How can the Vikings not take a step back in 2020? Here are five things the team needs to do.
Minnesota’s strong suit in the past has been its defense, but this offseason, the biggest free agency losses have come from that side of the ball.
Cornerbacks Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes and Mackensie Alexander are all gone. Waynes and Rhodes were starters and Alexander was the team’s nickel corner in 2019.
Minnesota also lost defensive end Stephen Weatherly. Everson Griffen announced he was leaving, but he has yet to sign anywhere.
At safety, the team lost two reserves: Andrew Sendejo and Jayron Kearse.
Minnesota also saw defensive tackle Linval Joseph sign elsewhere.
It will be tough to replace all that talent, but the Vikings will have to in order to not take a step back in 2020.
Let the young corners adjust to the NFL
Minnesota can go about replacing Rhodes Waynes and Alexander with some draftees, as well as players still on the team.
The Vikings took TCU’s Jeff Gladney, Mississippi State’s Cameron Dantzler and Temple’s Harrison Hand in the draft this year, all of whom are cornerbacks.
Gladney is a physical corner who is the most likely of the three to play right away, but I think Minnesota should be reluctant to give him or any of the rookies the starting reigns for the first game, unless the team is blown away by their progress.
Gladney could be the nickel corner, with Mike Hughes and Holton Hill starting out wide, until the TCU product develops more. It will be tempting to see the first-round pick out wide in a slightly bigger role right away, but this is as unconventional an offseason as they come, and putting Gladney in too big of a role too early might not be wise.
As for Dantzler, he needs to put on a lot of weight if he wants to be more than a reserve for 2020. I know he’s always played small in the past, but I don’t see him being physical enough to consistently play unless he adds weight.
Hand will compete for a reserve role, and could be successful at it.
The Vikings will have to temper expectations with their rookies early, and rely on Hughes and Hill as the three cornerback draftees get acclimated.
Have Ifeadi Odenigbo become a competent starter
Griffen hasn’t signed anywhere, sure, but with the way the Vikings drafted, and how they added talent in free agency, you’d have to think Minnesota is banking on Odenigbo taking over that starting position.
The Vikings added Anthony Zettel in free agency, who I don’t see being a starter in 2020. The team also drafted D.J. Wonnum in the fourth round.
My guess is this: if the Vikings thought that Odenigbo wasn’t ready, they would have drafted a defensive end earlier or made room to sign a starting-caliber defensive end in free agency.
That didn’t happen, so Odenigbo needs to step up.
Keep Anthony Harris happy
Harris reportedly wanted a long-term deal, and the Vikings were in talks to do so, but so far, nothing has come to fruition.
Harris is one of the best safeties in the NFL, and if the Vikings can’t lock him down for the long term this offseason, they need to make sure Harris wants to be a big contributor on the team still.
He’s coming off a 2019 campaign where he had six interceptions, tied for a league best. It’s not all about interceptions, either. Pro Football Focus gave Harris a grade of 91.1 out of 100 for last season, which was the highest grade of any NFL safety.
With the young corners the Vikings have, it becomes crucial that Harris stays at about the same production he had last season.
Right now, the Vikings have given Harris the franchise tag. As quarterback Kirk Cousins said to Dak Prescott, “the franchise tag can be your friend.”
Hopefully, it’s a friend to Harris and therefore a friend to the Vikings.
Find a third linebacker
The Vikings oftentimes employ a 4-3 base defense, which means a third consistent linebacker is essential to the team.
In the nickel package, Minnesota mostly utilizes Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr. In a 4-3, those two are still usually on the field, but Minnesota has yet to find a consistent player for the third linebacker spot.
The Vikings had Alexander at nickel corner in 2019, who solidified that spot on the field, and made it so the team could use the nickel package and find success.
But what if the young corners aren’t ready for the nickel spot? That means Minnesota might use the 4-3 more than it usually does, and it also means that it will have to rely on a third linebacker.
Whether it’s Eric Wilson, Ben Gedeon or rookie Troy Dye, Minnesota should hope its third linebacker spot has a consistent player there, who the Vikings aren’t afraid to give a ton of reps.
Don’t be afraid to use different packages
Vikings should make sure they’re at least comfortable enough with all their personnel to be able to use different formations.
The Vikings should have a good enough third linebacker so they can use a 4-3. They should have a good enough nickel to be able do that.
The team also hired Dom Capers, who has been known to use a 3-4 and work in creative blitz packages with linebackers.
It will be interesting to see how the Vikings look on defense next year — in terms of their players and their different alignments.
