Add CB for depth

[rf54]

The #Vikings are signing former #Texans CB Jacobi Francis, per@AaronWilson_NFL.


A 5'11", 194-pound corner, Francis has practiced at both outside corner and in the slot. He joins the competition at the bottom of the Vikings' depth chart with players like Andrew Booth Jr., A.J. Green III, Jaylin Williams, and undrafted rookie Dwight McGlothern. The team's top four corners seem to be Byron Murphy Jr., Shaq Griffin, Akayleb Evans, and Duke Shelley.

Adding Francis doesn't mean the Vikings won't make more of a splash at the cornerback position eventually.

Published 1 Hour Ago

WILL RAGATZ

[StickierBuns]

Going to be the team's Achilles Heel again....then we'll draft a corner in round 1 next year....and the cycle will continue.

[supafreak84]

Going to be the team's Achilles Heel again....then we'll draft a corner in round 1 next year....and the cycle will continue.

I think we were all hoping with a stronger secondary this year it would help mask some of out inability up front to collapse the pocket and allow our edges to get home, but we've just lost two of our most promising young players at corner...making a potential strength into a weakness. Murphy, Griffin and Evans become our nickel package with 2nd round bust Andrew Booth being sprinkled in on dime packages. Talk about a "woof" group overall. It's not Waaswa Serwamga/Robert Tate bad, but it's not far off at this point. Kyree Jackson and Blackmon could have both realistically been starting in nickel for us. That hurts.

[pattersaur]

No idea on the severity but the beat reporters are saying CB Shaq Griffin limped off today too. Hopefully he's okay but yeah, getting THIN fast on the back end.

[StickierBuns]

I think we were all hoping with a stronger secondary this year it would help mask some of out inability up front to collapse the pocket and allow our edges to get home, but we've just lost two of our most promising young players at corner...making a potential strength into a weakness. Murphy, Griffin and Evans become our nickel package with 2nd round bust Andrew Booth being sprinkled in on dime packages. Talk about a "woof" group overall. It's not Waaswa Serwamga/Robert Tate bad, but it's not far off at this point. Kyree Jackson and Blackmon could have both realistically been starting in nickel for us. That hurts.

Not trying to be dramatic, but this is a big deal. Could derail the season....not that we were sure it was going to be very good anyway this year. NFL offenses will pick at defensive weaknesses, exploit them and score points. Now since this is happening early, it does give Minnesota time to get a secondary Plan B together....there will be cuts from other teams in a month or so that could help in a decent way. But expect to hear how good our QBs look because they are going up against lesser thans.

[purplefaithful]

The Vikings finished the 2017 season with the NFL's top-ranked defense and second-ranked pass defense. From 2018-23, they drafted five cornerbacks in the first, second or third rounds. None of those five cornerbacks have started more than 10 games in a season for the Vikings, and of the five, only Andrew Booth Jr. is on the current 90-man roster.

The corners played a central role in the Vikings' four-game losing streak to end the 2023 season, and the group figured to be one of the team's biggest questions again in 2024. That was true even before Mekhi Blackmon tore his ACL during the first practice of training camp, and Shaq Griffin sustained a soft tissue injury to his left leg on Thursday. And while the death of rookie Khyree Jackson is bigger than football, the Vikings did have high hopes for the fourth-round pick, meaning there's a competitive aspect to his loss as well. In any case, the Vikings' corners are heading into a pivotal season.

Here's a look at the competition at the cornerback position.

Last season

The VIkings signed Byron Murphy Jr. in free agency and put Akayleb Evans in a starting role, using Blackmon as their third corner. But Blackmon played only 38.4% of their defensive snaps, and the Vikings' lack of depth at corner was mitigated somewhat by the fact they used three safeties (Camryn Bynum, Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus) most of the time in their nickel package. The Vikings' pressure packages also forced quick throws that kept teams from testing their corners downfield. But as injuries sapped their pass rush and quarterbacks grew bolder in December, the Vikings gave up more big plays in the four-game losing streak to finish the season, underscoring their need for help at the position.

Offseason moves

In: Shaq Griffin (free agent signing), A.J. Green (free agent signing), Duke Shelley (free agent signing), Jacobi Francis (free agent signing)

Out: None

The contenders

Griffin, once he's healthy, figures to play opposite Murphy in the Vikings' base defense. But the team spent more than 90% of the time with at least five defensive backs on the field last year, and the Vikings have indicated they want to play more man coverage this season. The Vikings want to put Murphy in the slot as part of their nickel package, which means Evans and Booth, both in their third season, have to show they can handle themselves at outside corner. They are big enough to press and are in their second year with Flores and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones. But both players are free agents after 2025, which means this could be a pivotal season for either one to show he can solidify a long-term role.

One big question

What else could the Vikings do for help? O'Connell indicated this past week that the Vikings could need more help at the position, and they still have enough salary cap space to find help in free agency should they choose to do so.

