6 free-agent returners the Vikings could sign in 2020

Marcus Sherels

Just over a year ago, many Vikings fans were saddened when Marcus Sherels signed with the Saints in free agency.

This was a bit shocking and it made Minnesota fans realize how important Sherels was to the team. He would often make a punt return that looked like it was going for a loss, into a gain, and he would occasionally bust off a long one for a score.

He ended up not making New Orleans’ final 53-man roster last year due to an injury and he became a free agent again. The Vikings brought him back after Chad Beebe’s injury early in the season. Minnesota then released him a few weeks later and gave the punt returning job to a healthy Mike Hughes.

Sherels had a brief stint with the Dolphins and then he returned home to the Vikings in January when Hughes suffered another injury. During his last game with the team, Sherels uncharacteristically muffed a punt that led to a turnover and basically sealed a playoff loss for Minnesota against the San Francisco 49ers.

That muff would be a horrible last memory of Sherels in purple and maybe the Vikings will look to bring him back to give him one last shot. He’s the most productive return man on this list and he holds numerous Minnesota all-time punt return records.

With him being 32-years-old combined with his inability to do much else besides returning, Sherels would come in at a very low cost. The Vikings seemed more than willing to move on from him a season ago and perhaps their mindset hasn’t changed.

There really may not be a much better option in free agency though and Minnesota could bring him in and let one of their greatest returners of all-time battle it out with a rookie in the preseason.