National Football League

53 man roster announced by Minnesota Vikings for 2016

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

The 53-man roster for the Minnesota Vikings during the 2016 season has been announced and it contains some surprises fans may not have expected.

The preseason is over for the Minnesota Vikings. That means roster cuts were made and the players who will actually be part of the team for the 2016 season are being placed on the 53-man roster.

In the past, the roster announcements had very few surprises. However, with the team having so much young talent and the competition being tougher than ever, there were a few things on the list that may come to the attention of fans looking over the list.

Here is the list of players on the Vikings 53 man roster sorted by position as shared on the official Minnesota Vikings website:

Quarterbacks (2)
QB Sam Bradford
QB Shaun Hill

Running Backs (4)
RB Matt Asiata
FB Zach Line
RB Jerick McKinnon
RB Adrian Peterson

Wide Receivers (6)
WR Stefon Diggs
WR Charles Johnson
WR Cordarrelle Patterson
WR Adam Thielen
WR Laquon Treadwell
WR Jarius Wright

Tight Ends (4)
TE Rhett Ellison
TE David Morgan
TE MyCole Pruitt
TE Kyle Rudolph

Offensive Linemen (9)
C Joe Berger
G Alex Boone
T T.J. Clemmings
C Nick Easton
G Brandon Fusco
T Matt Kalil
G Zac Kerin
T Jeremiah Sirles
T Andre Smith

Defensive Linemen (8)
DT Sharrif Floyd
DE Everson Griffen
DE Danielle Hunter
DT Tom Johnson
DT Linval Joseph
DE Brian Robison
DT Shamar Stephen
DE Justin Trattou

Linebackers (7)
LB Anthony Barr
LB Kentrell Brothers
LB Audie Cole
LB Chad Greenway
LB Eric Kendricks
LB Emmanuel Lamur
LB Edmond Robinson

Defensive Backs (10)
CB Mackensie Alexander
S Anthony Harris
S Jayron Kearse
CB Captain Munnerlyn
CB Terence Newman
CB Xavier Rhodes
S Andrew Sendejo
CB Marcus Sherels
S Harrison Smith
CB Trae Waynes

Special Teams (3)
P Jeff Locke
LS Kevin McDermott
K Blair Walsh

The big surprise is that the team is only carrying two quarterbacks until Taylor Heinicke returns from temporary IR. However, also notable is that the Vikings have four tight ends and three centers (although they list Kerin as a guard) included.

Also, Kearse making the main roster from being a 7th round draft pick to beat out veteran Michael Griffin shows just how much faith the team has in the young man to produce at the NFL level.

What do you think of the Minnesota Vikings 53 man roster? What changes would you have preferred to see? Should fans be worried about only keeping 2 quarterbacks? And is the emphasis on the offensive line and tight ends a gamble on defensive depth? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.