Dec 9, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive back Kris Boyd (29) celebrates during the third quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports.
By offseason standards, the Minnesota Vikings underwent a news drought. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah re-signed fullback C.J. Ham on March 24, and radio silence set in thereafter for all news items.
Of course, the pre-draft hype machine kept the Vikings headlines relevant, as every mock draft from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, (yes, a Shining reference) chose Hendon Hooker for the Vikings in Round 1.
But on Monday, the standstill broke free with two mid-level Vikings-related updates.
Former Vikings defensive tackle Armon Watts will join his third team in three years. The 33rd Team‘s Ari Meirov tweeted Monday night, “The Steelers are signing former Vikings and Bears DT Armon Watts, per his agent David Canter. Former sixth-round pick has eight career sacks.”
Watts actually played all 17 games for the 2021 Vikings, Mike Zimmer’s final year in charge. He started nine of those contests and seemed on track to start once again in 2022 under head coach Kevin O’Connell. But last summer, the Vikings had different plans, releasing Watts before the final 53-man roster trimdown. His exit was one of the most surprising of the summer.
The Arkansas alumnus immediately trekked to Chicago and again played 17 games while starting 12. However, the Bears evidently weren’t enthused by his 49.2 Pro Football Focus grade and didn’t re-sign the 26-year-old.
Watts likely won’t start in Pittsburgh — that’s Cameron Heyward’s job — but could experience some rotational snaps if he makes the regular season roster.
Only three Vikings free agents remain unsigned — Thomas Hennigan (WR), Bisi Johnson (WR), and Chandon Sullivan (CB) — after Boyd joined the Arizona Cardinals Monday.
HC Jonathan Gannon, DC Nick Rallis, OC Drew Petzing, DL coach Robert Rodriguez, and LBs coach Sam Seifkes are former Vikings coaches now working for the Cardinals, so Boyd’s addition to Arizona’s roster checks out. In fact, with those men in charge of the redbirds, don’t be surprised if more former Vikings defenders eventually find their way to the desert.
Boyd joined the Vikings from the 7th Round of the 2019 NFL Draft and stayed with the club for four seasons. Credited with starting the Kirko Chainz routine last year, Minnesota loses a heart-and-soul locker room member.
But Boyd didn’t play much on defense last year, and the Vikings new defensive bossman Brian Flores apparently has grand cornerback plans not yet known to the masses. Five cornerbacks from the 2022 roster have split during free agency, with the only CB incoming — Byron Murphy from the [you guessed it] Cardinals.
The Vikings utilized Boyd frequently on special teams in 2022, so a new man will be asked to fill his role.
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,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.