Minnesota Vikings: Five potential free agent safety targets
By Dan Zinski
The Minnesota Vikings may be in the market for a safety during this year’s free agency period, and could target one of these five players.
The Vikings have put together one of the league’s better young defenses, but there are still holes to fill personnel-wise, and the biggest of these is at safety.
Mike Tirico may not know his name but Harrison Smith is now one of the top safeties in the NFL. The Vikings now must find a good player to pair with Smith in order for their overall defensive backfield to take the next step.
The Vikings’ younger in-house options include 2014 draft pick Antone Exum and 2015 UDFA Anthony Harris. Both had limited chances to play in 2015 and neither did anything particularly spectacular.
Veterans Andrew Sendejo and Robert Blanton are both free agents in 2016. Sendejo started most of the 2015 season and his performance ranged from adequate to brutal. I don’t know many people who think Sendejo is the answer. Blanton also is not in the picture as a starter.
Terence Newman got a look at safety mid-season after injuries decimated the position, and there are some who think the Vikings should convert the long-time veteran to a full-time safety and slide in Trae Waynes at cornerback. Newman is getting old however and is clearly not a long-term solution.
Dipping into free agency could be the answer for the Vikings are there are some interesting options out there.