Questions for Kwesi: What’s the Plan at Corner?
K. Joudry
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As we’ve suggested at various points, Minnesota’s offseason has been proceeding slowly. Za’Darius Smith supercharged things, but the overall direction has been one of deliberate caution. Several questions remain, foremost among them being what the Vikings will do at corner. What kind of options does Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have?
The first thing we can say is that Cameron Dantzler is likely going to be a starter. The 23-year-old has two years behind him. In that time frame, he has had more than his fair share of strong and less-than-strong moments. Given the inactivity thus far, one has to assume that the new coaching staff feels comfortable having Dantzler in the mix for one of the outside starting spots. His ability to elevate his game in year 3 will go a long way in helping Minnesota bounce back.
Otherwise, the team only has Parry Nickerson, Kris Boyd, and Harrison Hand, none of whom can be relied on as starters.
Patrick Peterson is still out there, so it’s plausible he could be brought back. Allowing him to be more physical at the line of scrimmage may work well, but removing help over the top might not be a great idea. The veteran doesn’t have the wheels he used to have. Other vets who have been commonly connected to the Vikings are Kyle Fuller, Bryce Callahan, and even Stephon Gilmore. The money won’t be super abundant, especially if the team does make a huge addition to the offensive line. I, for one, am most enthused about Callahan. He can be a great option in the slot.
Otherwise, Peterson does make some sense to bring back, provided the price is right. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s recent press conference revealed that the team has been having conversations with Peterson. The issue, as KAM explained, is that they are navigating the cap, suggesting there is a discrepancy between what the team is willing to give and what the player is looking for.
Of course, the draft will likely involve Minnesota targeting a corner early. The situation they need to avoid is feeling like need to select one early. Making prudent decisions in the second and third wave of free agency will help in this regard.
Regardless of what they decide, we can say for certain that more corners will be brought in. At this stage, it’s only a matter of who and for how much. My guess is that the team signs one or two vets before the draft while adding on another one or two in the draft. Such an approach would generate some healthy competition as the team proceeds into the rest of the offseason.
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