Who’s in, who’s out for the Vikings on roster cutdown day?

The Vikings cut their roster down to 53 players today. But this is not the final 53-man roster, just the initial one. General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is scheduled to have a news conference on Thursday to discuss the roster, and it could change by then. The team could add a player or two at positions of need, such as wide receiver or cornerback, from the waiver wire and released veterans. The Vikings can begin forming their 17-man practice squad, including one spot for an international player, at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

5:20 p.m. — Some takeaways looking at the Vikings’ roster moves on defense and special teams:

Defensive line (11): OLB Jonathan Greenard, OLB Andrew Van Ginkel, OLB Dallas Turner, OLB Bo Richter, OLB Chaz Chambliss, DT Jonathan Allen, DT Javon Hargrave, DT Levi Drake Rodriguez, DT Jalen Redmond, DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DT Elijah Williams

The Vikings’ crowded defensive line led to some surprises, including the trade that sent 2024 team captain Harrison Phillips to the Jets for a sixth-round pick. But that appeared to be the byproduct of Elijah Williams’ emergence as he nudged aside both Phillips and Taimani, last year’s undrafted darling, to make this year’s team. On the edge, Chambliss beat out Murphy for the fifth spot as the undrafted rookie made a strong impression in camp.

Inside linebacker (5): Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace Jr., Eric Wilson, Kobe King, Austin Keys

The Vikings parted ways with Brian Asamoah II earlier in camp and still kept five inside linebackers. Asamoah likely saw that coming, which may have led to his early release. Keys, one of the team’s top undrafted signings out of Auburn, lived up to the expectations and earned a spot.

Defensive back (9): CB Byron Murphy Jr., CB Isaiah Rodgers, CB Jeff Okudah, CB Dwight McGlothern, S Harrison Smith, S Josh Metellus, S Theo Jackson, S Jay Ward, S Tavierre Thomas

Specialists (3): K Will Reichard, P Ryan Wright, LS Andrew DePaola

The Vikings opted for consistency and kept the specialist trio in tact, although the Vikings can retain punter Oscar Chapman with a free practice squad spot for international players. That allows the Vikings to carry two punters and keep Wright’s competition around. Holding for field goals was a factor in the competition.

— Andrew Krammer

4:45 p.m. — Some takeaways looking at the Vikings’ roster moves on offense:

Quarterbacks (3): J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, Max Brosmer

Running back (4): Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Zavier Scott, Ty Chandler

The top duo is set with Jones and Mason looking to provide the kind of 1-2 punch that O’Connell’s Vikings offenses have not yet had during his tenure. Scott, the third-year undrafted back out of Maine, earned a spot with a strong camp running and receiving. Chandler also stays in the fold while fullback C.J. Ham will miss at least four games due to an undisclosed injury that landed him on injured reserve.

Wide receiver (5): Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, Tai Felton, Tim Jones, Myles Price

The Vikings leaned toward special teams when keeping their initial five receivers as none of Felton, Jones or Price worked much with the starting offense in camp. It’s likely the Vikings re-sign multiple receivers, such as Lucky Jackson and Jeshaun Jones, to the practice squad and elevate them for depth or help on offense during Addison’s three-game suspension.

Tight end (3): T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Ben Yurosek

Offensive line (10): T Christian Darrisaw, G Donovan Jackson, C Ryan Kelly, G Will Fries, T Brian O’Neill, G/T Blake Brandel, C/G Michael Jurgens, T Justin Skule, T Walter Rouse, G/C Joe Huber

The Vikings kept three familiar reserves -- Brandel, Jurgens and Rouse -- to go along with two new additions, Skule and Huber, behind a fortified starting five. They feel strongly about their depth, keeping 10 blockers — the most on an O’Connell-coached roster since his first season in 2022.

— Andrew Krammer

4:30 p.m. — Max Brosmer didn’t end up needing that distraction at the Minnesota State Fair after all.

Though it was expected after Sunday morning’s quarterback moves, the former Gopher officially made the Vikings’ initial 53-man roster this afternoon, alongside two of his favorite receiving targets from the preseason.

Price was one of the teammates Brosmer said he would be bringing along to the fair this past weekend. The two scored the Vikings’ first passing touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter of their 20-10 win over the Texans when Brosmer found Price at the back of the end zone for the score on a fourth-and-goal.

Price had five catches in the preseason for 38 total yards.

“Myles is one of my favorite guys to have in the huddle,” Brosmer said Friday.

Jones was an even more frequent target for Brosmer and finished with the team’s second-most receptions (6) and yards (73) behind Jeshaun Jones, who was waived.

Asked about Brosmer after the Vikings’ loss to the Patriots on Aug. 16, Tim Jones said: “Young guy. Very smart. Very precise… Just all around a great QB.”

4:10 p.m. — Seven undrafted rookies made the Vikings’ initial 53-man roster: quarterback Max Brosmer, tight end Ben Yurosek, guard Joe Huber, receiver/returner Myles Price, defensive lineman Eliljah Williams, outside linebacker Chaz Chambliss and linebacker Austin Keys.

