Vikings’ Irv Smith Jr. Done For Year?
Bad news for the Vikings. Irv Smith‘s knee injury will likely shelve him for the entire season, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 
Smith is looking at a 4-5 month timetable for recovery. Even in a best case scenario, that would effectively rule the tight end out for the regular season. A postseason return remains possible, in theory, but that’s a long way away. For now, Smith will have to focus on rehab while the Vikings plan to be without him for 2021.
Smith, 23, flashed serious potential last year while posting 30 catches for 365 yards and five touchdowns. The football world (and fantasy world) was awaiting a breakout year for Smith, who would have benefitted from all the attention paid to Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and the rest of Kirk Cousins‘ weapons.
Instead, the Vikings will lean more on Tyler Conklin, who is dealing with a hamstring injury. Brandon Dillon stands as the only other tight end on the roster after rookie Zach Davidson and Shane Zylstra were waived on Tuesday. It stands to reason that one of those two players will be re-signed to the 53-man roster once Smith is placed on injured reserve. Alternatively, the Vikings could scour the waiver wire for an out-of-house alternative.
Vikings Cut Everson Griffen, Get Down To 53
Everson Griffen‘s reunion with the Vikings has already come to an end. The veteran defensive end was among the team’s cuts today.
Griffen spent his entire career with the Vikings up until 2020. Splitting time between the Cowboys and Lions, Griffen finished out with six sacks in total. Meanwhile, no Vikings edge rusher finished with more than five. His ten-year run with the Vikes saw four Pro Bowl appearances and 74.5 total sacks.
Running back Ameer Abdullah was among the other players to earn their walking papers today. The veteran spent the past two-plus seasons with the Vikings, collecting 313 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on 55 carries.
The Vikings made the following moves to get down to 53 players:
Released
- LS Andrew DePaola
- OG Dakota Dozier
- CB Tye Smith
Waived
- OT Zack Bailey
- FB Jake Bargas
- LB Tuf Borland
- QB Jake Browning
- TE Zach Davidson
- S Myles Dorn
- OG Kyle Hinton
- DE Hercules Mata’afa
- WR Myron Mitchell
- CB Parry Nickerson
- WR Whop Philyor
- RB A.J. Rose, Jr.
- DE Kenny Willekes
- TE Shane Zylstra
Waived/Injured
- WR Chad Beebe
- S Luther Kirk
- OG Dru Samia
- QB Nate Stanley
Vikings To Trade For Jets TE Chris Herndon
In the wake of Irv Smith Jr’s knee injury, the Vikings are making a significant move at tight end. Minnesota is making a trade for the Jets involving draft pick compensation for tight end Chris Herndon.
The Jets are sending Herndon and a 2022 sixth-round pick to the Vikings for a 2022 fourth-round pick (via Tom Pelissero on Twitter).
Smith was supposed to take over as the team’s starter after the offseason departure of longtime starter Kyle Rudolph, but we heard just a couple of days ago that Smith was having surgery for a meniscus injury that will sideline him for the early part of the season.
The depth chart got pretty thin after that, so some sort of move was always likely. Herndon was a fourth-round pick of the Jets in 2018, and he flashed major potential as a rookie. In his first year as a pro he put up 502 yards and four touchdowns, very impressive numbers for a rookie tight end.
Unfortunately he was suspended for the first four games of 2019 for a substance abuse policy violation, and then played in only one game that year after hurting himself. He returned to play all 16 games last year, but had only 287 yards as the Jets’ whole passing game struggled.
He’s still only 25 and has always been talked about as a potential breakout guy, so the addition makes a lot of sense for the Vikings. It’s also a big opportunity for Herndon as he’s set to hit free agency for the first time next offseason. The Jets will now move forward with Tyler Kroft as the unquestioned starter at tight end.
This Date In Transactions History: Vikings’ Brock Lesnar Retires From NFL
Seventeen years ago, Brock Lesnar stepped out of the squared circle and on to the gridiron. The WWE superstar hadn’t played organized football since high school, but his athletic ability made the Vikings curious enough to give the muscle-bound homegrown talent an opportunity to compete in training camp as a defensive tackle.
On the surface, this seemed to be a publicity ploy for the former WWE champion, but there was reason to believe that Lesnar could defy the odds and embark on a legitimate professional sports career. Before Lesnar beat the likes of The Rock and The Undertaker, he was an amateur wrestling phenom at the University of Minnesota, where he captured the 2000 NCAA Division I heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestling championship.
