Vikings Waive G Dru Samia With Injury Designation, Cut G Dakota Dozier

According to Ben Goessling, the Vikings are waiving G Dru Samia with an injury designation. 

Goessling says he was told Samia suffered a fairly serious hamstring injury. 

If he passes through waivers unclaimed, Samia would revert to injured reserve. Minnesota will likely cut him with a settlement at some point. 

Tom Pelissero reports the Vikings are also releasing veteran G Dakota Dozier with the plan to bring him back on the practice squad initially. 

Samia, 24, is a former fourth-round pick of the Vikings back in 2019. He’s entering the third year of his four-year, $3.25 million contract.

In 2020, Samia appeared in 13 games for the Vikings, making four starts for them at guard.

Dozier, 29, is a former fourth-round pick of the Jets back in 2014. He played out the final year of his four-year, $2,520,584 contract with the Jets before returning to New York on a one-year restricted deal worth $1.907 million.

Dozier later signed on with the Vikings in 2019 and returned to Minnesota last year on another one-year contract. 

He was testing the open market as an unrestricted free agent this offseason before re-signing with Minnesota. 

In 2020, Dozier appeared in all 16 games for the Vikings and made 16 starts for them.