Vikings Training Camp 2019: Top 4 takeaways from Day 9
By Adam Patrick
Kearse gets some nickel action
With the status of cornerback Mike Hughes still up in the air for the start of the season, the Vikings may have to get creative in the secondary until he returns to full strength.
One thing Minnesota may do more often during the earlier portion of the year is use safety Jayron Kearse out on the field at the same time as fellow safeties Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris. The Vikings experimented with this on Monday and it’s something they’ve teased in the past as well.
Kearse provides Minnesota with a nice combination of size and speed. So having him out on the field with the other two starting safeties is just another way for the Vikings’ defense to create a matchup problem for the opposing offense.
Last season, Kearse had himself a bit of breakout campaign. He appeared in all 16 games for Minnesota and ended the year with 32 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and two pass breakups.
Currently scheduled to become a free agent in 2020, Kearse will be looking to have an even better performance this year so he can land a nice new deal during the offseason.