Jacobi Francis
Duke Shelley
Bobby McCain
Fabian Moreau
Nahshon Wright
That’s not normal. The first four were free agent signings. Nahshon Wright was acquired from the Dallas Cowboys in a swap of corners. Wright for Andrew Booth Jr.
All of the added corners had depth roles through training camp. Fabian Moreau and Duke Shelley, in particular, were often on the field with the first defense. The Vikings coaches are seeing what they have in Nahshon Wright. At 6’4”, he has truly unique size and possibilities. All of the above new corners can be described as modest additions.
Over the weekend, the Vikings took a more serious swing at improving their cornerbacks.
Stephon Gilmore.
Some credentials:
2019 Defensive Player of the Year
2x 1st-team All-Pro
5x Pro Bowl
Since his strong, four-year run with the New England Patriots, Gilmore has become something of a wanderer. The Vikings will be his fourth team in the last four years. At 33, 34 in a month, his very best years are behind him. Still, he’s remained a very good, very consistent, and very savvy starter. Most importantly, he excels at the man coverage defensive coordinator Brian Flores prefers to play.
An intriguing Vikings defense got much better with the addition of Gilmore.
The Vikings added corner Shaquill Griffin in the offseason. He was signed for his man-coverage ability. Unfortunately, he “strained” a hamstring during the second practice of training camp. He’s been rehabbing that injury ever since. The Vikings are clearly being careful with him. He must return and stay healthy. An outside corner pair of Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin could be very promising. That would allow Byron Murphy Jr. to play on the interior.
This has been a difficult summer for the Vikings. Much of the difficulties were focused on the cornerback room. The position was scraped raw and thin. It became a weak spot of the defense. As long as the remaining players stay healthy, cornerback could now be a strength.
Welcome to Minnesota, Stephon Gilmore.
No comments:
Post a Comment