Minnesota Vikings: Robert Blanton wants to return

The Minnesota Vikings appear ready to move on from safety Robert Blanton, even though Blanton says he wants to return.

Two years ago Robert Blanton got a chance to start at safety for the Minnesota Vikings and surprisingly did okay in the role (notwithstanding the odd trucking at the hands of Eddie Lacy). Last year however, Blanton was erased almost entirely from the safety picture in favor of Andrew Sendejo.

The 26-year-old Blanton is now a free agent and all indications are that the Vikings are ready to let him walk. But the former fifth-round draft pick sounds like he doesn’t want to leave.

Blanton has surely discussed his situation with his agent and come to the realization that there are not a whole lot of teams lining up to bid on his services.

A return to the Vikings is not 100% out of the question I guess, but after the way Blanton fell off the map last year, you have to believe the door is mostly closed on the safety coming back.

The argument could be made that Blanton has value as a backup, in that he at least is familiar with the defense. I’m just not sure that argument holds much water given some of the statements Mike Zimmer has made about trying to find the “right kind of guy” to line up at safety.

If Blanton were the right kind of guy – in other words, a guy who knows what he is supposed to do – then he would have played more in 2015. It seems to me Zimmer has already made up his mind that Blanton is the wrong kind of guy.

Next: Matt Asiata wants to come back

Blanton did do well in 2014 but remember that Zimmer had not yet installed his full defense at that point. Blanton was seemingly okay in the dumbed-down version of Zimmer’s scheme, but as soon as Zimmer started installing more wrinkles, Blanton apparently became lost.

Unless Blanton can magically convince someone on the Vikings that he’s the right kind of guy after all, I don’t see him wearing purple next year.