Chad Greenway Says Alex Boone Got Cut For Being Out Of Shape

Following his signing with the Arizona Cardinals a few days ago, most Minnesota Vikings fans probably expected that they wouldn’t be hearing much more about guard Alex Boone. A surprising chop on cutdown day, Boone was let go just one year into a four-year contract, and the move left some Vikings fans (myself included) puzzled.

Well, a former member of the Vikings apparently has his own insights as to why Boone was cut. Said insights are surprising, considering that the player wasn’t with the team during camp.

Former Vikings’ linebacker Chad Greenway, who announced his retirement last season, said in an interview with KFAN today that Boone was cut because he was out of shape.

“I had heard through some players that I know that are out there every day that said he came back not the Alex Boone of old, a little bit out of shape, and wasn’t really prepared for the season, and I thought that was pretty interesting,” Greenway said on KFAN.

Ignoring for a second that Greenway appears to have gotten this information via the age-old REO Speedwagon method (as in he heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend), this is within his field of expertise. I mean, after all, I’m not in NFL shape, will never be in NFL shape, and have no idea what it would take to get into NFL shape. Greenway, on the other hand, does.

I don’t know if Boone was in shape this offseason or if he was prepared or not. All I know is that, as many have pointed out over the course of the preseason, that the offensive line looked a whole lot better with Nick Easton out there at left guard than it did when Boone was out there. . .regardless of who was lined up next to him at left tackle. If that’s because Boone was out of shape or not taking things seriously, then it would appear that the Vikings made the right decision in cutting him loose. Hopefully it’s something that will work out for the Vikings in the long run.