Vikings Theory Appears to be Kaput with the Week 1 Game Days Away
Back in August, there was a Vikings theory circulating.
More specifically, the coaching staff was debating the merit of using corner Isaiah Rodgers as a returner on kickoff. The smaller defender was and is being looked at as a starter, someone who can slide into an opening within the Brian Flores group. Could he be tasked with doing double duty? Put differently, could Rodgers get leaned on to bring kickoffs back, as well?
The Vikings Theory about Isaiah Rodgers Likely Done
At least for now, Mr. Rodgers doesn’t appear to be part of the plan for the return game.
In August, I asked Flores about the possibility of Rodgers being a returner. I wanted to get his sense of the risk/reward of seeing his CB2 put into a spot where high-impact collisions could arrive.
The defensive coordinator explained, “Look, I started, my career started on special teams so that phase is near and dear to me, so I understand how valuable a returner” can be. Shortly thereafter, Flores says that “at the end” the team’s main leaders will “put [their] heads together” to make a final determination.
As a final idea, Flores said that the broader context of the roster would be crucial: “The focus won’t just be on one person, it’s who else can do this? What’s the entire makeup of the team?” Flores further explained. “And if the best thing is for [Isaiah] Rodgers for our team, then I’ll be all for it.”
Lots of wisdom packed into those words, folks. Naturally, the defensive coordinator is going to want his defense to shine. That’s what is going to dominate Flores’ intellectual efforts throughout the season as he works toward solving the weekly riddle that is the opposition’s offense. Put together a dominant defense that stifles and stops the other team. Pursuing that goal is going to involve Isaiah Rodgers proving capable of shining.
But then there’s the broader goal: winning football games. Yes, putting together a top-tier defense helps to achieve the broader goal but so, too, does having some excellent special teams abilities. Where’s the balance?
Standing at 5’10” and weighing 176 pounds, Isaiah Rodgers isn’t going to be among the NFL’s strongest players. He will, however, find himself among the NFL’s fastest players (no small feat). Seeing him with the ball in his hands and plenty of green grass ahead of him is therefore a proposition that holds some appeal, especially for Coach Daniels.
The great issue is simply that the roster only boasts four cornerbacks.
Go ahead and consider the work of Craig Peters on the Vikings’ website. After accounting for who made the 53-man roster, Peters has provided a very helpful breakdown of the number of players who got kept at each position going back to 2016. Scroll down to corner. In fairness, the category is more general, accounting for the defensive backfield more broadly. Nevertheless, the point remains that the Kevin O’Connell era has never seen so few corners on the final team (seldom did Mike Zimmer ever, if at all, go down to four).
With that basic reality in mind, what kind of chance is there for the Vikings theory about Rodgers as a returner? Best guess: slim to none.
Such a thin corner position means that using one of the starters to be the kickoff returner would be quite the risk. Foolish, even. There is no success in the NFL without competent corner talent. There can be team success without huge kickoff returns. Yes, it helps to have explosive returns, but it’s not nearly as vital as having a healthy CB2 who can slow down the other team’s receivers.
At present, the Vikings appear ready to lean on receiver Tai Felton and running back Ty Chandler to bring kickoffs back. Next up would appear to be receiver Myles Price and running back Zavier Scott.
If Isaiah Rodgers does get the chance to bring the ball back, then Minnesota will be leaning on someone who has 69 career returns for 1,870 yards and 1 score. His average sits at 27.1 yards per return and his career-long went for 101 yards.
Rodgers is 27.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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