Minnesota Vikings add depth to their cornerback room, but it’s not who the fanbase has been begging for
The Minnesota Vikings’ cornerback room is in an interesting spot. Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers have been a capable duo on the outside, but that third cornerback spot has given the Vikings issues. Over the past few months, the fanbase has been hoping that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would add depth at the cornerback […]
The Minnesota Vikings’ cornerback room is in an interesting spot.
Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers have been a capable duo on the outside, but that third cornerback spot has given the Vikings issues.
Over the past few months, the fanbase has been hoping that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would add depth at the cornerback position ahead of the stretch run. On Tuesday, they did just that, but not with the cornerback everyone wanted them to sign.
Minnesota Vikings add cornerback Shemar Bartholomew to practice squad
The fans have wanted the Vikings to sign cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. for quite some time. He’s been rumored to come to Minnesota for months, and the fanbase latched onto him for that reason. He spent his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers but suffered an injury that required spinal fusion surgery, which is why he signed in November. I wrote this about the idea of signing Samuel last week.
“It’s no secret that the Minnesota Vikings have a need at cornerback. Byron Murphy Jr. is a solid cornerback, and Isaiah Rodgers has peaked higher than any cornerback in the NFL, but they have no depth behind both guys. Jeff Okudah was a really smart play for the price of $2.3 million, but he’s gotten torched and is now dealing with his second concussion.
“The Vikings have been linked to Samuel for a few months, but he needed time to heal. Adding a player like Samuel, who can play inside and outside, is important for how Brian Flores likes to call defense. The one element of hesitation is that Samuel is not a good tackler, which is crucial in the aggressive defense the Vikings run. Even with the issues that Samuel has in that area, it would still be an upgrade at the cornerback spot, and it’s important for the Vikings to fix it.”
That dream has died, as Samuel chose to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad. In turn, the Vikings added another cornerback to their own practice squad in Shemar Bartholomew.
Bartholomew went undrafted out of Georgia Southern and spent training camp with the New York Jets before joining the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad. Adding depth with Moreau now on the active roster is important, and we’ll see if Bartholomew will end up being anything more than depth.
They did bring Samuel in for a visit, but he chose to go elsewhere, likely because he saw a clearer path to seeing the field. Hopefully, the Vikings will be in a good position moving forward.
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