Bleacher Report Links Familiar Name to Vikings Free Agency
On a shortlist of roster needs, the Minnesota Vikings need cornerback help this offseason, above all else.
Bleacher Report Links Familiar Name to Vikings Free Agency
The franchise’s defense did not struggle one bit in 2024 — it ranked second leaguewide per EPA/Play — but this offseason will still require cornerback aid for the short- and long-term.
Accordingly, New York Jets corner D.J. Reed’s name keeps popping up in the Vikings rumor mill, probably because the 28-year-old is the best CB commodity scheduled to hit free agency in three weeks. Bleacher Report was the latest, suggesting Reed as Minnesota’s most important free-agent target last week.
“D.J. Reed of the New York Jets isn’t a superstar. But the 28-year-old is a quality starter who hasn’t allowed a passer rating against of 90 in any of the past five seasons. The quarterback quandary in the Twin Cities may get the headlines this spring. But it’s how the Vikings handle the secondary that will determine whether Minnesota can build on last year’s surprise success,” BR’s Gary Davenport explained.
Grabbing him in March won’t be easy, but 25 other teams also don’t have the same spending power ($58 million) as Minnesota. Reed told Go Long’s Tyler Dunne in December, “I’m ready to go to free agency, bro. I’m ready to see what’s next for me.”
Davenport added, “The Vikings have other needs, as well—chiefly a pass defense that ranked 28th in the league a year ago. The hole at cornerback could become that much bigger if Byron Murphy Jr. leaves the team in free agency.”
Minnesota’s defense ranked 28th in passing yards allowed, as mentioned by Davenport, only because opposing teams threw the football against the Vikings more than any other team (63.3% of the time). Brian Flores’ secondary ranked second per defensive dropback EPA/Play, quite the departure from 28th.
Here’s Reed’s Pro Football Focus resume:
- 2024: 70.7
- 2023: 77.9
- 2022: 72.5
- 2021: 78.6
- 2020: 75.2
- 2019: 75.1
- 2018: 66.5
It’s worth mentioning that these are the Vikings’ cornerbacks scheduled to be under contract in 2025:
- Mekhi Blackmon
- Dwight McGlothern
- NaJee Thompson
- Reddy Steward
- Kahlef Hailassie
- Nahshon Wright
- Ambry Thomas
Minnesota may re-sign Murphy, which will ease the pain, but creating a CB room headlined by Murphy and Reed might just be the special sauce for the future.
If the Vikings do not pursue Reed in free agency but still need a cornerback, others like Paulson Adebo, Charvarius Ward, and Carlton Davis, for example, could be options.
Reed will turn 29 in November and will fetch a contract north of $15 million per year on the open market.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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