Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores takes over the team's defense at an introductory press conference on February 15th, 2023, in Eagan, Minnesota.
For various reasons, the Minnesota Vikings will undergo many changes in the upcoming months. Having to get under the salary cap before the new league year begins on March 15 is one of them, and it could be followed by the releases of some longtime Vikings stars — the first one was Eric Kendricks on Monday.
Other reasons include the need to get younger. The 2022 Vikings were one of the oldest teams in the league. In addition to that, players that don’t fit in either the offensive or the defensive scheme may need to leave the franchise.
One of them could be Patrick Peterson. The superstar cornerback, a potential Hall of Famer because of his extensive resume, might not return because he doesn’t fit the vision of the new defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Profootballfocus’ Sam Monson named one off-season question for each team. For the purple team, his question was, “How many players on defense still fit?” That is a fair question to ask. The Vikings transitioned from Mike Zimmer’s defense, which ran from 2014-2021, to Ed Donatell’s defense. The base defense was no longer a 4-3 but a 3-4, and coverages changed just as much as the terminology.
Of course, some of Zimmer’s leftovers on the roster didn’t fit that system. The front office drafted and signed players who would fit Donatell’s vision. In addition to that, the players were trained for that scheme.
The coaching change to Flores will automatically ruin some of that development. Players like Andrew Booth need to learn new things again, as every coach has different coaching points and emphasizes different things.
Minnesota fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell after a disastrous defensive performance in 2022 and then hired Brian Flores to the position in February. Flores operates a scheme almost polar opposite to that of Donatell, and so the Vikings need to figure out this offseason how many members of their defense still fit in their new scheme, and how much turnover needs to happen on that side of the ball.
Sam Monson, PFF
Without fully knowing Flores’ vision for the team, he will certainly run a more attacking-style defense. Blitzes will be called more, and the percentage of man coverage on the outside will be higher.
The 2022 Vikings blitzed the quarterback on 18.9% of his dropbacks, the ninth lowest in the NFL, while Flores’ 2021 Dolphins sent extra pressure on 39.6%, the second most in the league.
Even the Miami defense in his first season with suspect personnel, probably even worse than the 2022 Vikings, blitzed on 31.6%, the 14th most that year. Of course, many blitzes don’t automatically equal a good defense, but it is a first step to making it a more respected unit without sitting back in coverage and letting backup quarterbacks carve up that coverage – something quarterbacks did with Donatell’s unit all year.
Those changes mean that some of the Vikings, once again, won’t fit. Monson thinks about cornerback Patrick Peterson who starred for the Vikings in consecutive seasons.
Cornerback Patrick Peterson had a big season but earned a PFF coverage grade almost 10 points higher in zone than in man coverage. His days thriving in that type of scheme may be long gone.
Sam Monson, PFF
Peterson struggled in his final year in Arizona in 2020, especially his man coverage was exposed. He is much better suited for Zimmer’s and Donatell’s zone coverage systems. Like many aging athletes, Peterson lost a step and is no longer the explosive athlete he used to be, but he has an all-world football IQ, which helps him beat opponents. His mentorship for the younger players and leadership in the locker room shouldn’t be forgotten. However, the declining speed will catch up to him at some point.
Flores and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah must decide if he’s worth another contract. Peterson himself stated that he would like to come back to the Vikings.
Currently, cornerback is the most significant need for the purple team, as they only employ a handful of players at the position, all of which are uncertainties. 2022 rookies Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans both struggled with injuries in their first professional campaign, and it should be questioned if they are developed enough to fill a starting role.
Two different coaching staffs didn’t trust 2020 third-rounder Cameron Dantzler, and Kalon Barnes and Tay Gowan are developmental players — maybe even practice squad candidates — and shouldn’t be expected to play a significant role.
The Vikings could add some CBs in free agency. Players like the highly touted Jamel Dean, former Steeler Cameron Sutton, or even 2022 Vikings star Duke Shelley could help the team.
PFF predicted Peterson’s next contract to be a one-year deal for $5 million. He could be in the Vikings’ short-term plans if he’s willing to sign a comparable contract to stay with the Vikings, but the fit with Flores and his defense is problematic. He played well for the Vikings in 2022 but slowed down at the end of the season. He will be 33 years old when the season kicks off in September. The Vikings can re-sign him at any point. Free agents are allowed to negotiate with other teams starting on March 13.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt