Vikings Cut DT Will Sutton
Will Sutton has been released by the Vikings, Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune tweets. Sutton was signed to the roster in May.
The 25-year-old, a third round pick of the Bears in the 2014 draft, was cut loose by Chicago this May. In the last three years, he started in half of his games and the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus indicate that he had his best season to date in 2016. Still, GM Ryan Pace shopped him before last year’s season opener and pushed him out the door this year.
For one reason or another, he wasn’t up to the Vikings’ standards either.
Vikings Cut OL T.J. Clemmings
The Vikings are releasing offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Clemmings has started 30 games for Minnesota over the last two years.
Clemmings was first thrust into the starting right tackle role in 2015 when Phil Loadholt went down with an injury. Last year, he wound up back with the first team thanks to the injuries suffered by Matt Kalil and Jake Long. Those injuries forced him to move from the right side over to left tackle.
Clemmings finished last year as the No. 74 rated tackle out of 76 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics. He had a similarly rough score in 2015.
Vikings To Put Teddy Bridgewater On PUP
The Vikings are expected to keep quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on the PUP list for six games, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This means that the Vikings haven’t ruled out the possibility of him playing in 2017. 
[RELATED: Dolphins Considered Teddy Bridgewater]
If placed on PUP, Bridgewater will be shelved for the first six weeks of the season. After that point, if he’s healthy enough, he can return to the active roster as Sam Bradford‘s understudy. Even if Bradford stays healthy and productive, that could be a significant development for Bridgewater. It is believed that Bridgewater can avoid having his contract toll if he does not miss the entire 2017 season. If he does miss the year, then the Vikings will be able to keep him under contract through 2018 as a part of his rookie deal.
In May, it was reported that Bridgewater would fight a PUP designation if he believed he could pass a physical. It’s not clear if Bridgewater can get a medical green light at this point, nor do we know whether that’s still his intent.
Zimmer: Bridgewater 2017 Return Possible
Mike Zimmer shed some light on Teddy Bridgewater‘s progress recently, revealing (via Jay Glazer of Fox Sports; Twitter link) there is a “possibility” the fourth-year quarterback returns for the Vikings this season. Zimmer reiterates Bridgewater has not been able to practice yet, further pointing to an uncertain future for the former starting quarterback.
CBA language is murky regarding what could happen if Bridgewater begins the season the Reserve/PUP list, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noting this, as written, would cause the passer’s contract to toll and keep him on the Vikings in 2018 as part of his rookie deal. While this subject has been broached a few times this offseason, Florio adds that this contract rule as applied would suggest Bridgewater would need to miss the entire season for his deal to be carried over onto Minnesota’s 2018 books. So, the former Louisville star returning from the PUP list this season could be pivotal for his career, even if Sam Bradford has a firm grip on the starting job.
This could be a drawn-out process for Bridgewater and the Vikings without a near-future resolution, but it’s definitely a worthwhile subplot to their season. Here’s the latest in relevant North-divisions subplots.
Vikings’ Datone Jones On Roster Bubble
The Vikings added defensive lineman Datone Jones on a one-year, $3.75MM contract in March, but he might not play a meaningful game in their uniform. Head coach Mike Zimmer indicated Thursday that the next couple weeks could make or break Jones’ chances of cracking Minnesota’s roster, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (Twitter links).
“At times he’s had a good stretch and then stretches where he reverts back,” said Zimmer, who added that the “next two weeks will be important” for Jones.
The 27-year-old Jones’ deal came with a $1.6MM signing bonus, which isn’t an enormous amount, but having to cut ties with him after doling it out would nonetheless be a disappointment for the Vikings. Moving on from Jones would save the team $2.19MM.
Jones joined Minnesota after spending the first four years of his career with NFC North rival Green Bay, which used the 26th overall pick on him in 2013. The ex-UCLA Bruin didn’t live up to his first-round billing as a member of the Packers, with whom he totaled 59 appearances but only nine sacks and seven starts. Jones logged a career-high four starts and amassed 548 snaps across 15 games last year, when he added 22 tackles, a sack and ranked 70th in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 110 qualified edge defenders.
Jones served as an edge rusher in the Packers’ 3-4 scheme, but he’s working at his college position – three-technique defensive tackle – with the Vikings. Tom Johnson is set to start ahead of Jones there and alongside standout nose tackle Linval Joseph in the middle of the Vikings’ line, while Will Sutton and Shamar Stephen are also on hand as experienced options.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/17
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived from IR: WR Kenny Bell, LB Lamar Louis
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Rory Anderson, S Adrian McDonald
- Waived: P/K Austin Rehkow
- Waived/injured: TE Jason Croom
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: QB Mitch Leidner
- Waived: LB Darnell Sankey
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Tyrus Thompson (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Claimed: T Marquis Lucas
Vikings, Texans Interested In Tramaine Brock
Tramaine Brock‘s market is heating up. The Texans and Vikings are now among the teams with interest in the free agent cornerback, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) hears. La Canfora adds that it is “very likely” he will sign somewhere this week. 
