Harrison Smith
Andrew Sendejo
Michael Griffin
Anthony Harris
Antone Exum Jr.
Jayron Kearse
Smith is one of the best safeties in the game. Perhaps the most complete safety. He's now paid like it. Smith signed a five-year contract extension last Monday. Fantastic news. He can do it all. He can roam like a free safety. He can play in the box like a strong safety. He can cover tight ends and backs. Receivers in a pinch. He can blitz. He can play the run. He makes opposing players question whether to come anywhere near him. He could probably do even more if the Vikings could find a talented safety to pair with him. Hopefully a safety that has some versatility. A safety that can switch between free and strong nearly as easily as Smith. A safety that allows the Vikings defense to become even more versatile. A safety that allows the Vikings to more easily hide their intentions. That's a lot to ask. Each of the five safeties after Smith on the roster have a shot to start next to him.
Andrew Sendejo started 13 games last year. Injuries kept him from starting the other three. He's likely considered the starter now in name only. He's solid but limited. Many Vikings fans lost their collective minds when Sendejo was signed to a nice, 4-year contract extension at the start of free agency. They thought that it ended the search for another star safety before it even started. Sendejo is a nice player to have on an NFL roster. He's a special teams cornerstone and a solid safety. The Vikings could do a lot worse if Sendejo had to start some games. They didn't sign him to a contract extension to be a starting safety. They signed him to a contract extension because he's an important, contributing player to the team. Once free agency did begin, the Vikings may or may not have pursued Cincinnati Bengals free agent safety George Iloka. He's a player that head coach Mike Zimmer knew well from his days as the Bengals defensive coordinator. The best thing about the Vikings reported interest in Iloka was that it eased the collective minds of those fans that had lost theirs. The team wasn't done looking for a safety. Iloka re-signed with the Bengals and the Vikings continued in another direction. They signed former Tennessee Titans safety Michael Griffin. He's a player that secondary coach Jerry Gray knew well from his days as the Titans defensive coordinator. At 31, Griffin's best days are behind him and he had some fine days. He isn't the long term answer at the position but his experience and versatility likely gives him the edge to be the starter to open the season. Unless, one of the youngsters steps up in training camp and the preseason.
Anthony Harris was an undrafted free agent out of Virginia in 2015. I was stunned that he went undrafted. His slight frame at 6'1" and about 190 lbs might have been the reason. That slight frame didn't seem to hinder him much in making tackles among the big boys at the line of scrimmage in college. The NFL is a whole other ball game. He started two games when injuries dismantled the Vikings safety position late in the season. His first NFL start was against the aggressive, down-the-field passing attack of the Arizona Cardinals. He performed well. Eight tackles and nearly corralled his first interception. His intriguing potential prompted some to think that the Vikings might already have the safety to pair next to Smith. Antone Exum Jr. was a sixth-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. At 6' and 220 he's closer to the size that Zimmer claims to like in his defenders. Exum might also be the most athletically gifted of the group. Like Harris, he started two games late in the season. His last game wasn't good. It was the disaster against the Seattle Seahawks in week 13. A game in which nothing went right for the Vikings. It turned out that Exum played the game injured. Injuries that put him on injured reserve. Injuries that opened the door for Harris. It's still very early in Exum's career but his on field awareness has yet to catch up with his physical talent. The Vikings selected Jayron Kearse in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft. At 6'4" and 215 lbs, he's a ridiculously-sized safety. Size that inevitably draws comparisons to the similarly-sized Iloka. If Zimmer and Gray can refine Kearse's techniques and he can grasp the defense, the Vikings found themselves a very unique football player.
The Vikings safety position should be improved in 2016. If for no other reason than Harrison Smith is getting better with each year that he's in the league. He's been so good so far and yet it still feels like he's just scratching the surface of his potential. Griffin's addition and Sendejo's re-signing improves the overall depth at the position. If not the talent level. It's the three youngsters that really make this an intriguing position. The Vikings will probably keep at most five safeties. They kept four last year and the depth was seriously tested by injuries. The competition for those spots will be fierce. My guess is that Griffin is on the roster only if he wins the starting spot opposite Smith. And the only way that I see him not starting is if one of the youngsters wins the job. I don't see Sendejo starting but he's a lock for the roster. The Vikings already know what they have in him. He's a solid backup and a special teams fixture. Then there's the three youngsters. The potential of those players might force the Vikings to keep five safeties. Harris is smart and instinctive. He'll be where he's supposed to be when he's supposed to be there. Zimmer likes that in a player. Zimmer also likes size in his players. Exum and Kearse have that. Kearse in particular. You can't teach 6'4". Of the three, I think that Exum is most on the bubble. He's been in the defense for two years and Harris is probably already ahead of him in understanding it. That speaks more to Harris' ability to grasp Zimmer's defense quickly than Exum's inability to do so. Kearse is more of an unknown seeing as he just got there. The ideal safety would be a combination of the three. Harris' smarts, Exum's athleticism, and Kearse's size. My hunch is that Kearse is the Vikings future at safety simply because he's so physically unique. He just has to learn the defense. But, I sure do like Harris. I just like players with the study and work habits that he appears to possess. If I had to predict the Vikings safeties for 2016 I look at it two ways.
If Griffin wins the job.
Harrison Smith
Michael Griffin
Andrew Sendejo
Anthony Harris
Jayron Kearse
If someone other than Griffin (Harris, for now) wins the job.
Harrison Smith
Anthony Harris
Andrew Sendejo
Jayron Kearse
Antone Exum Jr.
or
Harrison Smith
Anthony Harris
Andrew Sendejo
Jayron Kearse
I probably lean towards the last one. Five safeties is such a luxury. A luxury I'm not so sure that the Vikings can afford. I'm just glad that these roster decisions aren't mine.
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