Here’s the difference in money guaranteed to them at signing:

— Andrew Krammer

4:00 p.m. — Here’s who the Vikings cut or traded to get down to their 53-man roster, listed by position:

Cut: QB Brett Rypien, RB Tre Stewart, RB Xazavian Valladay, WR Silas Bolden, WR Robert Lewis, WR Dontae Fleming, WR Lucky Jackson, WR Jeshaun Jones, WR Thayer Thomas, T Leroy Watson IV, T Logan Brown, G Vershon Lee, G Henry Byrd, OL Zack Bailey, OL Michael Gonzalez, TE Bryson Nesbit, TE Nick Vannett, TE Giovanni Ricci, DL Travis Bell, DL Taki Taimani, DL Jonathan Harris, OLB Gabe Murphy, OLB Cam Gill, LB Dorian Mausi, CB Reddy Stewart, CB Keenan Garber, CB Ambry Thomas, CB Zemaiah Vaughn, S Mishael Powell, S Gervarrius Owens, S Kahlef Hailassie, P Oscar Chapman

— Emily Leiker

3:45 p.m. — The Vikings 53-man roster is in.

Quarterbacks (3): J.J. McCarthy, Max Brosmer, Carson Wentz

Running backs (4): Aaron Jones Sr., Ty Chandler, Jordan Mason and Zavier Scott

Fullback (0): C.J. Ham was placed on Injured Reserve

Tight ends (3): T.J. Hockenson; Josh Oliver and Ben Yurosek

Offensive line (10): LT Christian Darrisaw; LG Donovan Jackson; C Ryan Kelly; RG Will Fries; RT Brian O’Neill; Blake Brandel, Joe Huber, Michael Jurgens, Walter Rouse and Justin Skule

Defensive line (6): Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Jalen Redmond, Ty Ingram-Dawkins, Levi Drake Rodriguez and Elijah Williams

Outside linebackers (5): Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Chaz Chambliss, Bo Richter and Dallas Turner

Inside linebackers (5): Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace Jr., Austin Keys, Kobe King and Eric Wilson

Safeties (5): Joshua Metellus, Harrison Smith, Theo Jackson, Tavierre Thomas and Jay Ward

Specialists (3): Long snapper Andrew DePaola, kicker Will Reichard, punter Ryan Wright

Ham and outside linebacker Tyler Batty have both been placed on Injured Reserve — Designated for Return. Ham sat out the last week or so of training camp. Batty left the preseason finale loss to the Titans on Friday night with a right knee injury that Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said he would have an MRI on. They would miss the first four games of the season.

Also of note, Nailor did not go on injured reserve with a hand injury. Head coach Kevin O’Connell described Nailor as “week-to-week.”

Wide receiver Jordan Addison was officially placed on the Reserve/Suspended list for the first three games of the season. The Vikings also moved sixth-round tight end Gavin Bartholomew to the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list. Bartholomew has been on the PUP list with an injury since the start of training camp.

3:30 p.m. — Are the Vikings in a youth movement? They may be keeping as many as six undrafted rookies as linebacker Austin Keys, who signed for $249,000 guaranteed out of Auburn, made the 53-man roster, according to his agency. The team will also reportedly keep receiver and returner Myles Price, who went undrafted out of Indiana, and guard Joe Huber, who played at Wisconsin.

Two undrafted defenders, outside linebacker Chaz Chambliss and defensive tackle Elijah Williams, also made the cut. Quarterback Max Brosmer, the undrafted former Gophers signal caller, is expected to be the No. 3 passer.

— Andrew Krammer

3:25 p.m. — We are still waiting for the Vikings to release their official roster, but some players, like linebacker Austin Keys, are sharing the news on their own.

3:01 p.m. — Watch a replay of live analysis of the Vikings’ roster moves with Michael Rand and Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune:

Another undrafted rookie, quarterback Max Brosmer out of Minnesota, appears to have made the cut as the third passer along with J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz.

Chambliss, who signed for $220,000 guaranteed out of Georgia, returned from an injury that kept him out this spring and made a strong impression during training camp. Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels lauded Chambliss’ “football IQ.” He appears to have beaten out Gabe Murphy for the fifth spot behind Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner and Bo Richter.

Williams was the longest of longshots to make the team as an undrafted rookie who earned a summer contract off a rookie minicamp tryout. He played in 42 games for the Morgan State Bears of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in Division I FCS. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores and head coach Kevin O’Connell were among the coaches to note Williams’ growth and disruption in camp and the preseason.

— Andrew Krammer

2:30 p.m. —

— Emily Leiker

1:45 p.m. — With about 75 minutes to go until the NFL deadline, the Vikings have an estimated 17 cuts to make to hit the 53-man limit, based on previous and reported cuts. There’s been at least one player cut from each position group so far.

Here’s who’s reportedly been or will be waived today: RB Xazavian Valladay, OL Michael Gonzalez, OLB Gabe Murphy, CB Ambry Thomas, S Gervarrius Owens and CB Zemaiah Vaughn.

— Emily Leiker

12:30 p.m. — The Vikings will be parting ways with another top undrafted free agent addition — at least for now.

The Vikings hope to retain Vaughn on the practice squad, the source added, if he clears waivers.

