EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings moved closer to a 75-man roster on Monday, with a pair of injury-related roster moves that seemed inevitable.
They put Josh Robinson on the physically-unable-to-perform list, meaning the cornerback won't be able to return from a partially torn pectoral muscle until at least the Vikings' game in Detroit on Oct. 25. The Vikings also put offensive tackle Carter Bykowski on the waived/injured list, after he tore his pectoral muscle on August 15 against Tampa Bay.
The moves mean the Vikings have 76 players left on their active roster, with one more cut to go before Tuesday afternoon.
Robinson hasn't been able to practice since he was injured at the end of minicamp, and his placement on the PUP list means rookie Trae Waynes figures to be no lower than the fourth cornerback on the Vikings' depth chart. Coach Mike Zimmer said Monday that Waynes had his best game of the preseason on Saturday, and the Vikings seem to see steady improvement in the 11th overall pick. Robinson's future in Minnesota seemed uncertain before the injury, and when he returns, he could have to fight for any kind of meaningful playing time.
The Vikings could put Bykowski on injured reserve once he's exposed to waivers; per NFL rules, players with fewer than four seasons of service time have to go through waivers before landing on IR.
