Vikings minimize kicker Vedvik simply weeks after commerce
MINNEAPOLIS — Lower than three weeks after sending a fifth-round decide to the Baltimore Ravens in alternate for Kaare Vedvik, the Minnesota Vikings have minimize the 25-year-old kicker/punter.
The Vikings additionally parted methods Saturday with former first-round draft decide Laquon Treadwell, who didn’t carve out a job in Minnesota’s offense within the three seasons after he was drafted 23rd total in 2016.
After a preseason of uncertainty surrounding their specialists, the Vikings will go along with Dan Bailey as their kicker, Matt Wile because the punter and rookie Austin Chopping at long-snapper. The hope, in response to a supply, is that the group will be capable of signal Vedvik to the apply squad on Sunday if he clears waivers.
The Norwegian-born combo kicker was 12-of-13 on subject objectives through the previous two preseasons in Baltimore earlier than going 1-for-Four on such kicks with the Vikings. Upon arriving in Minnesota, Vikings coaches thought-about the thought of letting Vedvik deal with each kicking and punting tasks, one thing he’d beforehand dealt with throughout his collegiate profession at Marshall, though the difficulties in dealing with such a heavy workload — particularly for a rookie — had been famous.
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Vedvik’s struggles grew to become extra frequent through the ultimate days of the preseason. In Minnesota’s final apply earlier than taking part in in Buffalo, Vedvik went 5-for-9 on subject objectives. Requested about what he is realized with dealing with kickers who wrestle within the preseason, coach Mike Zimmer famous the function he must have in serving to these gamers overcome hurdles.
“It is a good query,” Zimmer stated. “I assume the most important factor is I’ve obtained to have extra persistence, in all probability.”
Treadwell was coming off a 2018 marketing campaign the place he recorded his first landing as a professional, notching a career-high 302 receiving yards whereas main the group in dropped passes. Minnesota opted to not decide up the receiver’s fifth-year possibility, which might have value the Vikings $10.162 million subsequent season.
As a substitute, Minnesota incurs $2,506,360 in lifeless cap by releasing Treadwell previous to his fourth season, given the proration of his signing bonus ($1,356,360) and the assured portion of his 2019 wage ($1.15 million).
In line with a supply with information of the language in Treadwell’s contract, there may be an offset provision, which suggests if Treadwell is claimed off waivers, the assure owed by the Vikings will scale back by the quantity the brand new group pays him.
The information of Treadwell’s launch would not come as a shock given how the previous three seasons have transpired. Minnesota tried to commerce Treadwell this offseason and at a number of factors relationship again to the 2018 season — each on cut-down day and once more towards the October commerce deadline.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound receiver by no means panned out to the extent of expectations set forth when he was drafted within the first spherical as a giant, bodily outdoors receiver who additionally might line up within the slot and create mismatches whereas operating beneath routes. Treadwell was handed up by others on the depth chart and didn’t seize maintain of the No. three receiver place behind Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs through the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
The Vikings have not parted methods with many first-round picks previous to their fourth season. The final was wideout Troy Williamson, the No. 7 decide within the 2005 draft, whom the Vikings traded for a sixth-round decide after three seasons.
Amongst Minnesota’s different notable cuts Saturday was Kyle Sloter, who had the best preseason passer score amongst quarterbacks with 40 or extra makes an attempt. Sloter was 39-of-51 passing within the preseason for 443 yards, 4 touchdowns, one interception and a 120.zero passer score.
The Vikings additionally tried to discover a commerce associate for Sloter on Saturday earlier than releasing him on the deadline. The quarterback got here to Minnesota in 2017 after he was waived by Denver, the place he started his NFL profession as an undrafted free agent. Sloter was rapidly promoted from the apply squad to lively roster resulting from a non-contact knee damage Sam Bradford suffered early within the 2017 season and spent the season as Case Keenum’s backup.
Sloter by no means noticed motion in a daily season sport in Minnesota however routinely put up large numbers in preseason outings. Regardless of a powerful stat line in these video games, Sloter by no means took a second-team rep at quarterback, which is the function Sean Mannion assumes this season in Minnesota behind starter Kirk Cousins.
“I do not know that you simply guys know all of the little particulars about every little thing, you simply see how he goes and does the sport,” Zimmer stated of Sloter’s preseason performances. “He is obtained to get quite a bit higher in quite a lot of the opposite components of being a quarterback. Making the precise checks, getting folks in the precise formation, ensuring the movement is there, not lacking the time clock when it is eight yards in entrance of you. There’s quite a lot of issues that he has to get higher at if he desires to be the backup quarterback.”
Earlier within the preseason, Zimmer critiqued Sloter’s skills in apply versus what he does in video games. Whereas preseason practices throughout July and August are open to the media, practices in season aren’t. In line with a number of group sources, these practices performed the most important think about Sloter not shifting up the depth chart over the previous three seasons. His struggles working the huddle, getting the precise playcall and into the precise cadence alongside along with his accuracy and decision-making hindered Sloter’s capacity to cement himself as Cousins’ backup.