Bucky Hodges signed to Panthers Practice Squad

From Mr. Mankato favorite to a completely new team in the span of just over a month.

In the NFL, life comes at you fast.

Bucky Hodges was dubbed a potential steal in the draft after the Vikings took the tight end out of Virginia Tech in the sixth round. Hodges was raw but had a ton of athleticism; many fans and draft analysts were excited about Hodges’ potential at the next level. In fact, he was one of the odds-on favorites to win the coveted title of “Mr. Mankato” heading into Training Camp last month.

However, Hodges didn’t really accomplish a ton in the preseason. He played 57 snaps and grabbed only 4 catches for 72 yards. He did score a touchdown against Seattle.

Just under two weeks ago, the Vikings had waived Hodges with an injury designation, opting instead to include Blake Bell as the third tight end on the roster. Hodges was set to be put on Injured Reserve as long as he cleared waivers. He did at first, but just a couple of days ago the team put Hodges on the waiver wire again. Apparently the Panthers were interested in becoming Vikings East in the same manner the Seahawks have been Vikings West over the past several years.

So if Hodges does develop into the dangerous tight end many Vikings fans hoped he would become, it appears that he will be doing it for another team now.