NFL Free Agents: Rahim Moore Would Be a Splashy Signing for the Vikings

Just a few pieces of information that may lead some to speculate the Vikings will make a strong push for safety Rahim Moore in free agency.

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Item 1: The Vikings have reportedly indicated that upgrading at safety is one of their priorities this offseason. Robert Blanton did a nice job for them last year but the coaching staff never showed total faith in him, even benching him late in the season to give Andrew Sendejo a look.

Item 2: The Vikings reportedly got in on the Devin McCourty bidding but bailed once the price got too rich. Darren Wolfson says the Vikings were willing to go as high as $7 million-per-year on McCourty but that was it.

Item 3: It’s believed that once Rahim Moore signs, his numbers will come in right around that $7 million-per-year range. So, if the Vikings were willing to go that high on McCourty, why not Moore?

For the record, Ben Goessling of ESPN lists Moore as a top target for the Vikings in their rundown:

"With Devin McCourty off the market, Moore might be the best coverage safety left. He might also be the most expensive, but the Vikings have more than $20 million in cap space, and Moore would be a great fit next to Harrison Smith."

I’m not sure the Vikings do have over $20 million in cap space but they could if they rework some contracts and/or dump some veterans.

Note that Moore is also listed as a top target for the Redskins in the same piece. Point being, multiple teams will be interested in Moore. And that may drive his price up into that territory where Rick Spielman starts getting nervous.

Though it’s believed the Vikings won’t go crazy in free agency, there’s also reason to believe Moore is a legitimate target for them and a player they’d be willing to fork over some fairly big change to lock down. The Vikings must upgrade their secondary talent this offseason, and acquiring Moore would go a long way toward doing that.

Deep coverage was one area where the Vikings really struggled in 2014, and Moore was one of the very best cover safeties in the league. Having Moore patrolling the deep part of the field might free up Harrison Smith to be used more as an in-the-box safety and blitzer, unleashing his full potential as an all-around defensive thumper (think a better-groomed Troy Polamalu).

Of all the bigger name free agents out there, Moore seems the most realistic target for Minnesota. Fans will be very happy if the Vikes can lock this guy up and get him out there.

Next: Vikings Had Interest In Devin McCourty

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