Minnesota Vikings roster cut ‘bloodbath’ continues with another veteran gone

MIAMI GARDENS, FL – OCTOBER 16: Eric Kendricks #54 of the Minnesota Vikings and Harrison Smith #22 of the Minnesota Vikings dive for a loose ball against the Miami Dolphins during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on October 16, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
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The Minnesota Vikings have already released a number of veterans. Insiders expect that to continue with the next Harrison Smith.
LB Eric Kendricks, WR Adam Thelin and CB Cam Dantzler. What do they all have in common?
All three are former Minnesota Vikings who were released by the team despite having plenty of service staff. A generation of fans grew up with these players, but Kwesi Adofo-Mensah held them back over hat concerns. Those three won’t end up dead, however, so Harrison Smith might be next.
Update: ‘Signs are up’ for #Vikings safety Harrison Smith, according to @DWolfsonKSTP
“It’s still going to be a bloodbath,” a source told Wolfson about the state of the Vikings cut for players.
The Vikings have already cut LB Eric Kendricks, WR Adam Thielen and CB Cam Dantzler. pic.twitter.com/dv6VqYglaJ
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 11, 2023
Minnesota has a cap crisis coming on, which explains the roster’s moves. But when will it end? Dalvin Cook has also been marketed on the open market. Next year’s team may not look like the team that won the NFC North last season.
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FanSided’s Alicia de Artola explained Harrison Smith’s situation on Friday as it develops.
“It doesn’t mean that Smith will definitely be cut,” Wolfson said. “The team can still try to restructure their existing deal to be more team friendly. However, if the two sides don’t agree on it, a cut is certainly possible.”
Smith has been a stalwart for the Vikings since he was ranked 29th overall in 2012 from Notre Dame. He has started 158 games over the past 11 seasons at Minnesota, and has reached six Pro Bowls. He was an AP First Team All-Pro in 2017.”
Smith had five interceptions in 2022 and was a staple in the secondary. He was drafted in the first round by Notre Dame in 2022, and has been from the Vikings ever since. That time may soon be over though as he has firmly established himself as a fan favorite.
It is not clear who will replace a player like Smith at Minnesota. A contract restructuring remains a possibility, if the Vikings and Smith would prefer not to move forward.