Brian Flores Had a “Tone in His Voice” About 1 New Defender
The Minnesota Vikings have totally reshaped the defense since Brian Flores was hired in 2023. Among starters, only Harrison Phillips, Harrison Smith, and Joshua Metellus remained from the previous regime, and Flores had a significant impact on Metellus’ promotion.
Brian Flores Had a “Tone in His Voice” About 1 New Defender
Even this offseason, the Vikings acquired some new guys, including former Pro Bowlers Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen. Their presence could change the defensive philosophy because they can provide some interior pass rush.
The secondary has also been revamped. Former Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers was signed, and third-year defender Mekhi Blackmon has overcome his ACL injury.
Rodgers has been recognized by Kevin O’Connell, who referred to Flores’ glowing praise.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted on social media, “Also interesting: O’Connell said Brian Flores identified CB Isaiah Rodgers ‘pretty early’ as a UFA target. O’Connell: ‘When Flo has that kind of tone in his voice about guys … he’s been pretty darn accurate.’ O’Connell sees him as ‘an every down impact guy.’”
Usually, teams in today’s NFL have two cornerbacks who play all the snaps and a third who plays the snaps when the defense is in nickel, which is around 70%. Metellus took a lot of slot cornerback snaps last season and should be expected to continue in that role to some extent.
But if Rodgers is an “every-down guy,” he should be expected to be the starting cornerback opposite of Byron Murphy Jr., who was re-signed to a three-year deal worth $54 million.
Rodgers, meanwhile, signed a somewhat cheap contract. He agreed to a two-year employment with a salary of about $11 million. With incentives, he can reach $15 million.
He was selected as a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after coming out of UMass. His impressive 4.28-second 40-yard dash caught the attention of many, leading the Colts to draft him as a standout returner and cornerback. Throughout his three seasons with the team, he served as their primary kick returner.
On defense, his role expanded after a rookie season with minimal playing time from scrimmage. In the following two seasons, he participated in about half of the defensive snaps.
Then, Rodgers was suspended for a year due to gambling, and the Colts quickly waived him. Philadelphia picked him up, knowing he wouldn’t play for a full season. That move paid dividends in 2024 when he was a rotational player for the Super Bowl-winning side.
In his four seasons in five years, he played in 60 contests (13 starts), tabulating a kick return touchdown, three picks, 116 tackles, and a pair of forced fumbles.
PFF’s Ben Cooper picked Rodgers as Minnesota’s upside signing.
“The Vikings, the only team to earn an A+ in PFF’s free-agency grades, haven’t been shy about spending money amid their lack of draft capital. Rodgers’ two-year, $11 million deal was a modest expenditure among other high-priced additions, and yet, he is positioned to be one of Minnesota’s highest-impact signings. His 85.4 passer rating allowed in 2024 was a top-40 mark among cornerbacks, and he was the position’s 12th-highest-graded player in run defense (83.4).”
Rodgers has been excellent throughout his career in limited opportunities. The Vikings make the gamble on him remaining that efficient with more snaps. They won that bet with Andrew Van Ginkel a year ago, and one could also point to Metellus and his rise from rotational guy to standout defender.
The corner turned 27 in January.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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