The Vikings Snagged a Pair of Bruisers

A football roster is always in the process of being adjusted. However, the degree of roster change in late August and early September is particularly notable. Things are no different in Minnesota.

Yesterday, the Vikings snagged a pair of newcomers. Consider what the team’s official social media had to say: “The #Vikings have signed TE Cam Grandy and DL Naquan Jones to the practice squad. TE Marshall Lang has been released from the practice squad.”

The Vikings Snagged Some Muscle

Note that Minnesota went into these decisions with an open spot on the practice squad. As a result, going +2 with new players alongside just a -1 made the math work.

In Cam Grandy, the Vikings are welcoming a tight end who boasts good size. He’s a sturdy 6’5″ and 253 pounds (but a spot like PFF lists him as being a touch larger, coming in at 260 on there). For comparison, T.J. Hockenson is listed as being 6’5″ and 248 pounds. Josh Oliver, meanwhile, is a hulking 6’5″ and 264 pounds.

A large part of the intrigue for the 26-year-old tight end is that he has demanded respect in the past for his blocking.

In 2024, Grandy earned a 74.9 pass blocking grade on PFF. He then upped the ante in 2025 with a 77.0 PFF grade. As a run blocker, the grades aren’t quite so promising — 65.6 and then 61.0 — but there’s promise here for the well-built TE.

Consider what SB Nation’s Cincy Jungle had to say on the tight end: “As for Grandy, he’s been a solid blocking tight end for several years now in Cincinnati. But with this being one of the deepest positions on the Bengals roster, Grandy knew he was better off finding another roster to work up the ranks with.”

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And then there’s the Naquan Jones add, who is a veteran nose tackle.

At least at the PFF level, Mr. Jones hasn’t often been a difference maker. His outlier season arrived in 2024 when he posted a 63.2 grade while working with the Arizona Cardinals (as a teammate of Kyler Murray, for whatever that’s worth). Jones tossed up a career-high 3 sacks that year, a nice total for a player who lines up directly across from the center.

Listed at 6’3″ and 313 pounds, Jones is a 28-year-old defender who first got into the NFL as an undrafted talent in 2021. He has since played for the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, and Houston Texans.

Now a Viking, Jones will begin by trying to get activated for the game-day roster before then demanding a full-time spot on the active roster.

Nolan Teasley isn’t done yet. In the coming days, the GM will continue to consider his various options. Sometimes, that’s going to be focused on working with the in-house talent to get an extension done. At other times, it’s going to involve fielding trade calls, looking at who’s available, and the various other parts of maintaining an NFL roster. We’ll see if any other developments arise.

The Vikings’ Week 1 game is going to take place on Sunday, September 13th when the Green Bay Packers come to U.S. Bank Stadium.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.