Vikings make back-end roster move: Safety in, linebacker out

The Vikings have signed safety Gervarrius Owens, a former seventh-round pick.

Aug 11, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Giants safety Gervarrius Owens (31) somehow got a mouth guard stuck into one of the ventilation holes in his helmet during their game against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter at Ford Field. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Vikings have signed safety Gervarrius Owens and waived linebacker Max Tooley, they announced on Wednesday. It's a minor move at the back end of the 90-man roster.

Owens, 25, was a seventh-round pick by the Giants out of Houston in 2023. He appeared in three games on special teams as a rookie and recovered a fumble. He began the 2024 season on the Giants' practice squad, then wound up signing with the Titans' practice squad after he was waived by New York. He appeared in two games on special teams for Tennessee.

Owens, who began his college career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, was an All-American safety at Houston. He's slightly undersized but is a big-time athlete from a testing standpoint. He becomes the Vikings' No. 6 safety behind Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, and undrafted rookie Mishael Powell.

Tooley, 27, had been with the Vikings since he signed with their practice squad last September. He was signed by the Texans as an undrafted free agent out of BYU last year. The Vikings still have seven inside linebackers on their 90-man roster: Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace Jr., Eric Wilson, Kobe King, Brian Asamoah II, Austin Keys, and Dorian Mausi.

This move balances the depth at those two positions a bit.