Vikings Sign New Cornerback
The Minnesota Vikings revealed their initial 2025 practice squad on Wednesday, and the team snuck a new cornerback into the group.
Fans have labeled cornerback as a roster need lately, and the Vikings added one to the practice squad on Wednesday, with 12 days remaining before the start of the regular season.
He’s Fabian Moreau, who played for the Vikings last year but spent all offseason away from the club, mainly with the San Francisco 49ers.
Fabian Moreau Enters the Chat for Vikings on Practice Squad
Needing cornerback depth, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah consulted a familiar name.
Vikings Sign Fabian Moreau to Practice Squad
Vikings.com‘s Craig Peters wrote Wednesday, “The Vikings on Wednesday announced they terminated the contract of receiver Tim Jones. The move occurred a few hours after Minnesota announced a trade with Carolina to bring receiver Adam Thielen back to the Vikings.”
“Jones will be staying in Minnesota as one of 16 players signed to the team’s practice squad. The Vikings announced the following players are joining the team’s practice squad ahead of the 2025 season.”
Moreau, somewhat surprisingly, was among the practice squad names. He’s now one call-up away from the gameday roster.
A Quick Reunion
Moreau appeared in seven Vikings games last year, playing 102 snaps. On those plays — about 10% of all defensive snaps within the games he played — he logged a decent 63.8 Pro Football Focus grade. His 119.2 passer-rating-against left much to be desired, but Moreau’s presence as a depth corner came in handy.
The UCLA alumnus became featured a bit when former Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore missed a few games. Ironically, Gilmore is in the mix again as a possible free-agent target for Minnesota amid the depth corner shortage. If so, Adofo-Mensah would bring back two CBs from the 2024 defense, which ranked second in the NFL per EPA/Play, only topped by the Denver Broncos.
Another veteran corner from the 2024 squad, Shaquill Griffin, was released on Wednesday and could find his way back to Minnesota.
Moreau’s NFL Resume
Washington pulled Moreau out of Round 3 of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he stayed attached to the Commanders’ roster for four seasons, the duration of his rookie contract. Since, he’s bounced around for one-year pit stops, including Minnesota in 2024.
Here’s Moreau’s professional resume to date:
- Washington Commanders (2017–2020)
- Atlanta Falcons (2021)
- Houston Texans (2022)
- New York Giants (2022)
- Denver Broncos (2023)
- Minnesota Vikings (2024)
- San Francisco 49ers (2025)
- Minnesota Vikings (2025–now)
Moreau was at the peak of his powers in 2021 with the Commanders, totaling over 1,000 defensive snaps as a full-time starter.
Other CB Options after Moreau
In addition to Moreau, the Vikings could be active in free agency, a market that has expanded this week with NFL roster cuts. These CBs might make sense:
— Corey Ballentine
— Cameron Dantzler
— Kendall Fuller
— Stephon Gilmore
— Shaquill Griffin
— Mike Hilton
— Kalen King
— Damarri Mathis
— Nik Needham
— Duke Shelley
More on Moreau
Our own K. Joudry noted on Moreau earlier in the offseason: “He was active for just seven games last season. At first, Akayleb Evans was getting into the lineup, largely due to the young corner’s ability as a gunner on the punt team. Once Evans was cut, Moreau got the nod.”
“He snagged 102 snaps on defense and then 56 on special teams. He was credited with 7 tackles and 1 pass defended. After the Cardinals game, Moreau received some criticism for allowing the touchdown to Marvin Harrison Jr., but re-watch the clip. Moreau is offering some pretty sticky coverage. Kyler Murray puts the ball in a great spot and a great receiver makes a great play. Sometimes, a defender simply needs to tip his cap and move onto the next play.”
Moreau turned 31 in April.
“Last season, the Vikings had Moreau on the roster for a cap hit coming in at just $1,458,529. Cap hits from previous seasons — alongside his depth role and advancing age — suggest that he’s very likely to sign a modest deal yet again. Fabian Moreau isn’t the world’s best corner but he could stabilize the team’s floor. Furthermore, he could offer continuity for a secondary that appears ready for a major transition,” Joudry added.
“Moving into free agency and the draft with Murphy, Blackmon, McGlothern, and Moreau wouldn’t be a bad place to be. One or two starting-level corners would give the CB room a nice blend of high-end talent and strong depth alongside a good balance of youth and experience.”
Moreau would be one line of defense if injuries rattle the Vikings’ CB room, and he can be called up from the practice squad three times before Minnesota must sign him to the active roster.
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