Vikings Add Another Free Agent CB
Roughly one month ago, Minnesota Vikings fans wondered if the franchise had a grand plan at the cornerback position as just five CBs lived on the roster.
Fast forward to May 4th, five days after the end of the 2023 NFL Draft, and the Vikings now have 11 cornerbacks on the active roster.
Vikings Add Another Free Agent CB
That number will shrink to five or six by the end of August, but for now, the latest newcomer to the CB room is John Reid from the Atlanta Falcons.
ESPN Field Yates confirmed the transaction via tweet Thursday, “The Vikings have claimed DB John Reid off of waivers from the Falcons.” The 4th-Round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft has started for three teams in four seasons as a pro.
The Reid move arrives after Minnesota signed veteran corner Joejuan Williams from free agency on April 17th and added a handful more rookies from undrafted free agency, plus the 3rd-Round selection of USC’s Mekhi Blackmon last Friday. Cornerback business is humming in Minneapolis.
The Houston Texans discovered Reid in 2020 with a 4th-Round pick. He stuck around Houston for one season, playing in 13 games while starting one. In 2021, he trekked to the Seattle Seahawks, appearing in 11 games and starting two. Then last year, Reid landed with the Tennessee Titans, performing in 3 contests with one start. He’s a young journeyman, playing 315 defensive snaps since 2020 — a small number compared to his peers.
Here’s his Pro Football Focus resume, and keep in mind the limited snap count at each stop:
- 2020 = 60.4
- 2021 = 66.8
- 2022 = 60.4
And the Vikings up-to-date roll call at cornerback after the Reid addition:
- CB1: Byron Murphy
- CB2: Andrew Booth
- CB3: Akayleb Evans
- CB4: Joejuan Williams
- CB5: Mekhi Blackmon
- CB6: Tay Gowan
- CB7: John Reid
- CB8: Kalon Barnes
- CB9: C.J. Coldon
- CB10: NaJee Thompson
- CB11: Jaylin Williams
That group will be chopped in half by the end of summer, but at the moment, the Vikings have enough cornerbacks to really effectuate a camp competition. Murphy, Booth, Evans, Blackmon, Williams, and perhaps Gowan are expected to make the final active roster.
Reid also joined the Atlanta Falcons practice squad late last year but experienced no regular season action with the club. Atlanta cut ties with Reid on Wednesday. The 26-year-old has posted 30 total tackles in his career and 3 passes defended. Reid posted a 103.5 passer-rating-against with the Seahawks in 2021.
He was teammates with Saquon Barkley, Chris Godwin, Miles Sanders, and Mike Gesicki at Penn State.
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.
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