The Minnesota Vikings had high hopes for Erasmus James when they made him the 18th overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft. They cut him on Friday, May 23, 2008, when he failed his physical.
The 6-4, 266 pound defensive end played a total of 23 games in three NFL seasons. Erasmus James was most productive in his rookie season, competing in 15 contests, garnering 29 tackles total and 24 solo tackles. He had four sacks that year. In 2006, he appeared in just two games and in 2007 in six.
In 2005, James was drafted out of Wisconsin where he made 124 tackles (25.5 for loses), had 18 sacks and manufactured 28 QB hurries. He also recovered two fumbles, forced seven and had seven pass deflections. In college, he was known as “The Eraser” because of his penchant for sacking quarterbacks and making them ineffective.
But knee injuries have hampered his play and the Vikings feel that they have acquired players that are healthy and talented enough to replace him. James, who is in a knee brace, is still recovering from a torn ACL that occurred in a game versus the Detroit Lions in December 2007. The operation on his ACL marked the third knee surgery that he’s had in 13 months.