The team’s remade cornerback room is still taking shape ahead of the 3 p.m. deadline. Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon was traded to the Colts for a sixth-round pick, and cornerback Ambry Thomas is reportedly also among players to be released.

— Andrew Krammer

11:55 a.m. — Cutting an NFL roster to 53 is no simple task and ends for many talented players with a conversation that Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell himself knows well from his own playing days. He sees those conversations as his job, as difficult as they can be.

“It’s my obligation to make sure they not only get the well-deserved time from hearing from me and how much I appreciate them, but also some of the best conversations I had in my football journey were during some of those tough moments where a coach took the time to tell me how I can improve, things I did well, things I need to really work on and focus on‚" O’Connell said after the team’s preseason loss to the Titans on Friday night.

11:35 a.m. — Veteran Vikings safety Josh Metellus, who signed a three-year contract extension in July, shared a message on X to players being cut today:

Metellus was cut in 2020 after the Vikings selected him in the sixth round of that year’s draft. He was signed to the practice squad and then moved to the 53-man roster, where he’s been ever since, in Week 3 of the season. Metellus is now a multi-year captain and an integral part of the Vikings’ roster both on the field and in the locker room.

— Emily Leiker

11:20 a.m. — The receiver-needy Vikings have seen some interesting names hit the open market this morning.

According to multiple reports, receivers K.J. Osborn, Robert Woods, Trey Palmer, Mecole Hardman and Diontae Johnson will become available if not traded before today’s 3 p.m. deadline.

— Andrew Krammer

11:10 a.m. — In the first surprising move of the day, the Vikings plan to waive outside linebacker Gabe Murphy if he is not traded before the 3 p.m. deadline.

Murphy, the 2024 undrafted signing out of UCLA, appeared in two games last year after returning from a knee injury. He had 1.5 sacks in the preseason opener against the Texans and was among over 30 players held out of last week’s exhibition finale in Tennessee.

He appears to have been knocked out of a crowded defensive line that includes talented edge and interior defenders. But a return to the practice squad would make sense. The Vikings appear set with at least four edge players — Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner and Bo Richter — while undrafted rookie Chazz Chambliss has made a strong impression this summer.

The Vikings will also waive offensive lineman Michael Gonzalez, a former Falcons undrafted signing, according to a league source.

11:05 a.m. — The Vikings will waive cornerback Ambry Thomas, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Thomas, 25, joined the Vikings’ practice squad in late December after time spent with the 49ers and Colts. He signed a futures contract in January.

Thomas had one interception this preseason during the Vikings’ 20-10 win against the Texans.

The Vikings’ cornerback room is down to just five players: Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Jeff Okudah, Dwight McGlothern Jr. and Zemaiah Vaughn.

They traded cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, who’d played behind Murphy, Rodgers and Okudah this training camp, last night and waived two other cornerbacks (Reddy Stewart and Keenan Garber) on Sunday.

11:00 a.m. — What big questions are facing the Vikings today?

Former Gophers QB Max Brosmer seems to have secured the No. 3 QB job with a strong preseason as an undrafted free agent. It seems unlikely the Vikings would expose him to waivers and risk another team scooping him up, meaning they will have to put three quarterbacks on the active roster.

Questions elsewhere: Zavier Scott or Ty Chandler for No. 3 running back? Does Myles Price get

a roster spot to be punt returner, even though he hasn’t climbed the receiving depth chart? And on defense, will any young guys — like Zemaiah Vaughn — stick in the secondary, especially after the Vikings traded away Mekhi Blackmon last night? Who will the Vikings keep in a stacked front seven?

“We’ve got a lot of hard decisions to make,” Kevin O’Connell said Friday.

10:55 a.m. — Reminder, Vikings fans: a player being released does not mean their time with the team is over forever. Fullback C.J. Ham and safety Josh Metellus are two current players who were cut once upon a time before being re-signed to the practice squad just days or hours later.

The Vikings can begin forming their 17-man practice squad, including one spot for an international player, at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Up to six veterans (with four or more accrued seasons) can be among them. Australian punter Oscar Chapman, waived on Monday, could be that international player for the Vikings.

All NFL teams also have various injured lists — Injured Reserve, Physically Unable to Perform and Non-Football Injury — for players dealing with ailments. For instance, Vikings rookie tight end Gavin Bartholomew has been on the active/PUP list due to a back injury. If he is moved to the reserve/PUP list during roster cuts, he will not count toward the 53-man limit but would miss at least the first four games of the season.

Teams can also place two players on short-term I.R. during cutdowns without exposing them to waivers. That list also requires a four-game absence before a player can return.

— Andrew Krammer

Released: OL Zack Bailey, DL Travis Bell, WR Silas Bolden, OT Logan Brown, P Oscar Chapman, CB Keenan Garber, LB Cam Gill, WR Robert Lewis, S Mishael Powell, QB Brett Rypien, CB Reddy Steward, CB Reddy Steward, OT Leroy Watson IV

Traded: DT Harrison Phillips, QB Sam Howell, CB Mekhi Blackmon

Signed: QB Carson Wentz