Vikings make bold statement by re-signing CB Byron Murphy Jr. while confirming suspicion of GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
The Minnesota Vikings secured their top cornerback in free agency on Monday for the foreseeable future by agreeing to a three-year, $66 million contract extension with Byron Murphy Jr. Things were starting to get dire for the Vikings at the cornerback position. The other top players at the position have agreed to terms with other […]
The Minnesota Vikings secured their top cornerback in free agency on Monday for the foreseeable future by agreeing to a three-year, $66 million contract extension with Byron Murphy Jr.
Things were starting to get dire for the Vikings at the cornerback position. The other top players at the position have agreed to terms with other teams.
- Carlton Davis: New England Patriots
- Charvarius Ward: Indianapolis Colts
- D.J. Reed: Detroit Lions
Getting Murphy locked in is huge for the Vikings, and it's a bonus that he's already comfortable in this defense and with the coaching staff. The move also strengthened a suspicion I had about how general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is constructing the cornerback room.
Vikings have a type at cornerback
When the Vikings agreed to terms with Murphy on his extension, he was the second cornerback they signed. Earlier on the day, the Vikings agreed to terms with cornerback Isaiah Rodgers on a two-year, $15 million contract. The move was a smart one, as the Vikings needed to fill up to four cornerbacks this offseason.
When the Vikings agreed to terms with Rodgers, I had a theory that the Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores had a type of cornerback: short, feisty, and aggressive at the catch point. I wrote about it earlier on Monday.
The first is that Rodgers is a smaller cornerback. He's a similar player to Mekhi Blackmon in terms of frame, being listed at 5'-10", 170 lbs. He also plays mostly on the outside with 368 snaps on the outside compared to just 29 in the box and 18 in the slot.
Bringing in another player who thrives on the outside with size limitations is interesting. Is this how the Vikings want to build out their cornerback room? They love Byron Murphy Jr. who also has some size limitations to his game.
When you look at the cornerback room, it certainly makes sense. The Vikings have preferred to choose cornerbacks those cornerbacks likely due to their movement skills and willingness to attack the football. There are some really interesting players in the NFL Draft with that profile, including Quincy Riley and Cobee Bryant.
The counter to this theory comes from last year's NFL Draft. They selected Khyree Jackson early in the fourth round along with signing Dwight McGlothern as an undrafted free agent. Both of those players were also aggressive players in college, but they just happen to be bigger.
It's an interesting thing with the Vikings cornerback room, but you can tell it has Flores' fingerprints all over it.
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It’s a serious move for the Vikings to fortify their offensive line
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