From the "WHOA!" department...
Bryant McKinnie has been cut by the Minnesota Vikings, according to Pro Football Talk, Adam Schefter, and others. Just minutes before the official announcement, McKinnie tweeted simply: "Its been fun". Now we know what he meant.
Again: WHOA!
Apparently the Vikings' staff was none too pleased with the shape that McKinnie arrived to camp in. Or, should we say, complete lack of shape that he arrived in. There were also rumblings that the Vikings wanted McKinnie to take a paycut, but he refused. Yesterday's signing of Charlie Johnson makes much more sense now: it seems like this move may have been in the works since the beginning of the week.
Many Viking fans will be happy with the move, especially after McKinnie's lackluster 2010 season. I'm personally a little torn on the matter. I've never been a huge Mt. McKinnie supporter thanks to his questionable work ethic and often moody attitude towards football in general. However, even after his disappointing campaign last year, he's still an above average player at one of the most important positions in football. He's also been extremely durable--he has started all but four games in the past eight years. That's pretty tough to come by.
If Johnson can come in and be a productive starter right away, that's great. However, most of the feedback we received after his signing yesterday was that Johnson was a passable left tackle at best. Hopefully the Vikings have another roster move in mind to shore up a now-thin-again offensive line corps, especially with the $4.9 million freed up by cutting McKinnie.
Stay tuned for more about McKinnie's departure as well as statements from the Vikings and Leslie Frazier when they come in. In the mean time, let us know what you think about the move in the comments.