Vikings

Revamping the Vikings Secondary Starts With Asking Hard Questions

Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Every offseason comes with an immediate rush of questions and concerns as teams look to improve their rosters. The Minnesota Vikings’ secondary will be at the front of the queue in the coming months.

Minnesota’s secondary was the tightest-knit group on the roster last year. That’s interesting, considering the wide net of characters, many new to the Twin Cities, that made their way into the hearts of the fans and one another.

Outside corners Shaq Griffin, 29, and Stephon Gilmore, 34, were veterans who entered the season with much to prove. The Vikings probably won’t re-sign Griffin and Gilmore next season, which highlights that this unit will probably undergo an overhaul.

Although Griffin and Gilmore were serviceable, there were still too many moments down the stretch where the perimeter got compromised when the pass rush didn’t get home fast enough.

Before the season, defensive coordinator Brian Flores emphasized using man coverage looks depending on the personnel on the field. With his pressure-heavy approach, sending five to six guys off the line, that man coverage is trusted to hold down their assignment regardless of whether the blitz is successful. Minnesota’s 40% blitz rate this season stressed the back end to hold up if the quarterback could get the ball out.

The Vikings also ran many sim pressures, showing more players on the line than they sent. Josh Metellus partly contributed to the team’s ability and confidence in rushing four. Metellus also usually holds his own covering tight ends in the middle of the field, so I don’t suspect that will be an issue in the future.

Still, Minnesota must revamp the perimeter.

The return of Mekhi Blackmon, 25, will significantly help. He can develop into a starter within this scheme. People were focused on Blackmon in camp because he had an opportunity to claim a spot on the outside. However, he tore his ACL during the first training camp practice last July but will fully recover by the time this next set of camps begins.

By drafting Dwight McGlothern and the late Khyree Jackson, the Vikings signaled the direction they wanted to go at corner. They tried to build a young secondary around nickel corner Byron Murphy, who grabbed six interceptions in his second year with the team.

The generous cap space the Vikings will have to work with could also contribute to a new and improved look from the secondary. Outside corners, D.J. Reed, Charvarius Ward, and Rasul Douglas are all on the market. Minnesota has plenty of options to add a premier corner who’s still in his prime.

The current state of Minnesota’s safety position has emotional implications. The Vikings don’t know if Harrison Smith will retire, and they are negotiating with free-agent Cam Bynum. Therefore, Minnesota must consider the bigger picture for both safety positions.

Vikings legend and future Hall of Famer Harrison Smith had tears in his eyes in the post-game interview following the Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. It was an emotional sight for the Vikings faithful, who have seen Smith play 13 seasons in purple.

If this is it for No. 22, the Vikings must prioritize extending Bynum. He became a national sensation overnight with his contagious energy and celebratory dance moves after turnovers. The Vikings were the only team to record at least one takeaway in every game they played this year, and turnovers will continue to be this Flores-led operation’s magnum opus.

When negotiating with Bynum, the Vikings must consider his value to the team’s culture. As a pivotal life force for the team and fanbase, Bynum can usually back up his eccentric attitude with sound play and a nose for the ball.

It’ll be interesting to see if safety Theo Jackson will get a chance to prove himself as a starter after players and coaching staff raved about him in last summer’s training camp, highlighting his improvement and knowledge of the playbook. Jackson also recorded a game-sealing interception in his first start of the season against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16.

The Vikings have options for crafting a secondary that fully complements Flores’ blitz-friendly approach.

In today’s NFL, leaving a corner on an island is a luxury. Minnesota can adapt to the modern NFL by developing a young core that meshes well with delivering a safety net for the outside of the field. Between potentially bringing Bynum back, plenty of cap space, and returning rookies, look for this Vikings secondary to get younger and more aggressive in the offseason.

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Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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