The Vikings have started informing players of their release in anticipation of tomorrow's 3 p.m. CDT deadline to cut rosters down to 53 players.

The first known cut was safety Shaun Prater, who announced his release on Twitter, saying, "Just want to thank the Vikings organization for the two years here. … I know God will bless me wherever my journey begins next."

Prater played in 18 games for the Vikings over the past two seasons and made three starts. He recorded 11 tackles and picked off one pass.

The Vikings will also waive wide receiver Donte Foster, who had two catches this preseason. He spent last season on the practice squad.

And they have said goodbye to defensive end Leon Mackey, who has one of the most interesting stories among the guys vying for a roster spot.

Others informed of their release include running back DuJuan Harris, defensive tackle Chigbo Anunoby and guard Bobby Vardaro. ESPN 1500-AM has also reported that cornerback Josh Thomas is a goner.

The Vikings aren't expected to make an official announcement regarding their cuts until tomorrow afternoon or evening. They will also likely wait to make some cuts as they monitor other teams' activities and try to sneak some players onto their 10-man practice squad.