Vikings Re-Sign DT David Parry
The Vikings have re-signed defensive tackle David Parry, the club announced on Tuesday. Minnesota has already placed cornerback Mike Hughes on injured reserve, so it doesn’t need to make another roster move to accommodate Parry.
Parry will make his return to the Vikings roster after appearing in two games for the team earlier this season. The 26-year-old Parry played in Minnesota’s first two games of the year and even recorded a sack, but was cut after the Vikings decided to bring back veteran defensive tackle Tom Johnson. He’s been on the workout circuit since, meeting with the Seahawks, Lions, and Patriots.
Parry’s most extensive NFL experience came with the Colts, who made him a fifth-round pick in 2015. A Stanford product, Parry started 32 consecutive games to open his career with Indianapolis, racking up 78 tackles and four sacks in the process. After being arrested for an alcohol-related incident in March 2017, Parry was cut the following September and landed on the Saints’ practice squad. He was subsequently hit with a four-game suspension and appeared in only a single contest for New Orleans.
Parry will now serve as a depth on a Vikings roster that already has five other defensive tackles. Sheldon Richardson, Linval Joseph, Johnson, Jalyn Holmes, and Jaleel Johnson have all been active in each of the past two weeks, so it could conceivably be Parry that doesn’t suit up on Sunday.
Practice Squad Updates: 10/16/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Jake Eldrenkamp, WR Blake Jackson
Green Bay Packers
- Cut: WR DeAngelo Yancey
Houston Texans
- Signed: RB Josh Ferguson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR K.J. Brent
- Cut: QB Phillip Walker
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Craig James
- Cut: CB Jalen Myrick
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DB Chris Campbell, WR Shane Wynn
- Cut: DB Darius Hillary, WR Tanner McEvoy
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Kalif Raymond, DE Myles Humphrey
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB B.J. Bello, DT Winston Craig
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Keenan Reynolds
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OL Ruben Holcomb, CB David Rivers
- Cut: OT Jarron Jones, RB Dare Ogunbowale
Vikings To Place Mike Hughes On IR
The Vikings feared their first-round pick tore an ACL on Sunday, and subsequent tests confirmed those fears.
Mike Hughes will be placed on IR and miss the rest of the season, Mike Zimmer said Monday. Hughes went down during Minnesota’s Week 6 victory over Arizona and will now be rehabbing toward a goal of being ready in time for the 2019 season.
The late-first-round selection started two games for the Vikings and represented the latest major investment at cornerback, joining Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander. The latter three remain healthy for the now 3-2-1 Vikings, whose depth at corner will be tested.
Pro Football Focus graded Hughes’ abbreviated season as a mid-level effort, placing the Central Florida product as the league’s No. 68 corner through six games. He did deliver some early production, intercepting a pass and returning it for a touchdown. He forced and recovered a fumble, deflected three passes and made 39 tackles.
Hughes’ rookie contract runs through the 2021 season, with a fifth-year option in place for 2022. The Vikings also have return man Marcus Sherels on the roster, but he hasn’t played on defense this season. Rookie UDFA Holton Hill‘s seen 21 snaps and is likely set for an increase in responsibility.
Vikings Fear CB Mike Hughes Has Torn ACL
The Viking believe rookie cornerback Mike Hughes suffered a torn ACL against the Cardinals, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Hughes will undergo an MRI on Monday to confirm the preliminary diagnosis.
Hughes, 21, was the Vikings’ first-round pick (No. 30 overall) in the 2018 draft, but he’s played starter’s snaps despite Minnesota head coach’s Mike Zimmer‘s usual reticence to deploy rookies. Hughes has played primarily in the slot for the Vikings, but he’s also been asked to play outside while fellow corner Trae Waynes deals with injury.
All in all, Hughes has played like a slightly-below average cornerback during his rookie campaign. Pro Football Focus grades Hughes as the No. 69 corner among 119 qualifiers, while he ranks 35th among 66 qualifiers in Football Outsiders’ success rate, which measures cornerbacks’ ability to stop opposing receivers short of the sticks. FO also charts Hughes with allowing 9.1 yards per pass, good for 48th among corners.
