just didn't use them.

Seems pretty accurate, what should the keep, an extra LB that we don't need?