Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes had a down year in 2018. His coach, Mike Zimmer, was quick to call Rhodes out after the season.
Part of that for Rhodes is getting back to the basics.
“He’s doing better. Getting back to the technical things about his game that he has to do,” Zimmer said Wednesday. “We saw some things in the offseason, some things that he needs to continue to work at. We’re helping him do that, and he’s been a really good student with trying to do what we’re asking him to do.”
Rhodes, 28, is just a season removed from being named as an All-Pro, so the talent is still there.
He finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 58.2 last season, ranking 101st out of 112 cornerbacks. Of course, that is very bad. That was the worst mark of Rhodes’ career.
The 2013 first-round pick is due $10.9 million in 2019, per Spotrac. If he underperforms again, it will be interesting to see if the Vikings eat $4.8 million in dead cap to release Rhodes, who is due $10.5 million in 2020.
