As the Vikings began preparations Monday for their final preseason game, they took something of a novel approach with the players who wouldn't suit up for the game anyway: Most of their starters, as well as young players such as wide receivers Chad Beebe and Bisi Johnson, took part in a closed morning practice, before many of the team's reserves prepared for Thursday's game at Buffalo with an afternoon practice in driving rain.
"I want to work them real hard with the things that we need to work on, and then give them some time off to recuperate mentally before we start getting into the grind of the season," coach Mike Zimmer said Monday.
It remains to be seen how much the Vikings' practice plan for the Bills is an indicator of who's already made the roster, but as the team heads into its final practice of the preseason Tuesday, it's time to take an educated guess at how the Vikings' final 53-man roster will look, as well as the position battles to watch on Thursday night.
On Tuesday morning, the team released two veterans, cornerback Bene' Benwikere and receiver Jordan Taylor.
One thing to note on the projections: We're comprising the 53-man roster solely of players on the Vikings' 90-man Monday roster, though it's entirely possible the team will make a move to add a player from another team after Saturday's cutdown deadline. That said, let's have at it:
Quarterback (3)
In: Kirk Cousins, Sean Mannion, Kyle Sloter
Practice squad: Jake Browning
Battle to watch: Sloter and Browning should get plenty of time Thursday, as Sloter hopes another impressive game could offset some of Zimmer's pointed critique about his practice inconsistencies. The Vikings guaranteed Browning $140,000 this spring, so they could continue to keep him on the practice squad.