Vikings Quietly Reveal Their CB Answer
The Minnesota Vikings’ roster, according to most, is in fine shape for the start of the regular season, which is 11 days away.
The Vikings may have quietly revealed their CB answer as GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pointed to in-house fixes to an oft-mentioned roster weakness.
But if one polled the fan base, seeking to find one weak spot, the nearly universal reply would be cornerback.
And on Thursday, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah provided a clue to his view of the cornerback spot: he’s content with his current personnel.
Turns Out the Vikings Might Already Have Their CB Fix
There is no urgency, based on the general manager’s words, to find a different CB.
Vikings Seem to “Like What They Have” at CB
Adofo-Mensah and his head coach, Kevin O’Connell, spoke to reporters on Thursday, and with the regular season around the bend, the young executive appeared to be okay with the status quo.
“Yeah, it’s a position where we have the ability to play Big Nickel and things like that, so we look at that group with that versatility. We were able to bring back Fabian Moreau, who we view as an NFL-caliber guy and has played a lot of snaps for us,” Adofo-Mensah said about his CB room.
“We’ll always be mindful throughout the season to look at different opportunities.”
The “throughout the season” tidbit implies that the current CB group is passable in the organization’s eyes. No imminent newcomers may be incoming.
Fabian Moreau as the Unsung Fix
Very quietly, Adofo-Mensah signed Moreau, a veteran of the 2024 roster who played over 100 snaps, this week, sneaking him through to the 2025 practice squad.
When examining cornerback fixes, most fans left Moreau off the list because, well, he feels like a practice squad talent. The Vikings disagree, evidenced by Adofo-Mensah’s words on Thursday.
If something happened to Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Jeff Okudah, or Dwight McGlothern in the coming days or weeks, Moreau would apparently be the next man up.
Don’t Forget about Asante Samuel Jr.’s Free Agency
Meanwhile, Minnesota could be a dark horse for Asante Samuel Jr.’s free agency. The former Los Angeles Chargers corner is undergoing an injury recovery, but could return and sign somewhere midseason.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweeted this week, “An update on Asante Samuel: He’s scheduled to undergo a CT scan in October to ensure successful spinal fusion. At that point, he will look to sign with a team for the second half of the year. Several teams have kept in touch.”
Samuel Jr. has been linked to Minnesota’s rumor mill for about four months. Perhaps Adofo-Mensah will make the call when the defender returns to full health.
Other CB Alternatives if Injuries Strike
Pretend Adofo-Mensah fibbed and will seek a veteran corner in the next 11 days. These options can be signed today:
- Corey Ballentine
- Cameron Dantzler
- Kendall Fuller
- Stephon Gilmore
- Shaquill Griffin
- Tre Herndon
- Mike Hilton
- Emmanuel Moseley
- Nik Needham
- Kendall Sheffield
- Duke Shelley
- Cameron Sutton
Gilmore and Griffin, two members of the purple team last year, make the most sense in a pinch.
Janik Eckardt on CB Room, Fabian Moreau
Janik Eckardt at PPTSD weighed in on the cornerback matter and Moreau this week.
He wrote, “Wednesday afternoon, the Vikings announced their practice squad players, and part of that was a familiar cornerback: Fabian Moreau. The veteran defensive back returns for a second season. He was Minnesota’s fourth cornerback last season behind Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore, and Shaq Griffin.”
“Moreau, now 31 years old, appeared in seven contests with the Vikings, playing 102 defensive snaps and 56 on special teams. He made seven tackles and earned a PFF grade of 63.2, which is pretty much average. Zemaiah Vaughn, a rookie defender who was surrounded by some buzz in training camp, was also brought back to the practice squad. He has intriguing size and athleticism, but was cut on Tuesday.”
Most fans consider Moreau an underwhelming repair for a potentially glaring roster deficiency.
Eckardt continued, “He now gets the time to develop and potentially have a chance to make the team later in the season or next year. Moreau has been a journeyman since his rookie contract expired in 2021. The 2017 third-rounder spent the first four seasons of his career with Washington, where he played in 60 games (18 starts) mainly as a slot cornerback. That changed when he signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021. He started all 16 games as a boundary cornerback.”
“In 2022, he played with the New York Giants in 14 regular-season and two postseason matchups, once again playing on the outside. In 2023, Moreau was employed by the Denver Broncos, where he started 11 of 16 games. In his eight years in the league, Moreau has played in 113 games (56 starts) and registered 305 tackles and seven interceptions.”
Minnesota has about $16 million remaining in cap space if it wishes to sign a free-agent corner. Otherwise, what you see is what you get.
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