Vikings make first major mistake in free agency
The Minnesota Vikings let an impact player slip out of the door and sign elsewhere on Thursday afternoon. Unrestricted free agent cornerback Duke Shelley signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. In Shelly’s lone season with the Vikings, he played in 11 games with five starts. He had a career year in coverage and graded out […]
The Minnesota Vikings let an impact player slip out of the door and sign elsewhere on Thursday afternoon.
Unrestricted free agent cornerback Duke Shelley signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.
In Shelly’s lone season with the Vikings, he played in 11 games with five starts. He had a career year in coverage and graded out extremely well according to Pro Football Focus.
PFF Coverage Grade: 86.4 (3rd in NFL)
PFF Man Coverage Grade: 84.5 (2nd in NFL)
QB Rating When Targeted: 59.6 (6th in NFL)
Shelley, 26, registered 11 passes defensed and one interception, but showed promising signs down the stretch.
Details surrounding Shelley’s new deal with the Raiders have yet to be announced, but the former Viking commented on an Instagram post revealing that Minnesota’s offer came in at a low $1.2 million.
If what Shelley says is true, that’s a massive disappointment for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Cornerback is a position the Vikings desperately need to upgrade this offseason, and parting ways with one of the team’s most productive coverage corners, especially at such a low price, isn’t ideal.
