Vikings Big Rumor Put on Hold until July
If the Minnesota Vikings wish to sign cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., it likely won’t happen until July — two months from now.
The main rumor in the Vikings’ orbit for the last six weeks hits the pause button.
The promising young corner evidently had surgery in April to repair a lingering shoulder and neck issue, and teams will check in on his status later this summer.
Samuel Jr. has been a subject of the Vikings rumor mill for about six weeks after some wild theories claimed he’d join the purple team.
No New Team for Asante Samuel Jr. until July
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweeted Monday, “Asante Samuel Jr., one of the top free agent corners in this year’s class, is waiting to sign with a new team after undergoing neck surgery in April, per sources. Samuel, who visited the Saints today, has a check-up in early July, after which he will reconvene with several interested teams. Samuel plans to return to the field for the 2025 season.”
The most insightful Samuel Jr. update in months, teams will hold out hope that the former Los Angeles Chargers defender will be ready by training camp, which is roughly 10 weeks away.
The Injury Concerns
Listen, Samuel Jr. should have a new team by now. The Chargers’ brass made it rather clear over the last couple of months that he won’t return to Tinseltown, but that doesn’t mean Samuel Jr. is a dud.
The only thing that makes sense about his prolonged, weird free agency is the medicals. His injury from 2024 is more severe than once believed, and the Florida State alumnus is taking longer to heal than expected.
Otherwise, he’d be signed by now.
Fantastic when Healthy
Here’s Samuel Jr.’s Pro Football Focus resume since joining the NFL in 2021:
- 2021: 56.4
- 2022: 72.6
- 2023: 73.9
- 2024: 59.3
It’s worth noting that Samuel Jr. played just 234 defensive snaps last season before succumbing to the shoulder + neck injury, so that weak score could be considered an outlier.
The man isn’t an elite shutdown corner, but he might be better than the Vikings’ other options at CB2, which include Isaiah Rodgers, Mekhi Blackmon, Jeff Okudah, and Dwight McGlothern.
His next contract will also be affordable because of the medical concerns, probably an oft-utilized one-year deal with “prove it” language.
CB Options if Vikings Don’t Wait on Samuel Jr.
Suppose the Vikings don’t sign Samuel Jr after his injury recovery hits a roadblock or another team beats them to the punch. Free-agent cornerbacks include Jack Jones, Mike Hilton, and Rasul Douglas.
Some expect the Green Bay Packers to eventually release Jaire Alexander, an intriguing name for the Vikings if that theory plays out.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could also explore the trade market for a corner like Greg Newsome II from the Cleveland Browns, Tariq Woolen of the Seattle Seahawks, or Zyon McCollum from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — all CBs playing out expiring contracts.
ESPN on Samuel Jr.
ESPN wrote about Samuel Jr. this week: “Samuel, who visited the New Orleans Saints on Monday, has a check-up in early July, after which he will convene with several interested teams. He plans to return to the field for the 2025 season.”
“Samuel had been the Los Angeles Chargers’ top corner heading into 2024, but his season ended ahead of their Week 6 game against the Denver Broncos when he landed on injured reserve because of a shoulder injury. His four games for the Chargers last season were the fewest he has played in his career.”
Several teams would nibble at Samuel Jr.’s free agency if he receives a clean bill of health.
The sports media giant added, “At the end of the season, Samuel described the injury as a stinger in both shoulders but also a condition he has been dealing with since he was born. He declined to go into specifics but said he wasn’t concerned that it would affect his career moving forward.”
“Samuel, 25, has elite ball skills and great instincts in coverage. In the Chargers’ 2022 playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he intercepted quarterback Trevor Lawrence three times in the first half. Samuel’s biggest flaw is tackling, often taking poor angles on ball carriers and allowing more yards after the catch than expected.”
Samuel Jr. will turn 26 in October.
Vikings Make Scheduling History
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