Browns Poach Alexander Hollins Off Vikings' Practice Squad

The Vikings lose a wide receiver who could've competed for a roster spot in 2021.

The Cleveland Browns have poached wide receiver Alexander Hollins off of the Vikings' practice squad, the team announced on Monday. 

The Browns needed to add some depth at receiver after COVID-19 contact tracing left them without their top four WRs on Sunday, and head coach Kevin Stefanski is familiar with Hollins from his rookie season in Minnesota.

Depending on how many of the Browns' receivers are able to be cleared to return to play, it's possible Hollins could see some playing time this week in a do-or-die game against the Steelers. This is a chance for him to join an active roster and get a fresh start with a potential playoff team. He'll look to make a strong first impression and fight for a roster spot in 2021.

For the Vikings, this is an unfortunate loss but not a massive one. Hollins impressed in training camp but never found his way onto the active roster this season. He couldn't even beat out Tajae Sharpe for a roster spot, despite Sharpe being a disappointing free agent pickup who was waived a couple weeks ago.

When asked about Hollins going to the Browns, Mike Zimmer said "we’d like to keep all of our practice squad guys."

Hollins joined the Vikings as an undrafted rookie out of Eastern Illinois in 2019. He is extremely undersized (listed at 6'0", 166 pounds) but has plenty of speed. Hollins started for the Vikings in their meaningless 2019 finale, catching two passes for 46 yards from Sean Mannion. He even ended up seeing a few snaps and a target in the team's playoff win over the Saints.

Although myself and other beat writers were impressed by what we saw from Hollins in training camp, clearly the coaching staff didn't view it the same way. Maybe a fresh start in Cleveland will help him continue to develop.

Heading into 2021, the Vikings' top three receivers will be Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and Bisi Johnson. Chad Beebe is a restricted free agent and could return. K.J. Osborn and Dan Chisena were special teams-only players this year and will need to impress this offseason to make the roster. Adding another receiver via the draft or free agency should be considered a priority for the Vikings this offseason, especially considering Thielen's age.

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