A Vikings Corner has Yet to Land a Contract
In Fabian Moreau, the NFL has failed to scoop up a solid player.
The Vikings corner — at least from 2024 to 2025 — is still operating from within free agency. At any point a team could send over a lucrative enough deal to get him under contract. Nobody has done so. Might Minnesota circle around to the veteran who has quietly been very sturdy?
Vikings Corner Fabian Moreau as a Great CB5
Working against Mr. Moreau is that he’s an older player with a limited ceiling. Accordingly, there’s going to be reasonable limitations for how zesty the contract offers are going to be.
Still, the corner is an NFL-level ball player, making his ongoing unemployment odd.
He first went pro in the 2017 NFL Draft after being chosen at No. 81 overall (3rd Round). Since then, Moreau has become a true journeyman, moving all over the league. The corner has played for Washington, Atlanta, Houston, New York (Giants, not Jets), Denver, Minnesota, San Francisco, and then Minnesota yet again.
Fabian Moreau, in short, has been good enough to acquire but not good enough to retain.
Moving into 2025, Brian Flores hadn’t originally planned on leaning on the veteran to be the CB3. Jeff Okudah, the former Lions corner, was the option going into the season, but poor play and injury undermined that plan. Coach Flores then had to pivot, uplifting someone else to fill-in that job. Dwight McGlothern appeared to be the obvious solution since he was on the roster as the CB4, but the move was to instead bump Moreau up from the practice squad.
In eleven games, Moreau had 17 tackles to stand alongside 2 passes defended. The advanced statistics on PFR insist that 45% of passes into his coverage got completed, a tremendous number. So, too, is the 7.8 yards-per-reception average quite impressive. The 54.2 passer-rating against is fantastic stuff.
Likewise, PFF was impressed. Moreau’s healthy 71.4 grade suggests that he was a good player without being a shutdown corner. Solid, not sizzling. At the cost of a $515,000 cap charge, the Vikings did very well. Moreau played 157 snaps out wide. He then offered 22 snaps in the slot, 18 snaps in the box, and 1 at free safety.
Right now, the Vikings are working with a reloaded corner position.
Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers remain as the top two. Next up are James Pierre and Chuck Demmings, a pair of long-and-strong outside corners who are in town to run with the other side’s large outside receivers. Upside young fellas McGlothern alongside Zemaiah Vaughn remain. Several young, unproven corners are competing, as well.
Moreover, the safety talent has seen a boost, even with the Harrison Smith indecision. All of Josh Metellus, Jay Ward, Theo Jackson, Tavierre Thomas, Kahlef Hailassie, Jakobe Thomas, and Jacob Thomas are competing for roster spots. None of these players are corners, but that doesn’t mean Brian Flores won’t use them as corners.
Fabian Moreau, 32, stands at 6’0″ and weighs 200 pounds. Not hulking size, but Moreau boasts a nice build and can offer a team a strong, sturdy floor. Any team needing a veteran to round out a corner group would be wise to consider signing him.
