Packers Also Pursued Kaare Vedvik
It appears three NFC North teams discussed a Kaare Vedvik trade with the Ravens. While the Vikings ended up winning the pursuit, and the Bears were an obvious candidate to acquire a kicker, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets the Packers were also in the mix.
Green Bay is set for a 13th Mason Crosby season, but Vedvik has multiple roles. The Packers have used four punters in the past four seasons, with a different one — Tim Masthay, Jake Schum, Justin Vogel, J.K. Scott — spending a full season in that role. A 2018 fifth-round pick, Scott remains in place as the Packers’ punter. It would have obviously been curious to see the Packers trade a Day 3 choice for another punter.
Crosby, though, has one season (at $4.85MM) remaining on his contract. The career-long Packer made 30 of 37 field goal tries last season; four of those misses came on a rough day in Detroit. The soon-to-be 35-year-old kicker made 5 of 7 of his 50-plus-yard attempts in 2018.
The Vikings sent a fifth-round pick to the Ravens for Vedvik, a Norwegian-born specialist who kicked and punted at Marshall. Vedvik’s time as the Thundering Herd’s punter lasted longer than his stay as their kicker, and John Harbaugh used him in both capacities in the Ravens’ preseason opener last week. It remains unclear how the Vikings will deploy Vedvik.
Vikings To Cut LS Kevin McDermott
The Vikings will have a new long snapper this season. They informed their snapper of the previous four years, Kevin McDermott, he will be released, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).
McDermott was signed through the 2020 season, via a 2016 extension, but the Vikings’ offseason changes will lead him elsewhere. Minnesota drafted snapper Austin Cutting in the seventh round, doing so after hiring a new special teams coordinator in Marwan Maalouf.
This news comes hours after the team traded a fifth-round pick to the Ravens for kicker/punter Kaare Vedvik. Now, Vedvik, Dan Bailey and Matt Wile will catch snaps from the same player. McDermott and Cutting had been competing for the gig this offseason. This became a full-on competition in mid-July, when the rookie out of Air Force was cleared to play. The Vikings can turn their attention to their now-intriguing special teams competitions.
The Vikings’ new ST boss advocated for the Cutting pick, per KSTP’s Darren Wolfson (on Twitter), who adds Maalouf would be in favor of starting over completely on special teams. That would help explain the Vedvik deal.
McDermott, 29, played in every Vikings game since the start of the 2015 season. Initially, the UDFA out of UCLA caught on with the 49ers in 2013. He spent seven games with the Ravens in 2014.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/19
Here are Sunday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Pasoni Tasini
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: OL Dillon Gordon
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Rashard Causey
- Waived: LB Jeff Holland
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Deontez Alexander
- Waived/injured: LB Tre Lamar
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers from Jets: CB Derrick Jones
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Isaiah Langley
- Waived: TE Zach Conque
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Terrance Smith
- Waived/injured: DL Jonathan Woodard
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Nate Wozniak
- Waived: G Tyler Catalina
Oakland Raiders
- Claimed off waivers from Falcons: DB Hamp Cheevers
- Placed on IR: CB D.J. Killings
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Sojourn Shelton
- Waived/injured: WR Shelton Gibson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Micah Abernathy
Washington Redskins
- Signed: QB Jalan McClendon, DB DeJuan Neal, LB Darrell Williams
- Placed on IR: QB Josh Woodrum
- Waived: WR T.J. Rahming
- Waived/injured: LB Garrett Sickels
Vikings To Acquire K Kaare Vedvik From Ravens
The Kaare Vedvik sweepstakes will end with the Ravens sending their backup kicker to the Vikings, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Minnesota will send a 2020 fifth-round pick to Baltimore.
Not previously mentioned as a destination for the suddenly in-demand specialist, the Vikings outflanked a rival that almost certainly was in that mix. The Bears, who have featured one of the more public kicker needs in modern NFL history, were reported to be in the hunt for Vedvik. So were the Jets and two other teams. Instead, Vedvik will wear a slightly different shade of purple soon.
Interestingly, Schefter adds Vedvik could be used as Minnesota’s kicker and punter. Dan Bailey and Matt Wile serve as the Vikings’ incumbents at those roles. It would be obviously unique for a team to use a specialist for both roles in this era. When asked about the trade report Sunday, Mike Zimmer said, “I really like Dan Bailey,” Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets.
The Ravens have stashed Vedvik, a 2018 UDFA, for two offseasons and kept him on IR last season in hopes of a future trade. The mid-Day 3 return represents good value for a kicker without any NFL game experience. He did, however, connect on each of his four field goal tries in the Ravens’ preseason opener. This included a 55-yarder.
For the most part, Vedvik only saw action for two seasons at Marshall. He did serve as the Thundering Herd’s kicker and punter in his 2017 senior season, however. The Norwegian-born specialist also began as a punter before seeing action as a kicker. Vedvik was Marshall’s punter for two seasons and made 10 of 16 field goals for the Conference USA program as a senior.
