Brian Flores and Mike Zimmer Did the Spider-Man Meme
Dustin Baker
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If one closed her eyes on Tuesday, it might’ve sounded like Mike Zimmer at the Minnesota Vikings podium.
Brian Flores and Mike Zimmer Did the Spider-Man Meme
He wasn’t — Zimmer works for the Dallas Cowboys now — but Mike Flores channeled Zimmer’s inner soul at a press conference with one particular quip about cornerbacks.
“You can never have enough corners,” Flores told reporters this week. Zimmer used that exact line for years in Minnesota, mainly because he believed they get injured too frequently.
Flores continued, “It’s a passing league. There’s a lot of great receivers, so you can never have enough. I think every team feels that way between the amount of receivers they can put on the field, attrition, injuries, you can never have enough good corners or really, good players throughout the roster.”
And for context, these are the Vikings’ cornerbacks as of April 17th:
CB1: Byron Murphy
CB2: Akayleb Evans
CB3: Mekhi Blackmon
CB4: Shaquill Griffin
CB5: Andrew Booth
CB6: NaJee Thompson
CB7: Jaylin Williams
CB8: Joejuan Williams
CB9: A.J. Green III
Minnesota added Griffin in March, a key offseason addition, as the veteran will help solidify the cornerback room in September. Before the Griffin move, Vikings fans wondered, “Is this it?” It was not, and Griffin will vie for a starter’s job later this summer.
Interestingly, Flores’ remarks arrived when he asked if cornerback was still an offseason focus for Minnesota. His comments seem to hint yes, and if so, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could add an extra defensive back in the draft, which kicks off in eight days. The purple team is expected to conduct a trade up the draftboard for a quarterback, but after that, cornerback is a reasonable theory for a Round 4 pick.
Flores also mentioned no head coaching interviews during this year’s coaching carousel and explained, “I don’t really have control over that situation. I will say that I’m very happy where I am. It’s been a great offseason. I haven’t spent this much time with my family in a while.”
He coached the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021 but was fired before the start of 2022. Flores then sued the NFL for racial discrimination and claimed that the Dolphins’ ownership instructed him to intentionally lose games for better draft picks and tamper with other players.
“There’s no way to know. It’s not really something I’m spending a lot of time thinking about. I try to be where my feet are, and that’s here with the Vikings. I try not to worry about things I have no control over,” Flores said Tuesday when asked if his lawsuit affected the lack of head coaching interest.
For roster building, though, it’s more-the-merrier, and Minnesota may not be finished adding CB depth.
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.
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