Is German receiver Moritz Böhringer facing end of the line with Minnesota Vikings?
Is the NFL saga of Germany’s Moritz Böhringer coming to an end in Minnesota? Has Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and the rest of his coaching staff given up on their 2016 draft pick?
Böhringer was picked in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by Minnesota creating worldwide headlines. He had played a total of three years of football in Germany and then astounded scouts and coaches at the Florida Atlantic Pro Day in March 2016, putting up amazing numbers which prompted the Vikings to take a chance on him.
He did not make the 53 man active roster in 2016, remaining on the practice squad the entire season, but was picked up again for 2017.
Little preseason action
Minnesota played their third and second to last preseason game Sunday, beating the San Francisco 49ers 32-31, for their second preseason win.
Böhringer did not dress for the game. In the previous two games, a win over the Buffalo Bills and loss to the Seattle Seahawks, he did not see much action and in fact did not get a pass thrown his way once.
Just prior to the first preseason game, Eric Thompson of the Daily Norseman did not hold out much hope for the historic German:
“Ahh, MoBo. We were all rooting for you. But after watching him for a week at camp, I would have to put him dead last on the wide receiver depth chart. The athleticism is still there. He has seemed to slightly improve compared to last season. But absolutely everything he does on the field looks forced. Böhringer simply isn’t sure enough of himself to be a productive wide receiver. It was a fun story and an interesting project. Now it’s a project that should probably be coming to an end in a couple weeks.”
Prediction: Cut
So where does that leave Böhringer now? Given his lack of playing time in the preseason, it would seem that he will not make the 53 man roster for the second year in a row, so how long will the Vikings keep him on the practice squad? Do they still feel he is worth the investment as a developmental player?
NFL Cutdown Day – Saturday, September 2
NFL teams will carry their 90 man preseason rosters all the way until this Saturday, September 2 at 4 pm EDT. That is when each team will have to trim 37 players from the roster to reach the 53 man limit. They can carry another 10 players on the practice squad.
Minnesota will host the Miami Dolphins in the final preseason game of 2017 this Thursday, August 31.
Böhringer became a fan favorite in 2016. Hopefully the Vikings will remain patient, realizing that this raw talent still has plenty of upside. For now, his followers around the world will have to wait and see.
