MINNEAPOLIS -- When the Minnesota Vikings were in the process of signing their group of undrafted free agents over the weekend, general manager Rick Spielman mentioned the team might make some roster moves to clear room for a new group of players. The Vikings made those moves on Tuesday afternoon, cutting four players as they signed a class of 15 college free agents.
The team waived linebackers Terrell Manning and Simoni Lawrence, running back Bradley Randle and guard Josh Samuda, making room for their 15 free agents. Randle was cut in training camp last year, and Manning and Lawrence were signed this spring to add depth to the roster.
Samuda might be the most interesting of the four players the Vikings cut, thanks to the injury he suffered during the second week of the team's offseason workout program. He was taking part in a footwork drill, where players chased each other in a tight circle, when his ankle gave out and he crumpled to the turf. He broke his fibula, dislocated his ankle and suffered deltoid ligament damage, and had surgery on April 16 to mend the injury. At the time, a source close to the situation said Samuda would likely miss 9-10 months, meaning he likely would have spent the 2014 season on the Vikings' injured reserve list.
With the roster moves, the Vikings now have 89 players under contract, meaning they can sign one more player before they would need to clear any space on their roster.
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