Vikings Could Do a Deal With the Devil
The Minnesota Vikings have a handful of openings this offseason that they need to fill. The most prominent may be the interior of both lines, but the cornerback position can’t be overlooked either.
Vikings Could Do a Deal With the Devil
Stephon Gilmore may decide against retirement, but it’s unlikely he’ll be back for the Minnesota Vikings. His partner on the other side, Byron Murphy Jr., is also a free agent and he’s in line for a sizable pay increase. Shaq Griffin, the third veteran atop the depth chart, is also on the open market.
That means Brian Flores currently has a pretty empty cornerback room. The Vikings could use their first-round draft pick on one. They may decide to be the team that pays Murphy Jr. They could explore free agency as a whole, or they could try and trade for a new defender.
If they go the trade route, then giving the rival Green Bay Packers a call might make some sense. Jaire Alexander may arguably be the best talent available. Green Bay isn’t going to give him away for nothing, but they are clearly motivated to move him. However, it stands to reason that the Vikings would need to pay a divisional tax.
Alexander is, of course, notable for running his mouth against Justin Jefferson. That could be worked out on the practice field, and Minnesota’s top wideout cooking him daily would only make him better. The biggest cause for pause when it comes to Alexander, though, is availability.
In each of the past two years, the Packers have gotten just seven games from Alexander. He played 16 in 2022 while making the Pro Bowl and being named a second-team All-Pro. The year prior though, 2021, he played in just four games.
Of course, Minnesota has had some success in gambling with oft-injured former Packers. They got career-high production from Aaron Jones last season. The year before, it was Za’Darius Smith who broke out while staying healthy alongside Danielle Hunter.
Minnesota may not have enough draft capital to satisfy Green Bay’s demands. If they find Alexander worthy of a discussion, though, it could help bolster a current weak spot on the defense.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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