One Wonders If Mack Alexander Will Have An Expanded Role
K. Joudry
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For the most part, the immediate reaction following the Bashaud Breeland release has been a mixture of relief and optimism. Breeland was awful as Minnesota’s CB2; perhaps Cameron Dantzler can now get significant snaps, thereby solidifying the Vikings secondary. One thing that hasn’t gotten a ton of attention, though, is how this shuffling in the secondary will impact Mack Alexander.
Mack Alexander and The Vikings Secondary
Initially, Alexander was a second round selection from the Vikings back in 2016. It took some time for him to find a role for the Vikings. He only played 8% of the defensive snaps in his rookie season; that number grew to 37% in his sophomore season. By years 3 and 4, Alexander got in on 58% and then 60% of Minnesota’s defensive snaps. For whatever it’s worth, Alexander’s best season in PFF‘s grading system came in 2018 when he finished as their 16th-best corner.
Following his rookie deal, Alexander signed with Cincinnati. There were rumblings that he and Zim didn’t get along, and that there was some tension surrounding Alexander’s role in the final game of the 2019 season. It appeared as though his time with the Vikings was done.
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During this past offseason, though, Alexander was brought back on a one-year deal for just under $1 million. I was among those who was enthusiastic about this deal. Before leaving for the Bengals, Mack Alexander was among the game’s most underrated corners. Returning to Zim’s defense, I reasoned, may bring him back to that 2018 level. Moreover, the other corners on the roster – Patrick Peterson, Dantzler, and Breeland – are all outside corners. Alexander, then, fit a clear area of need.
Unfortunately, Alexander has struggled through 13 games in 2021. The PFF rating system isn’t without its flaws, though it’s notable that he’s their worst-ranked corner. Now, Vikings fans will likely be familiar with Zim’s skepticism towards PFF. At times, they grade players poorly even though they’re fulfilling their responsibilities. Even if there is some discrepancy between PFF and Alexander’s role in the Vikings defense, there’s no getting around the basic fact that he has had a poor 2021 season.
Should he really get in on more snaps?
How Mack’s Role May Change
So here’s the thing. I get that many will be skeptical about the argument that Mack Alexander may see an expanded role. Shouldn’t the team be looking to reduce his snaps rather than adjust and/or expand his snaps?
In an ideal world, Minnesota would have a clear upgrade on the roster. We don’t live in a perfect world, though, and the regular season is almost over. It’s not like they can sign an impact free agent or pull off a trade. Instead, they’ll need to work with what they have. Kicking Alexander to the outside may be an idea that’s at least worth entertaining.
When the defense moves into nickel, Alexander would need to move inside to cover the slot. When they’re in a more traditional base defense, Alexander may get some snaps along the outside.
One thing we know for certain is that Zimmer is quite stubborn once he gets an idea in his mind. For one reason or another, he believes that Alexander has been worthy of lots of snaps and Dantzler undeserving of consistent playing time. Don’t be shocked if that means it’s the veteran and not the sophomore who sees the biggest workload increase following the Breeland release.
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