Brock is already meeting with the Seahawks and Seattle is very serious about signing him after four months of investigative work into the domestic violence allegations against him. After charges were dropped against Brock and his alleged victim characterized the incident as a verbal dispute rather than a physical one, teams seem to be more comfortable with the idea of adding him to the roster.
The Texans have been putting an emphasis on causing turnovers and Brock, who has eleven career interceptions, can help with that pursuit.
“One of the things we talked about as soon as we got back for OTAs is creating turnovers,” cornerback Kareem Jackson said (via ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop). “We feel like as a defense unit, that’s our job, to create turnovers. If we can improve on that as well as continue to get better in some of the other defensive categories and situational football, [we will] continue to progress as a group.”
Brock, 28, has been a full-time starter in each of the past two seasons. Last year he graded out as the league’s No. 23 corner while playing 95% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Vikings Sign RB Bronson Hill
After working out running backs David Cobb and Bronson Hill earlier on Saturday, the Vikings decided to sign Hill, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (on Twitter).
Hill will have an uphill battle toward cracking the Vikings’ 53-man roster, with Latavius Murray, Dalvin Cook and Jerick McKinnon under contract. But Hill, an Eastern Michigan alum who’s been in the NFL since 2015, still has practice squad eligibility. The team did not sign Cobb, a University of Minnesota alum and former Titans fifth-round pick.
The 24-year-old Hill played in three games with the Jaguars last season and has just two career carries, but Tomasson reports (on Twitter) he was going to work out for the Falcons next week if not signed by the Vikings. Hill has bounced around the league during the past three preseasons, with the Bengals, Bills, Bears, Dolphins and Saints having him on their respective rosters briefly before he caught on in Jacksonville.
Minnesota lost reclamation project Bishop Sankey to a torn ACL on Friday. The team waived the former second-round pick to make room. Sankey, who hasn’t played in a game since 2015, will revert to Minnesota’s IR list once he clears waivers.
Vikings To Work Out David Cobb, Bronson Hill
The Vikings lost running back Bishop Sankey yesterday after the former second-rounder tore his ACL. The team is now searching for replacements, and Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com reports that the organization will audition a pair of running backs in David Cobb and Bronson Hill.
Signing with the Vikings would be a bit of a homecoming for Cobb, who was a standout at the University of Minnesota. The 2015 fifth-round pick hasn’t shown much consistency during his brief NFL career, compiling 146 yards and one touchdown on 52 career carries. Since being released by the Titans last August, the running back has also had brief stints with the Steelers and Bears.
“It would definitely be a dream come true,” Cobb told Tomasson. “I’m always confident, but it will be up to (the Vikings).”
Meanwhile, Hill has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted out of Eastern Michigan in 2015. He collected 11 rushing yards in three games with the Jaguars last season, and he’s also spent time with the Bills, Bears, Dolphins, Saints, and Bengals.
Of course, despite the Sankey injury, it’d still be an uphill battle for either Cobb or Hill to make the Vikings roster. The team is currently rostering four healthy running backs in Latavius Murray, Dalvin Cook, Jerick McKinnon, and Terrell Newby.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
- The Vikings placed Bishop Sankey on IR, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Minnesota signed the former Titans second-round pick to a reserve/futures contract in January, but an MRI Friday revealed Sankey tore an ACL. He will miss the season. Sankey hasn’t played in a game since 2015.
- Cut by both the 49ers and Jets in August, Bruce Ellington caught on with a third team this month. The Texans agreed to terms with the wide receiver/return specialist, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports. The Jets waived Ellington with an injury designation, but a Friday workout with the Texans provided a green light for the franchise to sign him. The Texans are currently reeling at wideout. In addition to Will Fuller‘s absence, Braxton Miller and DeAndrew White aren’t practicing. Ellington missed all of last season with a torn hamstring.
- The Jaguars signed veteran running back Jonathan Grimes and waived running back Tyler Gaffney with an injury designation, the team announced. Grimes is a five-year NFL veteran whose most notable work came as a backup for the Texans from 2012-16. He gained 455 yards from scrimmage in 2015, the final year Arian Foster suffered a severe injury.
- Defensive end Keionta Davis agreed to terms with the Patriots, who cut cornerback Dwayne Thomas to make room, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. A rookie out of Chattanooga, Davis was invited to the Combine but wasn’t drafted or signed after the draft.
- The Chargers re-signed tight end Matt Weiser, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). A University of Buffalo alum, Weiser spent time with the Bolts during their final San Diego camp last summer but was cut just before the season.
- The Colts reached injury settlements with tight end (and former VCU basketball standout) Mo Alie-Cox and wideout Harvey Binford, Wilson tweets.
- Mykkele Thompson‘s time as a Giants secondary cog could be coming to a close. After Big Blue cut Thompson — a fifth-round pick in 2015 — on Thursday, he cleared waivers. NJ.com’s Dan Duggan expects an injury settlement to follow (Twitter link). Duggan notes this Thompson is battling a minor quadriceps injury.