Trae Waynes is entering arguably the most important season of his professional career. Will the Minnesota Vikings cornerback earn himself a big contract?
The Minnesota Vikings are heavily invested in their secondary and head coach Mike Zimmer is far from shy when discussing his love for defensive backs.
But cornerback is one of the most important positions in today’s NFL and depth at that spot is crucial. The Vikings have made a conscious effort to add as many talented players to this position group as possible lately.
Xavier Rhodes is still the treasured piece of the secondary despite having a down year by his standards in 2018. Rhodes, a first-round pick back in 2013, has been the team’s top corner for a while now.
However, Minnesota’s front office has still used early-round draft picks to add more talent to the room during the recent past including when they selected Trae Waynes with the 11th overall pick in 2015.
Fast forward to today where the Vikings are preparing for the 2019 season with a handful of impressive corners on the current roster.
Waynes is entering his fifth year in Minnesota after the team picked up his contract option prior to last season. But he has yet to sign a contract extension with the Vikings and it seems likely that he will hit free agency in 2020.
Waynes’ growth on defense has been vital for the Vikings recently as injuries and a tough division have required a ton of depth outside.
He has the speed to cover anyone down the field and he has shown his ability to match up with top wide receivers if need be. At the same time, Waynes has battled his own injuries during his tenure with Minnesota.
Sure, he has missed just four contests since he entered the league, but he seems to leave early games more often than not. The concern of if he will return is not always fun for Vikings fans as a significant injury always feels destined.
As Waynes prepares for the 2019 season, can he earn his keep in Minnesota with more strong play or will this year result in him suiting up elsewhere come 2020?