2 Old Friends Could Still Fix the Most Glaring Hole
The Minnesota Vikings have been cursed at the cornerback position since the 2020 campaign. After letting Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mackensie Alexander walk in free agency, Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman relied on their ability to find young corners and develop them. An approach that backfired.
2 Old Friends Could Still Fix the Most Glaring Hole
To this day, the club hasn’t fixed those problems. Byron Murphy Jr., a 2023 free agent signing, has been pretty good for the club and even earned Pro Bowl honors last winter, but besides him, it’s been an annoyance. Isaiah Rodgers will be his new CB2, and Jeff Okudah, a player with an extensive injury history and struggling play in his resume, was signed to be the CB3 and play about half the snaps. His only backup is last year’s UDFA, Dwight McGlothern.
For that reason, Skol Nation has been begging the Vikings to sign or trade for another corner. Two old friends could provide competition or depth for Okudah.
Stephon Gilmore
Gillmore started for the 2024 Vikings, and he’s still on the market. There’s been very little traction for him this offseason.
Last month, he announced that he would postpone his retirement decision another year: “I want to play this year,” Gilmore stated on The Money Down podcast. “It’s got to be the right situation. You know what I’m saying? It’s got to be the right situation for me. You know what I’m saying? I’m not just going to sign anywhere, so it’s got to be the right situation. I still love the game. I still can contribute. It’s just got to be the right place.”
He is no longer the elite shutdown cornerback he once was in his prime and has undoubtedly lost a step. Still, the dropoff from DPOY heights takes longer than that of an average player, so he was still able to help the Vikings win football games in his 13th season in the league.
Imagine the battles between him and Adam Thielen in practice. A pair of players at positions where speed is essential, going at each other, despite a combined age of 70. Relying on Gilmore to be a full-time starter for another season is probably a bad idea, but he could compete with Okudah for the rotational CB3 role or at least add depth in case of struggles or injury to any of the top trio.
Shaq Griffin
Pretty much the same conclusion can be drawn for Griffin. He shouldn’t be a full-time starter, but backup or competition could be provided. Like Gilmore, he is familiar with the system and wouldn’t require an extensive period to acclimate to the scheme and his teammates.
Griffin signed with the Seahawks in the offseason, but he was released on cutdown day. He was re-signed to their practice squad, and potentially, that was the plan all along, but a full roster spot on the 53 would be a significantly better paycheck, and the Vikes offer a pretty easy road to the field.
He just turned 30 and is younger than Gilmore.
Neither defender should be expected to break the bank, but could be a reliable backup at the very least.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.