Cine (leg) has been a full participant at the Vikings' OTAs this week, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
Cine suffered a season-ending compound fracture of his left leg last October, but the 23-year-old appears healthy heading into the 2023 campaign. The free safety was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and went without a tackle while logging 36 total snaps last season, 34 of them on special teams. Cine will now compete with Camryn Bynum for a starting role in the Vikings' secondary ahead of his sophomore year in the NFL.
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Vikings' Za'Darius Smith: Dealt to Browns
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Smith has been traded to the Browns from the Vikings along with a 2025 sixth-round and seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round and 2025 fifth-round pick, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Smith's contract was apparently a key element in this trade for Minnesota along with the Browns' need for more defense. He will go from a 3-4 defense in Minnesota to a 4-3 in Cleveland. The veteran returned to form in 2022 during his lone season with the Vikings by accumulating 44 tackles (32 solo), including 10 sacks and a career-high five passes defended.
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Steelers' Chandon Sullivan: Signing with Pittsburgh
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Sullivan signed with the Steelers on Tuesday, Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.
Sullivan will head to Pittsburgh after logging 60 tackles (45 solo) in 17 games for the Vikings last year. Although the Steelers already added two cornerbacks in the draft in Joey Porter and Cory Trice, the 26-year-old should still be able to provide solid depth in the slot.
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Vikings' Jaquelin Roy: Ready to stuff run for Minnesota
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The Vikings selected Roy in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 141st overall.
Roy was a well-regarded recruit when he committed to LSU, though he got limited playing time due to the quality of the team. He did improve each season, and given his pedigree, there's some hope that he'll take significant steps of growth as a pro. In the short term, he should help the Vikings' rush defense as a rotational defensive tackle.
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Vikings' Jay Ward: Headed to Minnesota
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The Vikings selected Ward in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 134th overall.
Harrison Smith is entering his age 34 season, and 2022 first-rounder Lewis Cine is coming off a serious leg injury. This made safety a need, and with it being a light class at that position, the Vikings were able to wait until Day 3 to address it. Ward, a defensive back from LSU, is thin for a safety at 188 pounds, and his speed checks in at 4.55 in the 40. Still, he managed to be a two-year starter at LSU and played well with six career picks. He's a depth option at safety who could be thrust into a role as a rookie.
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Vikings' Mekhi Blackmon: Picked up by Minnesota
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The Vikings selected Blackmon in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 102nd overall.
Blackmon (5-foot-11, 178 pounds) was a standout starting corner with Christian Gonzalez at Colorado before Gonzalez transferred to Oregon and Blackmon transferred to USC prior to the 2022 season. Blackmon is a much lesser prospect than his former teammate, but the Vikings were evidently intrigued. Blackmon's light frame is a concern, but his 4.47 speed should be sufficient, especially when in the slot.
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Vikings' Lewis Cine: Recovering well
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Cine is progressing well as he recovers from a fractured leg, Lindsey Young of the Vikings' official site reports.
Cine fractured his leg during the team's Week 4 game against the Saints, which sidelined him for the rest of the year. The 2022 first-round pick played just two defensive snaps and did not record a tackle during his rookie campaign. Cine has begun running at full speed and will aim to be ready for the start of the season.
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Vikings' Danielle Hunter: Unlikely to be at offseason program
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Hunter is not expected to attend the start of the Vikings' voluntary offseason program, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Hunter is coming off of a 10.5-sack season in 2022, potentially feeling like he's due for a pay increase. The defensive lineman is due to make $4.9 million in 2023, which is far below market value for the production he had last season. It's unclear how long the three-time Pro Bowler could hold out for, but it's certainly a negotiation process to keep an eye on.
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Cardinals' Kris Boyd: Headed to Arizona
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The Cardinals signed Boyd on Monday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Boyd will sign with Arizona after spending the past four seasons in Minnesota. The 2019 seventh-round pick logged 13 tackles (eight solo) while playing almost exclusively on special teams last season and should be expected to have a similar role with the Cardinals in the fall.
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Raiders' Duke Shelley: Signs with Raiders
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The Raiders agreed to terms with Shelley on Thursday.
The 2019 sixth-rounder is coming off a 2022 campaign with the Vikings in which he recorded 31 tackles and an interception in 11 games. With Las Vegas, Shelley has a chance to earn steady snaps in a cornerback corps that also includes David Long, Nate Hobbs, Brandon Facyson, Amik Robertson and Sam Webb.
