Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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EAGAN, Minn. — All but one practice-worth of evidence has been presented on behalf of Vikings players hoping to make the 53-man roster.
Final cuts are scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
The Vikings roster is at 76 players (including Ben Gedeon, who is on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list) as of Friday, so 23 reductions loom.
Many of those players could wind up joining Minnesota's 16-member practice squad, which is scheduled to be announced Sunday.
Head Coach Mike Zimmer will make final decisions the without benefit of having seen newcomers in a preseason game.
"It's only difficult because you can't judge against other people, and they get to know the guys that they're going against, I guess would be the big reason," Zimmer said. "You try to put them in as many game situations as you can so you can kind of see how they think and how they react when coaches aren't on the field. But I think you get a feel for the player. Some players emerge in the games more so than in practice."
After six seasons as Minnesota's linebackers coach, Adam Zimmer on Thursday described the slight shift for him as co-defensive coordinator.
"Cut day is never a fun day because you have developed a relationship with all of these guys, and this year I have developed relationships with more than just the linebackers," Adam Zimmer said. "It's always tough to say goodbye to some of these guys. Like always, we're going to wish them the best and do anything we can to help them get on wherever we can, especially in an offseason like this where they don't have the game film that some of the guys in the past have had to show the team.
"It's a difficult day, and we're going to try to get through it as best as we can," he continued. "I am looking forward to getting our team together and getting our group to start meshing with the guys that are going to go to battle with us on Sundays."