Half a decade ago, in 2020, the Minnesota Vikings had a strange offseason. Several long-time players departed from the organization, […]
Half a decade ago, in 2020, the Minnesota Vikings had a strange offseason. Several long-time players departed from the organization, but the club lacked sufficient cap space to counter those departures and find suitable replacements. That led to a problem that is still ongoing.
A Past Offseason Still Haunts the Vikings
The Vikings traded away Stefon Diggs, but found his heir in the following draft by using the exact pick from the trade. Justin Jefferson landed in Minnesota. Linval Joseph left, too, and GM Rick Spielman signed Michael Pierce to be a younger replacement. The idea was fine, but Pierce, who was in the high-risk group due to asthma, opted out of the COVID season.
Everson Griffen, the heart and soul of the franchise, departed. He came back later, but left a hole in 2020. The Vikings attempted to fill it by promoting backup Ifeadi Odenigbo. And finally, cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mackensie Alexander all entered free agency and found new homes elsewhere.
Although there undoubtedly have been some problems along the interior defensive line in the past, the Vikings have rebuilt all those position groups except for cornerback. It’s primarily been a mix of numerous one-year solutions and draft hopefuls, but since that mass exodus, there hasn’t been a satisfactory cornerback lineup in the Twin Cities.
In 2020, Mike Zimmer tried to work his magic on rookies Jeff Gladney and Cam Dantzler, pairing them with Mike Hughes, Holton Hill, and Kris Boyd. Dantzler showed flashes, but that group was a disaster.
A year later, in 2021, the Vikings signed veteran Patrick Peterson. In the final years of his career, he was a short-term solution for one job. Bashaud Breeland joined him for a while, and Dantzler completed the group. The Vikings released Gladney after an indictment for domestic violence. He was found not guilty later and was killed in a tragic car crash in 2022.
In 2022, Peterson returned under the new coaching staff, while Dantzler escaped one doghouse but landed in another. Additionally, the rookies Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth Jr. suffered multiple injuries and were limited in their first year.
With Brian Flores’ arrival in 2023, Byron Murphy Jr. was signed in free agency. He has been a rare success story in Minnesota’s CB huddle. Evans played on the other side, and that left a lot to be desired. At least rookie Mekhi Blackmon showed some promise early on.
And last year? Booth Jr. was axed, and Evans was axed. Blackmon’s season ended with a knee injury in training camp. The Vikings acquired Shaq Griffin and Stephon Gilmore, two aging one-year stopgaps. The performance of the corners was acceptable, but their physical limitations limited Flores’ flexibility.
Finally, this offseason. The Vikings re-signed Murphy Jr. to a huge deal, and Blackmon can hopefully overcome his ACL tear and return in good shape. Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah were signed in free agency.
Investments have been made. Peterson was a major signing, but not a long-term solution because of his age. First-rounder Hughes, second-rounder Booth Jr., third-rounder Dantzler, and fourth-rounder Evans haven’t been able to fill the void. Blackmon, chosen in the third, could be part of the solution.
Since 2020, the Vikings rank 31st in passing yards allowed; only the Detroit Lions have allowed more. Opposing teams have completed 66.3% of their passes, the fifth-highest number in that period.
Five years after Rhodes and Waynes departed, the Vikings still don’t have any continuity at the position, and it still is one of the team’s primary weaknesses. Unless Rodgers, Okudah, and Blackmon can fill in nicely next to Murphy Jr., we will hit year six of Minnesota’s cornerback curse, and it might be time to make a big splash to escape the problem.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
