Vikings Fan-Favorite from 2022 Is a Free Agent

Dustin Baker |

Aug 30, 2023

Shelley Likely — Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports

Well, it happened.

Former Minnesota Vikings cornerback Duke Shelley was buried on his new team’s depth chart when the Las Vegas Raiders revealed their first personnel pecking order a few weeks ago. Shelley lived around CB8, causing some Vikings fans to question his 53-man roster safety for 2023.

Vikings Fan-Favorite from 2022 Is a Free Agent

Vegas Nation reporter Vincent Bonsignore tweeted Tuesday, “Dalton Wagner goes to I.R. Tough loss. Duke Shelley and Tyler Hall get waived and released at CB, in a bit of a surprise.”

Shelley now hits open free agency and can sign with any NFL team.

The veteran defender took over starter’s duties in Minnesota after injuries to Cameron Dantzler, Akayleb Evans, and Andrew Booth in 2022, and before too long, his emergence felt like a classic example of addition by subtraction. The man flourished inside Ed Donatell’s 2022 defense — to the tune of the NFL’s fourth-best corner, according to Pro Football Focus, with an 82.9 grade.

The Vikings 1 Standout — Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports.

So, when the offseason hit, the Vikings would welcome the defender back for a shot at a sequel, right? Nope. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said no thanks to Shelley, who later signed with the Raiders for one year and $1.3 million, a miniature figure in NFL terms.

The Vikings said sayonara this offseason to CBs Shelley, Patrick Peterson, Chandon Sullivan, Kris Boyd, and the aforementioned Dantzler while onboarding veteran free agents Byron Murphy and Joejuan Williams, plus rookie Mekhi Blackmon from the 2023 NFL Draft. Minnesota released Williams on Tuesday.

1 Vikings Free Agent Wants to Come Back — Minnesota Vikings cornerback Duke Shelley (20) signals an incompletion after breaking up a pass intended for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) on Sunday, January 1, 2023, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

And with Williams gone, the Vikings arguably need a veteran presence in the CB room in addition to Murphy. Otherwise, the franchise will embark on the 2023 season with Murphy, plus hopeful optimism that Evans, Booth, and Blackmon are enough to do the trick.

The Raiders ultimately retained these CBs:

CB1: Marcus Peters
CB2: Jakorian Bennett
CB3: Nate Hobbs
CB4: David Long Sr.
CB5: Brandon Facyson
CB6: Amik Robertson

For the Vikings, it’s a fivesome:

CB1: Byron Murphy
CB2: Akayleb Evans
CB3: Andrew Booth
CB4: Mekhi Blackmon
CB5: NaJee Thompson

Unlikely Vikings Defender — Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

Vikings fans will continue to call upon Adofo-Mensah to sign Shelley, but he probably would’ve done it back in March when his pricetag was around $1.3 million. Stranger things have happened, but adding Shelley now when he could’ve easily returned five months ago doesn’t check out. Shelley hinted on social media in March that he wanted a Vikings sequel.

If the Vikings are interested in non-Shelley veteran CBs, William Jackson, Sidney Jones IV, Bradley Roby, and Greedy Williams, among others, are available.

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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band)

.All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.