Four 53-Man Roster Decisions I'd Make This Week If I Were Vikings GM

The Vikings need to make some crucial decisions this week, and I'm taking matters into my own hands.

The Minnesota Vikings could use more firepower in the pass rush department, so they should have their eye on free agent Haason Reddick. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Outside of the short-lived Jamal Adams experiment, Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley has mostly sat on his hands for the majority of his tenure in Minnesota.

That will surely change in the coming weeks, as the mandated roster cutdown will force him to make some dramatic changes. It doesn't involve trading J.J. McCarthy for pennies on the dollar or signing any available safety with a pulse, but I do have four moves the Vikings should make as we enter the final week of preseason games.

1. The 'Jacobs' make the final 53-man roster

Both linebacker Jacob Roberts and safety Jacob Thomas have earned roster spots. Combined, the duo has two interceptions and 19 tackles in the preseason and has objectively outshone the Vikings' top draft picks such as Caleb Banks or Jake Golday.

In the preseason opener against the New York Giants, both Roberts and Thomas graded in the top five of all NFL rookies, according to Pro Football Focus.

Roberts, a former CFL player who notched 93 tackles and four sacks in 2025 with the Calgary Stampeders, has shown the ability to play strong in the run and drop back into coverage. Meanwhile, Thomas, the undrafted free agent out of James Madison, has already shown elite ball-hawking skills. Both players have quickly risen to the occasion and ultimately deserve spots on the 53-man roster.

However, their emergence could complicate matters for veterans like Ivan Pace Jr. or Theo Jackson, who have both completely disappeared for the Vikings this summer.

2. Trade for center Olu Oluwatimi

The concerns at center have lingered into late August, and the Vikings' bold move to make Blake Brandel the guy might have reached its end. Brandel hadn't played center until he was called upon to fill in for the injured Ryan Kelly last season, and now, with a full offseason at the position under his belt, the snapping problems remain.

Rather than risk snaps firing back at Kyler Murray like a J.J. McCarthy laser overthrow, the Vikings should get ahead of this and deal a late-round draft pick to Teasley's former team, the Seattle Seahawks, for center Olu Oluwatimi.

Oluwatimi has started 13 games for Seattle but has recently fallen out of favor, making him a gettable target for Minnesota. His 67.2 PFF grade during the preseason sets a reliable floor for the Vikings to work with, and his strong run-blocking would help to open up Kevin O'Connell's new affinity for rushing the ball.

While Oluwatimi is no All-Pro by any stretch of the imagination, the former Rimington Award winner at Michigan offers much more experience and stability than Brandel at a position that touches the ball on every play.

3. Sign edge Haason Reddick

The Vikings' edge depth has been talked about ad nauseum, and it's finally time they do something about it. Reddick was notching double-digit sacks as recently as 2023, and while the Vikings won't need him to do that, he'll provide a veteran presence off the edge behind starters Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel.

Reddick notched 2.5 sacks and 34 pressures in 13 games with Tampa Bay last season and still provides value as a speed rusher in a reserve role.

Minnesota currently sits at $22 million in cap space and would have plenty left after a modest one-year deal for Reddick. Between Tyler Batty and Bo Richter, there are zero combined career sacks behind the Vikings' starters, and Teasley should open up the checkbook and ensure Minnesota has at least one seasoned vet rushing the passer if injuries mount.

It's long been expected that the Vikings make an addition at edge, but it's now late August, and the top free agents may not be available much longer.

4. Start Elijah Williams

This decision may fall more on the coaching staff's shoulders than the GM, but it's becoming clearer that Williams, and not Banks, is the more polished player right now. Even Banks himself had a brutally honest take, admitting he still has a way to go after his February foot injury kept him sidelined for much of the summer.

“To be honest, I’m out of shape right now. I need to run more gassers after practice. You guys will see me doing that," said Banks (h/t Andrew Krammer of the Star-Tribune).

Williams hasn't been flashy, as his two tackles and one sack this preseason indicate, but his consistent play hasn't only earned him a roster spot but maybe a spot in the starting lineup.

The former undrafted free agent has quickly built on his limited appearances last season, posting his highest defensive PFF grade (86.5) against the Ravens, and the Vikings may need to lean on Williams until Banks is ready to compete at an NFL level.

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