If Hughes is indeed out for the year, the Vikings will turn to Mackensie Alexander to man the slot, while Holton Hill could conceivably also see more snaps. Jalen Myrick is the only corner on Minnesota’s practice squad, and he could be a candidate to be promoted to the active roster. If the Vikings want to look at the free agent market, they could look at options such as David Amerson, Tony Lippett, Jeremy Lane, or Sterling Moore.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/9/18
Here are today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB Jeremiah McKinnon
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Dontrell Hilliard
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: S Ibraheim Campbell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: RB David Williams
- Promoted from practice squad: TE David Grinnage
Los Angeles Rams
- Claimed from Ravens: CB Darious Williams
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: WR Tavarres King
- Waived from IR: DB Horace Richardson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: DE Will Clarke
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Demone Harris
NFL Workout Updates: 10/7/18
Here are today’s workout updates:
Minnesota Vikings
- WR Damoun Patterson (Twitter link via NFL Insider Adam Caplan)
Everson Griffen Not Expected To Return Anytime Soon
- We heard at the end of last month that there was no definite timeline for Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen to return to the team, and Schefter reported today that Griffen is not expected to return anytime soon. Griffen, of course, is tending to apparently serious mental health issues.
Vikings Activate LB Kentrell Brothers
Kentrell Brothers is back. The team announced that they’ve activated the linebacker from the exempt list. To make room on the roster, the team waived offensive guard Bryan Witzmann.
Brothers, 25, was handed a four-game suspension back in April for violating the league’s performance enhancing drug policy. The 2016 fifth-round pick accepted the punishment, saying he was unaware that the unnamed substance was banned.
“While it was not my intention to violate any league policies, I understand that it is up to me to be aware of what goes in my body, and I take full responsibility for that,” Brothers said. “I sincerely apologize to the Vikings organization, my teammates and our fans for my mistake. I take my job as a professional seriously and will continue to support my teammates during this time.”
The linebacker was allowed to participate in the Vikings’ entire offseason program, including preseason practices and games.
While Brothers will slide behind Eric Kendricks and Devante Downs on the middle linebacker depth chart, he’ll still earn playing time due to his special teams prowess. He only played eight defensive snaps in 2018, earning the majority of his 13 tackles on special teams. He’ll be joining a Vikings grouping that’s allowed the lowest kickoff return average in the NFL (15.3 yards). The team is also tied for sixth for the lowest punt return average (5.2 yards).
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/5/18
Here are today’s minor moves:
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: QB Luke Falk
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Nick O’Leary
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: G Bryan Witzmann
New York Jets
- Waived: DE Bronson Kaufusi
NFL Workout Updates: 10/2/18
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Jordan Leslie (link via Adam Caplan of SiriusXM)
Atlanta Falcons
Cleveland Browns
- LB Junior Sylvestre (link); CBs Sterling Moore, Josh Robinson; K Daniel Carlson, Miles Bergner (link via Caplan)
Denver Broncos
- P Brock Miller (link)
Detroit Lions
- RB Akeem Hunt; C Jake Eldrenkamp; Ts Antonio Garcia, De’Ondre Wesley; G Landon Turner (link)
Green Bay Packers
- LBs Josh Carraway, Aaron Wallace (link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
- RBs Matthew Dayes, Orleans Darkwa (link via Caplan)
Los Angeles Chargers
- LBs Jonathan Celestin, Tre’von Johnson; P Shane Tripucka; LS Taybor Pepper (link)
Los Angeles Rams
- LB Anthony Winbush; DBs Xavier Coleman, Ranthony Texada; K Kai Forbath
Miami Dolphins
- Gs Austin Davis, J.J. Dielman; Cs Dillon Day, T.J. Johnson, Jon Toth; T Gerhard de Beer; DTs Xavier Cooper, Will Sutton (link)
Minnesota Vikings
- DE Terrence Fede; LB Tyrone Holmes (link)
New England Patriots
- T Andrew Nelson (link)
New Orleans Saints
- G/T Oday Aboushi; Ts Chaz Green, Austin Howard; Gs Jordan Morgan, Isaiah Williams; CBs De’Vante Bausby, Jeremy Boykins, Byron Maxwell (link)
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
- DEs Damontre Moore, Jacquies Smith; LBs Travis Feeney, Edmond Robinson; K Nick Novak (link via Caplan)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- CB Herb Waters (link)
Seattle Seahawks
- WR Keon Hatcher; DE Hau’oli Kikaha; LB Chris Odom; CB Kalan Reed; Ss Maurice Alexander, Eddie Pleasant, Jeremy Reaves (link)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- CB Josh Shaw; S A.J. Howard (link)
Tennessee Titans
- QB Garrett Gilbert; WRs Aaron Burbridge, Reggie Davis, Damoun Patterson; LB Antwione Williams (link)