We haven't seen much of Demond Claiborne this season, and the Minnesota Vikings are telling you why.
The Minnesota Vikings have announced their inactives ahead of Sunday afternoon's game against the Indianapolis Colts, and there isn't much of a surprise on the list.
S Jakobe Thomas
CB Chuck Demmings
RB Demond Claiborne
OT Caleb Tiernan
DL Elijah Williams
QB Max Brosmer (emergency third QB)
None of these players are a surprise. Demmings is still coming back from a hamstring injury, and it's noticeable that multiple rookies are on the list.
Personally, I'm surprised that Williams has been made an inactive for the sixth-consecutive game. I think he could make a serious impact on the Vikings' defensive line, but they haven't agreed as of yet.
Where they and I both agree is at running back. Claiborne is once again not being made a focus. So far this season, Claiborne has just six carries for 13 yards and two receptions for eight yards. Despite his 4.37 40-yard dash, Claiborne hasn't shown anything worthy of being a starter, let alone a rotational player.
Claiborne doesn't have the juice when it comes to playing the position, and it's not because he isn't fast. Speed is something that he has in droves. What he doesn't have is any kind of strength and contact balance. The second he gets touched in the open field, he goes down, and that's not the sign of a good running back. It also doesn't help that Claiborne has only played a couple of special teams snaps as a returner, but not on other units.
It's notable that the Vikings elevated DeeJay Dallas was elevated, which will likely be the case for at least three weeks.
There is also some intrigue with the Vikings having four total rookies on the inactive list, including Thomas. He has yet to play a snap during the regular season for the Vikings, which isn't ideal for a third-round pick. There aren't exactly safety snaps to be had, but redshirting the 90th overall pick who is already 23 years old isn't exactly ideal process.
The Vikings and Colts kick off at noon.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Minnesota Vikings inactives send a strong signal about where things stand with two popular rookies
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