Should the Minnesota Vikings bring back Trae Waynes in 2019?

Why the Vikings should part ways with Waynes

For a guy that was a top 15 draft pick, Waynes hasn’t exactly lived up to his expectations during his tenure with the Vikings. He’s developed into a solid player, but the difference between him and fellow Minnesota corners Mike Hughes and Holton Hill isn’t as big as some may think.

Hughes’ season-ending knee injury might have actually derailed the Vikings’ original plans for the 2019 offseason though. With the way that the rookie was playing before getting injured, Minnesota moving him up as their No. 2 corner over Waynes for next season wouldn’t have been a huge surprise.

But now, the Vikings may have to stick with Waynes for longer than they would have liked as they wait and see how well Hughes’ recovery goes this year.

However, with a small amount of cap space this offseason, Minnesota might just go ahead and opt out of Waynes’ contract anyways. Doing so would save the Vikings a little over $9 million in 2019 and they could use that money to help improve much weaker position groups on their current roster.

With Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer’s expertise being in the defensive backfield, making up for Waynes’ void next season also may not be as hard for the Vikings as it might be elsewhere. Zimmer would also enjoy proving people wrong who would feel that Minnesota made the incorrect decision in letting go of their No. 2 corner.

If the Vikings are confident in their cornerback depth and feel like they need some more spending money to improve their roster this year, opting out of Waynes’ current deal may be the path to take.