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Vikings' Jonathan Bullard: Back with Vikings
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Minnesota is re-signing Bullard on Tuesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Bullard played a depth role in his 12 appearances with the Vikings last season, recording 23 tackles (17 solo). The 29-year-old looks set to handle a similar reserve gig for Minnesota in the 2023 campaign.
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Vikings' Harrison Smith: Staying on restructured deal
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Smith agreed to a restructured two-year contract to remain in Minnesota on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The new deal will pay Smith $8 million in 2023, with $2 million in incentives. Smith has played his entire 11-year career with Minnesota, posting at least 78 tackles in each of the last seven seasons.
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Vikings' Kenny Willekes: Re-signs with Minnesota
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Willekes (undisclosed) re-signed with Minnesota on Wednesday.
Willekes spent the entire 2022 campaign on IR due to an undisclosed injury, but he appears to be healthy after agreeing to re-sign with Minnesota. The 2020 seventh-round pick has appeared in only six NFL contests -- all coming in 2021 -- and totaled 18 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one pass defense across 194 defensive snaps during those matchups.
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Browns' Dalvin Tomlinson: Cashes in with Cleveland
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Tomlinson agreed to a four-year, $57.5 million contract with the Browns on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Tomlinson's deal -- which can't be consummated until the new league year begins Wednesday -- includes $27.5 million guaranteed. The 29-year-old defensive tackle has been remarkably consistent, totaling between 39 and 59 tackles in each of his six NFL seasons. Cleveland will be Tomlinson's third team, as he spent the past two seasons in Minnesota after opening his career with the Giants for four years.
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Chargers' Eric Kendricks: Lands in Los Angeles
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Kendricks is in line to sign with the Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
After spending the first eight seasons of his career in Minnesota, it took little time for Kendricks to find a landing spot with the Chargers. The veteran's signing shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as fellow inside linebackers Drue Tranquill, Kyle Van Noy and Troy Reeder are all unrestricted free agents this offseason. Last season, the 31-year-old Kendricks proved he could still contribute, playing a career-high 1,051 defensive snaps on his way to 137 tackles (87 solo), one sack, a fumble recovery and six passes defended. He'll look to build upon his stellar performance and provide a boost to an already impressive defensive unit.
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Commanders' Cameron Dantzler: Claimed off waivers by Washington
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Washington claimed Dantzler off waivers Monday, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Dantzler was waived by Minnesota on Friday and will head to Washington ahead of the new league year. The 2020 third-round pick has totaled 149 tackles, 17 pass defenses, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three defensive touchdowns in 35 appearances across his first three NFL seasons. He figures to compete for a rotational role in Washington's secondary during the offseason.
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Steelers' Patrick Peterson: Heads to Steelers on two-year pact
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The Steelers and Peterson agreed to terms on a two-year, $14 million contract contract Monday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
Peterson turns 33 this summer and reportedly wants to play at least two more seasons. After spending 10 seasons with the Cardinals, Peterson started 30 games for the Vikings over the last two years. He's no longer an elite shutdown corner, but Peterson provides solid coverage on the outside.
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Vikings' Jordan Hicks: Restructures contract with Vikings
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Hicks agreed to a restructured contract Monday, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star-Trubune reports.
Hicks was scheduled to count $6.5 million against the Vikings' cap in 2023, but he's converted a portion of his salary into a bonus to create room for Minnesota. The 30-year-old started all 17 games for the Vikings last season, recording 129 tackles and three sacks on 81 percent of the defensive snaps.
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Cameron Dantzler: Done in Minnesota
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The Vikings waived Dantzler on Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Dantzler began his career in Minnesota back in 2020 and drew nine starts last season, but he was ultimately part of the reason why the Vikings sported a league-worst pass defense. After having registered 50 tackles and five passes defensed in 2022, Dantzler will now look for playing opportunities elsewhere.
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Vikings' Ross Blacklock: Agrees to adjusted contract
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Blacklock and the Vikings agreed Wednesday to restructure his contract for the 2023 season to the NFL veteran minimum of $1.01 million, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The renegotiation now saves Minnesota roughly $683,000 in cap space. Blacklock is slated to remain with the Vikings for at least one more campaign after he tallied two tackles and one sack across 11 games this past season while operating as a depth/rotational defensive lineman.