At 6’2″ and 285 pounds, Lesnar’s drill times and marks were downright impressive. With a reported 4.7-second 40-yard-dash time, 35-inch vertical leap, and 30 reps on the 225-pound bench press, Lesnar would have bested many DTs at the 2004 combine. For reference, No. 14 overall pick Tommie Harris ran a 4.78-second 40-yard-dash and posted 29 reps on the bench press before the Bears made him the first DT drafted in April.
Despite never playing football in college, Lesnar was still only 26 years old at the time and had real potential as a raw prospect. Still, there was one big problem – an April motorcycle accident left Lesnar with a busted jaw, a broken left hand, a bruised pelvis, and a pulled groin. Playing at less than 100% health, Lesnar’s unlikely mission became even more improbable.
After Lesnar missed the Vikings’ cut in late August, the Vikings offered him a spot on their NFL Europe affiliate team. Citing a desire to stay close to his family in the U.S., Lesnar left football, transitioned to MMA, and went on to become the heavyweight champion of the UFC.
Lesnar’s NFL career was short-lived, but his presence in camp was appreciated by Randy Moss, Nate Burleson, and other members of the Vikings’ locker room who grew up as wrasslin’ fans. Lesnar also got to put his WWE skills to good use while with the Vikes. When a Chiefs defender roughed up Daunte Culpepper during a summer scrimmage, Lesnar grabbed him by the waist, suplexed him high in the air, and slammed him on the turf. At least, that’s how Burleson remembers it.
Vikings’ Irv Smith To Miss Time
Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. is scheduled for meniscus surgery (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The tear, operation, and recovery will sideline him for the start of the season, at minimum. 
[RELATED: Vikings, Harrison Smith Agree To $64MM Deal]
Smith, 23, flashed serious potential last year while posting 30 catches for 365 yards and five touchdowns. The football world (and fantasy world) was awaiting a breakout year for Smith, who would have benefitted from all the attention paid to Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and the rest of Kirk Cousins‘ weapons.
Of course, all is not lost, because meniscus surgery isn’t necessary a season ender. However, it seems likely that the Vikings will be without the dynamic TE through the first six weeks of the season.
While Smith is sidelined, they’ll be counting on backup Tyler Conklin — provided that Conklin’s hamstring doesn’t keep him off the field too. Brandon Dillon, rookie Zach Davidson, and Shane Zylstra comprise the rest of the Vikes’ TE depth chart.
Vikings, Harrison Smith Agree To $64MM Deal
The Vikings and Harrison Smith have agreed to a four-year, $64MM extension (Twitter link via Mike Golic Jr. of ESPN Radio). With that, the All-Pro now stands as the second highest-paid safety in the league. 
Smith, 32, was previously set to enter the final season of his five-year, $51.25MM deal. It was a whopper of a deal at the time, but that AAV had him outside of the top ten among safeties in 2021. Smith, who has spent the last nine years in Minnesota, wondered whether he was headed for divorce with the only NFL team he’s ever known.
“I mean I don’t know what happens at the end of careers,” Smith said recently. “Sometimes things change. I don’t plan on that happening, but the NFL is the NFL. It’s always wild. But I’ll always consider myself a Viking no matter what.”
Now, after watching Anthony Harris‘ offseason departure, Smith has a brand new deal and a significant pay bump to boot. Still a high-end safety, Pro Football Focus has rated him in the top-15 for each of the last four years. That includes 2015 when he graded No. 1 at safety.
This’ll be Year 10, but there’s no reason to believe that Smith is slowing down. Last year, Smith matched his career high with five interceptions. Now, with a new deal, he’ll look to set even more watermarks in Minnesota.
Vikings Waive RB Ito Smith, 2 Others
Ito Smith‘s Vikings stay will end up being short. Five days after signing the young running back, the Vikings waived him. They also waived offensive lineman Cohl Cabral and defensive tackle Zeandae Johnson.
This marks the third time a team has cut Smith this year. The Falcons waived him in April, and the Cardinals moved on from the fourth-year back earlier this month. Smith spent barely a week in Arizona. These quick exits do not bode well for the former Atlanta rotational back to land out a meaningful role in 2021. Though, teams’ backfields often change due to injury, opening the door to street free agent ball carriers.
A fourth-round pick in 2018, Smith has averaged north of 4.3 yards per carry in each of the past two seasons. He totaled 268 rushing yards on 63 attempts last year, splitting time with Todd Gurley and Brian Hill. Of the Falcons’ top three 2020 backs, only Hill has a gig (with the Titans) presently.
