Former Defensive Player of the Year Is on His Way to Minnesota
The Minnesota Vikings have already added six new players since the start of training camp. All of them are reinforcements on the defense, with linebacker Jabril Cox being the only non-defensive back. The acquisitions include depth player Jacobi Francis, veterans Bobby McCain and Fabian Moreau, trade target Nahshon Wright, and Vikings fan favorite Duke Shelley.
Former Defensive Player of the Year Is on His Way to Minnesota
Cornerback help has been paramount for the Vikings after losing Mekhi Blackmon in the very first practice due to a torn ACL. He was expected to play a significant role in his sophomore campaign. Andrew Booth was traded to the Dallas Cowboys.
Perhaps the best chance to replace Blackmon in the starting unit is Moreau, who is coming off a season in which he started for the Denver Broncos.
Despite all those additions, the Vikings are reportedly chasing another free agent. Once a star defender, Stephon Gilmore will visit the Vikings on Monday, Josina Anderson reported on Saturday: “NEWS: Free agent CB Stephon Gilmore tells me he’s flying out on Sunday to visit with the Vikings on Monday.”
The cornerback was one of the league’s elite cornerbacks for a long time. Although he will turn 34 in September and certainly can’t play at that level anymore, if last season with the Cowboys is any indicator, he should have some gas left in the tank. He earned a grade from Pro Football Focus of 71.2 last season, ranking him 35th of 127 eligible cornerbacks.
Starting all 17 games with the Cowboys, Gilmore logged two interceptions and 68 tackles. His prime seasons were 2018 and 2019, when he was named first-team All-Pro in both campaigns. The 2019 season included his nomination for Defensive Player of the Year as a rare non-pass rusher to win the award.
Gilmore is undoubtedly the flashiest name available on the free agency market, and adding him would give Skol Nation a ton of hope.
Alec Lewis from The Athletic wrote after the front office signed the four free agents: “Does this rule out additional cornerback signings? No. The free-agent market is not filled with high-end options, but Stephon Gilmore is the most intriguing.”
Indeed, as usual, the vast majority of decent options are off the market when training camp kicks off.
Lewis added: “He played for Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores in New England. He has started 33 games at corner over the last two seasons, and his production has remained. Adding him is a no-brainer, but the Vikings aren’t the only team thinking this way,” Lewis added. “Gilmore’s market is going to be robust, and the longer he waits, the more likely it is teams could need his services. Not to mention, the longer he waits, the less time he has to spend at training camp.”
His time with Flores is a huge bonus as he knows the principles of the Belichick defense. Flores runs a variation of that scheme.
Gilmore, 34, is the closest the Vikings can get to “fix” the problem in the defensive backfield. His arrival is possible, but the franchise must lure him to the Twin Cities.
With the start of preseason, Minnesota’s depth chart looks like this:
CB1: Byron Murphy
CB2: Shaquill Griffin
CB3: Akayleb Evans
CB4: Fabian Moreau
CB5: Nahshon Wright
CB6: A.J. Green III
CB7: Jacobi Francis
CB8: Duke Shelley
CB9: Jaylin Williams
CB10: Dwight McGlothern
CB11: NaJee Thompson (PUP)
Head coach Kevin O’Connell and his players will kick off their regular season on September 8 with a road game against the New York Giants. It remains to be seen if Gilmore will be wearing purple by then.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt