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Releasing Kyle Rudolph Was Not the Wrong Move

Cumulous clouds actually fell onto the heads of Minnesota Vikings fans on Sunday when news revealed that tight end Irv Smith Jr. was beset by an injured meniscus.

No, that’s an exaggeration. The sky didn’t really fall, but the Smith news led some folks to surmise that releasing Kyle Rudolph last March was a mistake. General Manager Rick Spielman cut ties with Rudolph, who spent 10 seasons with the Vikings, as a cap-clearing maneuver.

Rudolph signed on with the New York Giants a couple of weeks later, entering a hodgepodge of tight end firepower in the Big Apple that includes Evan Engram, Kaden Smith, and now Rudolph.