Getty Wide receiver Jalen Reagor of the Minnesota Vikings.
Jalen Reagor appeared to be in the clear when he made the Minnesota Vikings‘ 53-man roster on August 29.
However, less than 24 hours later, the former Philadelphia Eagles first-round wide receiver has been released to make room for a player at another skill position.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday, August 30, that the Vikings have cut Reagor, a move to create a roster spot to sign running back Myles Gaskin, who was released by the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday.
So to recap a busy Tuesday morning, via @AdamSchefter, the Vikings have:
🏈 Agreed to terms with veteran RB Myles Gaskin, a necessary add for depth behind RB1 Alexander Mattison.
🏈 Waived WR/PR Jalen Reagor, whom they acquired via trade from the Eagles last summer.
Reagor was considered a roster-cut candidate for much of the offseason before showing significant improvement in training camp. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Vikings had fielded calls about a trade involving Reagor just hours before the Tuesday 53-man roster deadline.
No deal came to fruition by 3 p.m. Central time as Minnesota placed him on the 53-man roster.
Reagor’s $2.4 million salary for the 2023 season was fully guaranteed, making a trade ideal to offload that cap space. But the Vikings saw the opportunity to sign Gaskin worthwhile enough to not wait out a potential trade for Reagor any longer.
Minnesota will eat $2.4 million in dead cap by releasing Reagor, while the details on Gaskin’s one-year deal were undisclosed as of Wednesday morning.
The Final Cost of Vikings’ Trade for Jalen Reagor
GettyEagles WR Jalen Reagor was the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
Last season at the 53-man roster deadline, the Vikings made the trade with the Eagles to land Reagor as the team’s punt returner for the 2022 season.
Minnesota sent Philadelphia a 2023 seventh-round pick and a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick that would escalate to a fourth-rounder if Reagor reached 40 receptions, 500 receiving yards or five touchdowns in a single season, according to Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice.
Reagor did not near any of those benchmarks last season, tallying just eight receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown.
It was clear his chances of reaching those benchmarks this season became moot when the Vikings selected Jordan Addison in the first round to be the team’s No. 3 wide receiver.
Reagor also had his role as punt returner challenged by veteran Brandon Powell, who appears to have the job secured following Reagor’s release.
So with the Reagor experiment ended, the Vikings will be sending the Eagles a fifth-round pick in the upcoming draft.
Vikings’ 53-Man Roster Takeaways
The Vikings’ initial 53-man roster has already seen some changes with today’s news and it wouldn’t be shocking to see more moves this week.
The offseason showed an initiative to get younger on defense after a veteran exodus left the team without six starters. Minnesota followed through with that M.O. at final roster cuts, releasing former second-round cornerback Joejuan Williams from a stable of inexperienced corners on the team.
That also rang true at outside linebacker, where preseason star Luiji Vilain was released in favor of undrafted rookie Andre Carter II, who is largely developmental prospect who likely wouldn’t clear waivers if he was released.
The Vikings may still be able to sign Vilain and Williams to the practice squad if they clear waivers but it goes to show they’ve prioritized future upside and are accepting of growing pains for a young defensive core.
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Vikings Release 1st-Round WR After He Makes Final Roster: Report