Vikings bid farewell to center John Sullivan
Lost in all the “why hath the gods tainted the purple and gold” reaction to the Teddy Bridgewater injury, is the news of the Vikings releasing long time center, John Sullivan.
Right about the time Mike Zimmer was preparing to address the panicked masses about Bridgewater’s condition yesterday, news broke that the Vikings had cut Sullivan to bring their roster to 75. Ben Goessling of ESPN reported that the Vikings had initially tried to trade Sullivan before the eventual cut deadline to no avail.
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Sullivan had been rehabbing after missing the entire 2015 season with two surgeries to repair a back injury. After making a full recovery, Sullivan had been battling with Joe Berger for this year’s starting center position. Berger performed admirably last season in Sullivan’s absence and was named Pro Football Focus’ number one center in the NFL.
Even if the competition was extremely close, Sullivan’s $5.833 million hit against the cap compared to Berger’s $1.435, most assuredly factored in the team’s decision to let him go. Some thought the Vikings would keep both linemen as Berger’s ability to play guard would be a welcomed commodity.
Head coach, Mike Zimmer said, “It was tough, but we’re always looking to do what’s in the best interest of our team.” Zimmer continued, “We rotated (centers) every single day and from our grades and the way we graded things, we thought that Berger was better.”
This is today’s NFL; things can change in an instant. One month the offensive line is deep and filled with competition, the next month it is a completely different story. Evidently, the Vikings must believe in Nick Easton as a viable backup for Berger.
General Manager Rick Spielman said, “Our entire organization appreciates everything that John Sullivan has done for our franchise.” Spielman then went on to say, “We wish John Sullivan and his family nothing but the best as they move forward.”
After cutting Sullivan, the Vikings are now down to the NFL mandatory 75 players on their roster. The next roster cuts will be Saturday, September 3rd at 3:00 PM Central Time, when they will cut down to their final 53-man roster.
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