Vikings Already Predicted to Cut Player They Just Signed

The Minnesota Vikings are one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NFL right now, and for multiple reasons, but the biggest reason is seeing how this team does with quarterback J.J. McCarthy finally back and healthy again. McCarthy will be taking his first snap with the NFL this season, so all eyes are on him to see what he does.

Of course, it’s not just about McCarthy. While some quarterbacks are solid without having much of a supporting cast, most need a good offense to get the job done, and since McCarthy is pretty much a rookie, his offensive lineup matters in a big way. So, the Minnesota Vikings have been working hard during the offseason to make sure there’s a good lineup around McCarthy for next season and also on the team’s defense.

Now, one player who Minnesota just signed is already being predicted to not make the final 53-man roster. It’s always strange to see a player who was just signed get benched or cut from the team, but it happens.

Minnesota May Split With New Tight End

Ryan Heckman of The Vikings Age has a new piece out on Friday, July 4, about one brand new Vikings player who could split with the team before the season even starts.

That player is Giovanni Ricci. In the feature, he notes that Minnesota “signed tight end Giovanni Ricci after minicamp. He was brought in near the end of June to offer added competition at the position, but the room is already fairly crowded, and, for that reason, he could have a long road ahead in making the roster.”

That’s a good point, because the Vikings already have a roster of  tight ends in TJ Hockenson, Josh Oliver and Gavin Bartholomew. “It feels very likely that those three will make the roster, but beyond those, could the Vikings keep a fourth?” Heckman asks. “Among those options are Ricci, along with two undrafted free agents: Ben Yurosek and Bryson Nesbit.”

So, Heckman makes the case that since Ricci been signed later in the offseason, he may not have as much of a “leg up.” That wasn’t possible, because he was with the New England Patriots up until around draft time. He also makes the point that Ricci didn’t even play last year and was only active in five games in 2023 when he was with the Carolina Panthers.

“Ricci offers some special teams upside as he played 64% of his possible snaps in 2023, but as an offensive player, he’s been pretty limited his whole career,” he adds. So, it’s not looking good for this new Viking.

Good News for J.J. McCarthy

Switching gears to McCarthy, what’s cool is that when it comes to McCarthy, the Vikings followers seem to have confidence in him. In a poll conducted by The Daily Norseman, 80% of their respondents said that they believe that McCarthy is going to have more than 24 touchdown passes this year.

So, in general, there’s a lot of hope for the Vikings this season and McCarthy.