They added veteran defensive back Bobby McCain on Monday, although McCain has mostly played safety. Flores coached McCain at Miami. Former Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard is also often mentioned as an option, though the veteran had requested a trade from Miami in 2021 while Flores was the head coach there before Miami restructured his contract. Flores also coached J.C. Jackson at the beginning of his career in New England, and the Vikings could add Jackson as a free agent. Stephon Gilmore, another veteran who played for Flores in New England, is also seeking a team for 2024, as is Adoree' Jackson. And though the Vikings didn't reach a new deal with Patrick Peterson after Flores became defensive coordinator in 2023, the 34-year-old is also looking for a team.

So there are options on the open market, and the Vikings can turn to their three-safety look from last year at times. But they figure to start with a long look at Evans and Booth to see if either has made enough progress to help assuage their concerns at the position.

https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-vi...600387106/

[Havoc]

We have three great safeties and that helps a lot, but I’d try to bring in one of those vets. Gilmore is the best of the bunch and probably still a sure fire starter. Adoree Jackson would be one I’d look at as well.

[purplefaithful]

After offseason film school, Akayleb Evans returns to Vikings for a pivotal third season

Akayleb Evans studied film this offseason with MatchQuarters creator Cody Alexander, who gave the cornerback a clearer understanding of how offenses would attack him.


He'd refined his tackling technique and embraced new equipment designed to keep him safer after three concussions ended his rookie season. He won a starting cornerback job out of training camp in 2023, and started 15 games in his second year for the Vikings. But as his once-promising second season ended with Akayleb Evans being benched for the second time in three games, he knew he wouldn't be assured of anything heading into 2024.

"Everything [is at stake]: jobs, [being a] potential starter," he said after the Vikings' first padded practice on Monday. "Whatever role I have, I'm ready to be locked in."

Evans knew, too, the biggest investment he needed to make was in how he studied the game. He struggled at times in his first year in Brian Flores' defense, and in addition to mastering his role in the scheme, he needed a clearer understanding of how offenses would attack him. "I've always tried to rely on athletic ability, but that's the difference in the NFL," he said. "You have to focus on yourself: What am I doing? What's my technique? How do I see the game? Do I understand what's going on around me?"

Enter Cody Alexander, the former Texas high school coach and Baylor graduate assistant who has become an in-demand defensive analyst through his MatchQuarters platform and Art of X podcast. Evans' agent, Ron Slavin, had connected with Alexander in the Dallas area; Alexander had already studied Flores' defense extensively for several episodes of his show last season and connected with him at the Senior Bowl. Watching film with Alexander, it seemed, could help sharpen Evans' football intellect during the offseason when NFL rules prohibit coaches from having extensive contact with players.

They made plans in February for regular offseason meetings over Zoom. Alexander, a former high school teacher, began by asking Evans to give him a baseline understanding of the Vikings' defensive language, so they could talk in the same terms. He would not ask to see the team's playbook, and would take care not to contradict Flores or defensive backs coach Daronte Jones, he said.

"It was more or less like, 'Let's learn what you're seeing, what you're being taught, and how you actually reacted,'" Alexander said. "And part of that too, is, we're going over how offenses are attacking the Vikings. My whole point was, 'I'm trying to be an extension of your coaching staff, and I'm building on the physical work that you've done.' I'm a bridge."

They watched the Vikings' season twice, studied corners that Evans wanted to mimic and dug into offensive trends, drawing on the work Alexander does with a current SEC quarterback and the QB Country development academy in Dallas.

"It's just watching the game, understanding what's going on, how adjustments happen, how offenses are trying to attack certain defenses — just broadening my IQ," Evans said. "He's a really brilliant guy. I'm looking forward to watching more film with him."

He comes back to a defense that will likely use more man coverage than it did last year. Evans gave up 17 completions for 209 yards in 21 man-coverage targets last season, according to Pro Football Focus, but his 6-2 frame and 32-inch arms should help him redirect receivers in man coverage.

"This offseason, I knew what it was going to be," Evans said. "[It's] just focusing on technique — how can I put myself in a good position? Try to use my length, just being mindful in that area, trying to take advantage of everything I have in my God-given ability."

Evans worked with the first-team defense in the Vikings' first padded practice on Monday, while Shaq Griffin continues to recover from a soft-tissue injury in his left leg, and he figures to have opportunities for a defense that has much to figure out at corner.

"I thought Akayleb did a lot of good things last year," Flores said. "I think there was a lot of growth and improvement from him, from when I got here [in February 2023] throughout the season. There's ups and downs for every player … but that's life in the NFL. He's bounced back, he's strung some good days together and we're going to need him."

The Vikings, Flores said, are trying to "fuse communication and playing high-IQ football with also playing a physical brand of football."

Evans has never struggled embracing a hard-edged playing style. He's confident he's got a sharper football intellect to go with it.

https://www.startribune.com/vikings-corn...600387404/

[rf54]

That’s five new players for the Vikings in six days:

Duke Shelley (CB, July 24th)
Jacobi Francis (CB, July 25th)
Jabril Cox (LB, July 25th)
Bobby McCain (DB, July 29th)
Fabian Moreau (CB, July 30th)

[ArizonaViking]

That’s five new players for the Vikings in six days:

Duke Shelley (CB, July 24th)
Jacobi Francis (CB, July 25th)
Jabril Cox (LB, July 25th)
Bobby McCain (DB, July 29th)
Fabian Moreau (CB, July 30th)

Pretty soon somebody or somebodies are going to get their walking papers,,,