The Viking Age
FanSided

Vikings CB Trae Waynes has ‘his best performance’ against Cowboys

By Adam Carlson

facebooktwitterreddit

Fans and media outlets have been quick to voice their displeasure with the play of Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Trae Waynes in his first three contests.  The first round draft pick out of Michigan State University looked like a true rookie in the Pro Hall of Fame Game and the first two preseason games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders.

For the third preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, the Minnesota Vikings tried something a little different with Trae Waynes: they had him work with the second team.

That’s right, Xavier Rhodes and Terence Newman held down the outside cornerback jobs with Captain Munnerlyn filling in on the nickel duties.  With that, Waynes was able to put forth a much better performance that made head coach Mike Zimmer take notice according to 1500ESPN.com.

"“He was in position the entire night,” Zimmer said. “I’m not sure if his guy caught any balls on him. His technique was much better this last time. I thought he was in the right position much better. There were some things we had to talk about on the sideline. For the most part, I thought this was by far his best performance.”"

Aug 22, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes (26) celebrates his pass deflection against the Oakland Raiders in the third quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

When Waynes was selected with the #11 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, many fans felt that he should be able to be plugged in as a starter right away.  The Minnesota Vikings weren’t willing to take that gamble.  That is why they went out in free agency and got veteran Terence Newman, who is very familiar Mike Zimmer’s style of coaching.

Minnesota will be bringing Trae Waynes along slowly, since they are in a position where they don’t have to throw the young man into the fire immediately.  However, seeing that he had his “best game” of the preseason according to Zimmer in Saturday’s game against the Cowboys, things could be on the rise for the young, talented defensive back.

We’ll likely see more from Waynes when the Minnesota Vikings play the Tennessee Titans in the final preseason contest of the 2015 season.  That game is scheduled for Thursday, September 3, 2015.

Next: Minnesota Vikings 2015 Game By Game Previews

More from The Viking Age

Home/Minnesota Vikings News