5 bold free agency predictions for the 2020 Vikings

Anthony Harris #41 of the Minnesota Vikings (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) Anthony Harris
Anthony Harris #41 of the Minnesota Vikings (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) Anthony Harris /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
(Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Trae Waynes
(Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Trae Waynes /

There will be a mass exodus in the secondary

The counter-effect of Kirk Cousins not helping clear some space is that someone will not get what they’re seeking in Minnesota.

The most affected area will be the secondary, which already lost Xavier Rhodes on Friday, but has Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, and Anthony Harris as pending free agents. There’s also a good chance all three will not be able to be retained.

Waynes is a former first-round pick of the Vikings, but he has never seemed to live up to the potential that many thought he could achieve. Placed in a contract-year situation, Waynes underwhelmed, allowing 653 yards and five touchdowns when targeted. Those numbers would have been even worse had he not missed a pair of games.

With a projected value of $8.4 million per season, the Vikings may be wiser to use that money somewhere else such as a new deal for Alexander. But the relationship between the team and the 26-year-old has gone sour over the past year.

After having to wait for his turn in the starting lineup, Alexander finally broke through in 2018. But in 2019, he suffered an injury-plagued season.

When he was forced to play during Minnesota’s meaningless Week 17 finale last year, he injured his knee and was forced to sit out the Vikings’ playoff run. With former defensive backs coach Jerry Gray now with the Green Bay Packers, there’s a better chance Alexander has his bags packed.

That leaves Harris, who may have played himself out of Minnesota’s price range last season. As 2019’s third-highest graded safety in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, teams should be drooling over putting Harris in their defense this year.

With a projected value of $13.8 million per season, the Vikings may take a cheaper route by re-signing Andrew Sendejo and using the savings at another position of need.