Teams have until 3pm Tuesday to cut their rosters from 80 to 53 players. Many of the players waived next week will be candidates to land practice squad jobs, with the NFL greenlighting a second season of 16-man P-squads. Players waived early, however, obviously stand to have less of a chance to stick around in that regard.
Vikings Hosted OL Roderick Johnson
After getting cut by the Texans last week, Roderick Johnson has earned his first work out since becoming a free agent. The veteran offensive lineman auditioned for the Vikings today, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Johnson, a fifth-round pick by the Browns in 2017, had spent the majority of his career in Houston. After getting into only one game through his first two years in the NFL, the lineman saw a larger role in both 2019 and 2020. Johnson got into 28 games (with six starts) through those two seasons, including a 2020 campaign where he appeared in 245 offensive snaps.
The 25-year-old re-signed with the Texans this offseason, collecting $350K in fully guaranteed cash. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier this month, and he earned his walking papers after getting activated.
Vikings first-round pick Christian Darrisaw is sidelined after undergoing a second surgery on his groin, keeping him off the field indefinitely. Minnesota also recently let go of offensive tackle Evin Ksiezarczyk, so it makes sense that the front office is in the market for some reinforcement at the position.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/25/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: CB Luq Barcoo
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Steven Sims
Carolina Panthers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Nate Hall
Chicago Bears
- Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Austin Calitro
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed (from Rams): TE Kyle Markway
- Waived: DE Romeo McKnight
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: RB Rico Dowdle
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Damontae Kazee, G Connor Williams
Houston Texans
- Waived: WR Taywan Taylor
Indianapolis Colts
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DE Damontre Moore
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed (from Bears): OL Badara Traore
- Waived: OL Garrett McGhin
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Nate Evans
- Waived: DL Frederick Smith Jr.
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LS Steven Wirtel
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: OT Evin Ksiezarczyk
- Released from IR via injury settlement: K Riley Patterson
New England Patriots
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Marvin Hall
New York Giants
- Released from IR via injury settlement: QB Clayton Thorson
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from active/PUP list: S Jaquiski Tartt
Tennessee Titans
- Claimed (from Jaguars): OL Derwin Gray
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Harold Landry
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/23/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here. Teams have until 4pm ET/3pm CT Tuesday to reach the 80-man roster limit.
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: CB Luq Barcoo (failed physical), TE Ian Bunting, WR Rico Gafford
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: G Marquel Harrell, WR Krishawn Hogan, DT Walter Palmore
Chicago Bears
- Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Ledarius Mack
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: DB Donnie Lewis
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: WR Alexander Hollins, CB Robert Jackson, OT Alex Taylor
- Placed on IR: TE Connor Davis, LB Montrel Meander
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Malik Hooker, WR CeeDee Lamb, S Israel Mukuamu, DT Carlos Watkins
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Stevie Scott
- Placed on IR: C Brett Jones
- Released: LB Pita Taumoepenu
- Waived: G Nolan Laufenberg
Detroit Lions
- Waived: DT P.J. Johnson, RB Javon Leake, OLB Robert McCray, QB Jordan Ta’amu
- Released: WR Darius Jennings
- Released from IR via injury settlement: OL Evan Boehm
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: TE Daniel Crawford
Houston Texans
- Waived: DT Auzoyah Alufohai, RB Darius Jackson, OL Drake Jackson
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: DT Joey Ivie, LB Skai Moore, TE Andrew Vollert
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OT Devery Hamilton
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: RB Raymond Calais (injured), DB Paris Ford, QB Devlin Hodges
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: LB Christian Elliss, QB Danny Etling, DT Jordon Scott (waived/injured)
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: DE Carl Lawson (story)
- Signed: DE Aaron Adeoye, OL Isaiah Williams
- Waived: CB Corey Ballentine
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: WR Jhamon Ausbon, WR Hakeem Butler, C Harry Crider, S Lavert Hill
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on IR: WR John Ursua
- Waived: DT Cedrick Lattimore, QB Alex McGough
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OT Jonathan Hubbard
- Released from IR via injury settlement: Sam Renner
Tennessee Titans
- Claimed (from Bengals): DL Freedom Akinmoladun
- Waived/injured: OL Paul Adams, K Tucker McCann, G Ross Reynolds
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Anthony Rush