Vikings Place Mistral Raymond On Injured Reserve

When the Minnesota Vikings announced their first wave of cuts on Monday, the name of safety Mistral Raymond appearing came as a mild surprise. Many didn't expect that he would win the battle for the starting safety position next to Harrison Smith in the Vikings' secondary, but to see him in the first round of cuts wasn't necessarily expected, either.

Raymond was subject to waivers after his release, and he cleared waivers without being claimed, so he has been placed on the Vikings' injured reserve list. As he's in the final year of his rookie contract, he will still be a free agent going into the off-season (barring the Vikings' re-signing him), but he's still a part of the team as it stands right now.

Raymond, a sixth-round selection of the Vikings out of the University of South Florida in 2011, has had his moments for the Vikings. In his rookie season, he ended the team's NFL-record interception drought, intercepting Rex Grossman to end a streak of nine full games (and 55+ minutes of a tenth) without the Vikings recording a pick.

Personally, I'm happy that Mistral Raymond is still a member of the team, even if he is only on injured reserve. People who are familiar with his back story know that he went through a lot while he was at South Florida on his road to the NFL. He probably won't be around after this season, but I'm happy to see him back now in some capacity.