For the Vikings, this represents another fifth-round draft choice used on a kicker. They drafted Daniel Carlson in Round 5 in 2018 but cut him after a woeful performance against the Packers in a Week 2 tie. Bailey became the Vikings’ kicker soon after. The longtime Cowboy made 21 of 28 field goal tries as a Viking, also hitting 30 of 31 PATs. A fourth-year punter, Wile averaged 45.2 yards per boot (14th in the NFL) last season in Minnesota.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/19
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Joe Walker
- Waived/injured: DB Josh Simmons
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on injured reserve: DT Niles Scott
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: TE Marcus Lucas
- Waived/injured: T Derrick Puni
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DB Ibraheim Campbell
- Waived/injured: LB Kendall Donnerson
- Released: RB Corey Grant
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DE Hunter Dimick
- Placed on injured reserve: CB Keith Reaser
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: CB Terrence Alexander
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB Kerwynn Williams
- Waived: RB Matthew Dayes
New York Giants
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Mark McLaurin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Trevon Mathis
- Waived/injured: RB Ralph Webb
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: Jeremiah Valoaga
- Waived: WR Chris Thompson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Xavier Turner
- Waived/injured: CB Davante Davis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OL Salesi Uhatafe
- Placed on injured reserve: S D’Cota Dixon
Details On CB Bene Benwikere's Contract
- Cornerback Bene Benwikere‘s one-year, $1MM contract with the Vikings has an $805K base salary, tweets the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. The deal also includes a $90K roster bonus and up to $105K in per-game bonuses, although none of the contract is guaranteed.
[SOURCE LINK]
Sean Mannion In Lead At Vikings' QB2 Spot
- Going into their preseason slate, the Vikings have leaned toward Sean Mannion being Kirk Cousins‘ primary backup. That is not surprising, given Mannion’s status as the Rams’ QB2 recently. Mannion and 2017 UDFA Kyle Sloter were rotating No. 2 reps recently, but Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press points out Sloter is now rotating with rookie UDFA Jake Browning with Minnesota’s third-team offense. Both backups are playing for league-minimum money.
Vikings Sign CB Bene Benwikere
One of the league’s most well-traveled players has found a new home. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that the Vikings have signed cornerback Bene Benwikere.
The 27-year-old has bounced around the NFL since being selected in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. The San Jose State product has had stints with the Panthers, Dolphins, Packers, Bengals, Cowboys, Cardinals, and Raiders. Many fans remember his 2016 showing against the Falcons when he allowed Julio Jones to go off for 300 receiving yards.
The 27-year-old split the 2018 campaign between Oakland and Arizona, compiling 54 tackles, 0.5 sacks, four passes defended, and one interception. His best season came in 2015, when he finished with 59 tackles and nine passes defended.
The Vikings could use some additional depth at cornerback. Holton Hill was slapped with a pair of four-game suspensions this offseason, meaning he’ll likely sit out half the season. Meanwhile, Mike Hughes is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last year, and it’s uncertain if the 2018 first-rounder will be ready to go for the start of the regular season.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/19
We’ve already posted one round of minor transactions, but NFL clubs keep making moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: LB Matthew Thomas
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed off waivers: TE Donnie Ernsberger
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: TE Daniel Helm
Minnesota Vikings
- Claimed off waivers: G Tyler Catalina
- Waived: G Tiano Pupungatoa
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: TE Jake Powell
- Waived: QB J.T. Barrett
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Nyqwan Murray
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Chris Nelson, DE Jordan Williams
- Waived: DB Jonathan Crawford, LB Gimel President
Washington Redskins
- Signed: LB Garrett Sickels
- Waived: RB Elijah Wellman
Vikings Interested In Theo Riddick, Did Not Offer Contract To Orlando Scandrick
- Orlando Scandrick visited with the Vikings last week before signing with the Eagles, and Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that Minnesota did not extend a contract offer to Scandrick. The Vikes have worked out several CBs recently, and when asked whether the club would ultimately sign one, head coach Mike Zimmer said that’s ultimately up to GM Rick Spielman. Zimmer said, “we’re always looking for players. We’ll keep pounding the pavement” (Twitter link via Tomasson).
- Darren Wolfson of KSTP.com says that the Vikings have some interest in running back Theo Riddick, who was released by the Lions on Saturday (Twitter link). Minnesota does not have a visit set up at this time, though Riddick will meet with at least one other team in addition to his summit with the Saints.
- Orlando Scandrick visited with the Vikings last week before signing with the Eagles, and Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that Minnesota did not extend a contract offer to Scandrick. The Vikes have worked out several CBs recently, and when asked whether the club would ultimately sign one, head coach Mike Zimmer said that’s ultimately up to GM Rick Spielman. Zimmer said, “we’re always looking for players. We’ll keep pounding the pavement” (Twitter link via Tomasson).